Hotels near Japanese Covered Bridge

Built by the Japanese merchant community in the late 16th century, the Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu) connects Tran Phu Street to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street across a narrow canal. It is the single most recognisable structure in Hoi An and appears on the 20,000 VND banknote. The wooden bridge shelters a small Buddhist temple dedicated to the Taoist god of weather, and stone carvings of a dog and a monkey flank its entrances - said to represent the zodiac years in which construction began and ended.

Entry is included in the Hoi An Old Town ticket (120,000 VND / about 4.50 EUR for five sites). The bridge is open from 08:00 to 21:00 daily, though it is most atmospheric after dark when lanterns illuminate the canal. Restoration work in 2023-2024 replaced weakened timbers while keeping the original 18th-century design intact. The bridge is short - you can cross it in under a minute - but the surrounding lanes reward slower exploration.

Pro Tip: Visit at 07:00 before the ticket booths open - early risers can walk through and photograph the bridge with almost no one else around. Return after 19:00 for the lantern-lit version.