Japanese Covered Bridge

User dalbera on Flickr · CC BY 1.0

A roofed bridge raised by Japanese merchants over four centuries ago — Hoi An's emblem, printed on the 20,000-dong note.

The bridge crosses a narrow creek, linking what was once the Japanese quarter to the Chinese one, and it has stood there since the early seventeenth century. It is called a pagoda but is really a covered bridge, with a small shrine set into its middle to Bac De Tran Vu, the deity who governs waters. Statues of dogs and monkeys guard each end, commonly read as marking the years the work began and finished. In 1719 Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu visited and gave it the literary name Lai Vien Kieu, 'the bridge for welcoming guests from afar'; those characters still hang above the doorway. The bridge is startlingly small for its fame, and that is what everyone remembers.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Japanese Covered Bridge?

Early morning, or after 21:00 when the old town empties

How much does it cost to visit Japanese Covered Bridge?

Included in the Hoi An old-town ticket (see Hoi An Ancient Town)

How long do you need at Japanese Covered Bridge?

30 minutes

What are the opening hours of Japanese Covered Bridge?

All day; the interior follows old-town ticket hours

Did you know

The bridge was built by Japanese merchants around the early seventeenth century.
A shrine in the middle of the bridge honours Bac De Tran Vu, deity of rivers and seas.
In 1719 Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu gave the bridge the literary name Lai Vien Kieu.
The bridge appears on Vietnam's 20,000-dong polymer banknote.

Travel tips

Come before 7am if you want a photograph without people in the frame.
Going inside the bridge needs the old-town ticket; walking past it does not.

Source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/39268284

Updated: 2026-08-16