Published:  16:37 Tuesday - January 03, 2012

A exciting trip to discover a spiritually and historically significant relic of Vietnamese people and interact with the pure rural life of the village.

Thanh Toan tile-roofed Bridge crosses a canal flowing from the beginning to the end of Thanh Toan Village, Thuy Thanh Commune, Huong Thuy District, Thua Thien – Hue Province.

The Thanh Toan tile-roofed Bridge is an arched wooden bridge, 17m long and 4m wide. On both sides of the bridge length are 2 rows of wooden flat forms and parapets for people to lean their backs. The bridge is roofed with tubes.  

The arched bridge was built 200 years ago over Nhu Y River which flows around Thanh Toan Village in Thuy Thanh Commune, Huong Thuy District.

A researcher into Vietnamese ancient aesthetics - Louis Bezacier - classified Thanh Toan a rare and the most aesthetically valuable bridge among those of Vietnam. In the first half of the 20th century, there were the two most famous bridges of this style Phuc Toai and Phu Khe in the North, Thanh Toan in Hue and Nhat Ban (i.e. Lai Vien Kieu, also called Chua Cau) in Hoi An.

The bridge is made from precious wood and is tile-roofed with a length of 17 meters and a width of four meters. It is a house constructed above the bridge.

On both sides of the bridge are rows of wooden platforms and parapets for people to lean against. The bridge was used as a place for relaxation for travelers and villagers after field work.

In history, a lady named Tran Thi Dao who married a high-ranking mandarin under the reign of King Le Hien Tong (1740-1786) supported the construction of the wooden bridge financially so that villagers on both sides of the river could transport goods easily and weary travelers could rest.

Like most of the other historical relics, Thanh Toan Bridge has been damaged many times by storms, floods and wars. However, each time the bridge was destroyed, the villagers always repaired, renovated and preserved it as the result of their awareness of historical relic perseverance and their gratitude to its founder.

In September 1991, Thanh Toan Bridge was revamped based on the old design and recognized as a national heritage site by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Not only Thanh Toan villagers but people in Thua Thien – Hue Province consider this a spiritually and historically significant relic and one of the beautiful landscapes of the province’s tourism. Nowadays, the bridge is a stop for both local and international tourists wanting to interact with the rural life of the village.

 Tourists in  Vietnam travel visiting the bridge can participate in the activities of the villagers at harvest time such as paddy threshing and rice husking as well as hear folk songs sung by the country girls while pounding rice. In addition,  tourists in  Vietnam travel can also enjoy watching folk games and tasting the specialties cooked by the villagers.

Simply, cycling leisurely on the village road with cool, green bamboo shadow. Feeling really peaceful!

Vietnam Tourism- Tours in Vietnam- Vietnam Travel Company