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The covered "Japanese Bridge", Hoi An, Vietnam
Built around the time that early Dutch explorers first reached the West
Coast of Australia in the early 1600's, this beautiful covered Japanese Bridge
in the riverside town of Hoi An, Vietnam, was built as a symbol of peace.
Once one of the most important trading ports in Asia, the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries
saw Hoi An flourish with merchants coming from Europe, China and Japan.
The bridge formed a link between the Chinese and Japanese sectors of the town
and has remained largely unmodified over the centuries and is thus of great
historical and architectural significance.
Today, Hoi An, with its many old buildings, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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