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Cau pagoda - Symbol of Hoi An

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Contiguous with Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Tran Phu street, Cau pagoda (Cầu - Bridge - or the Japanese pagoda) is a monument built by Japanese tradesmen who came to make trade in 16th century. Under the influence of natural plagues, Cau pagoda, after restorations, lost its aspects of Japanese architecture and carries today the Sino-Vietnamese style.


	Cau pagoda in Hoi An

The pagoda is under the form of the word "Common", of which the floor in wood crosses a channel of Hoài river. The bridge is covered with a curved roof and thoroughly carved. On the door of the pagoda, there is a relief of three words "Lai Viễn Kiều" (the bridge of remote friends) - name that lord Nguyen Phuc Chu gave to the pagoda at the time of his visit in Hoi An in 1719. On the guardrail, a small temple is devoted to god "Bắc Đế Trấn Vũ" - the storms and typhoons god according to the Chinese belief. The statues of sitting monkeys and dogs in wood are laid out at the two bridge's ends.


	The worship place inside Cau pagoda

The origin of Cau pagoda was attached to the legend of a watery monster whose head was in India, the body in Vietnam and the tail in Japan. Each time it agitated, there were floods and earthquakes in these areas. Thus, the bridge's construction, beside in service of circulation, still aimed to control the monster and to protect the peaceful life. Cau pagoda is a priceless good and selected like the symbol of Hoi An Old Town.

According to Quang Nam tourism department

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