There are thousands of tales in Vietnamese history: ones about victory, ones about loves, ones about the good traits of people, but there is nothing like the tale of Chua Cau, the famous bridge in Hoi An, Vietnam. As the old tale states, this bridge is built in the 17th century as a weapon of ancient people to deter the monster Mamazu, which has its head in India, its tail in Japan and its back in Vietnam, from creating earthquakes and other calamities.
Nowadays, even though such tales are hardly believed to be true, no one can deny the importance of the beautiful Chua Cau: a trace of the Japanese influence in Vietnam, a symbol of the will power of people. Reaching a length of up to 18 meters, the bridge connects the two major streets of Hoi An’s old quarter which are Nguyen Thi Minh Khai St and Tran Phu St. Beside this function, Chua Cau is also a spectacular attraction in Hoi An because of its unique architecture.
It not only overlooks the peaceful Thu Bon River, but also possesses the most beautiful carved patterns on its maroon roof, not to mention the divine temple which is built directly at the center of the bridge. On the two ends of the bridge stand the statues of a dog and a monkey, because the construction of the bridge started in the year of dog and ended in the year of monkey (according to the Lunar Calendar). If you have a chance to visit Hoi An, do not ever forget to set your foot on this beautiful and famous bridge to experience the real feeling of being in the historical Vietnam.