Thanh Toan Bridge – A historic bridge in Hue City

Thanh Toan Bridge is a place which is regarded as a historical architectural symbol of Thanh Thuy commune. This bridge is located at Thuy Thanh commune, Huong Thuy district, Hue province and far away from Hue about 8 km.

I.Learn about the history of Thanh Toan Bridge

Ms Tran Thi Van Dao was born in a village called Thanh Thuy. She is the wife of the high-range official in the court in the 18^th century. After she along with her husband had moved to the North, she came back to her hometown. In her village, there was a river combining two parts of the village, therefore, the residents found it inconvenient to transport and engage in selling activities. Ms Dao was aware of this difficulty, so she came up with the idea of building a bridge across the river. She paid for all of the expenses of erecting the bridge. In 1776, the building of Thanh Toan Bridge was completed.

II.Explore the distinctive architecture of this bridge

With long-standing existence, Thanh Toan Bridge is characterized as an age-old architecture. It is split into seven compartments with a length of 16,85 m and a width of 4,63m. With the high and far vision, you can imagine this bridge as a conventional house. Furthermore, seven compartments are like seven separate rooms, which creates familiar and cosy feelings for visitors. All of the remaining six compartments offer platforms made from wood for tourists for the purpose of resting. The pillars of the bridge are combined continually by large wooden trunks.

Besides, the two sides of Thanh Toan Bridge are covered with four rows of columns and in the middle there is a path to walk. Outside the bridge, it is connected with a wooden railing to make it more solid and secure. Designed with ancient architecture, the Thanh Toan tiled-roof bridge has tie beam systems with the lower beams going through the mast and the upper ones placed on the ends. On the surface of the roof, artisans carved four words symbolising Long – Lan- Quy- Phung, which is the image of four spirits of Vietnam’s tradition. The bridge is also furnished with an altar near the nave to worship and commemorate the figure.

III. What to see or do surrounding Thanh Toan Bridge?

Apart from Thanh Toan Bridge, there is a traditional market in the village. Visitors can experience the bustle and hustle atmosphere with exchanging and selling activities. Moreover, visitors can enjoy specialities here such as Ca Kinh fried cake, loc cake, Nam cake, etc with delicious flavour and taste. I ensure that it is the most unique taste that you have ever tried.

In addition to the market, the festival called Bai Choi Festival is held annually on the third day of the Lunar New Year on this bridge. Besides, on the fifteenth of August of the Lunar calendar, another festival is held with the aim of commemorating the devotion of Ms . Van Dao and her anniversary death. The first ceremony is a ritual of praying Ms Van Dao by picking her image in the communal house and then taking this back to the house. After that, some fun activities are held by local authorities and residents such as cooking rice, sailing boat races on the river, tug of war, etc.

To participate and experience harmony with nature surrounding this bridge, it is essential for tourists to hire some bicycles to make a small trip with going cycling. After reaching this place, you can borrow a boat from local residents to sail around the bridge or if you do not have the ability to sail, it will be better to have local people help.

IV.Where to stay during your trip to Thanh Toan Bridge?

If you visit Thanh Toan tiled-roof bridge in the evening, you will have a demand to stay overnight. There are some hotels, guesthouses or homestays located near the village such as the Noric homestay and the Lama homestay. You can choose some guesthouses that are low-cost and appropriate for a one-night stay.

You can stay in Lama homestay which is low cost and comfortable. In my opinion, it is an ideal and reliable stay for tourists to have a good experience.

V.Extra Tips

I had a fantastic trip to Thanh Toan Bridge, therefore, I have a desire to share some tips for you to experience a trip better.

+Bring a paper map with you to avoid losing the street.

+If you are a tourist, you can hire a motorbike to be convenient for travelling. After that, visitors can offer the service of hiring a bicycle to travel the rest route coming to the destination.

+ Bring water, a hat and a jacket with you when travelling in case the temperature is hot.

+Check the weather forecast before setting off.

+Travel in the summer because the weather is hardly rainy and the atmosphere is clear and tranquil.

When it comes to Hue, there are several historical relics, outstanding landscapes and unique architectural designs. Therefore, Thanh Toan Bridge is a not-to-miss place on the list of destinations for tourists when they visit Hue thanks to the ancient architecture of the bridge and festival. If visitors desire to visit Hue, it is a must to take your backpack and travels to Thanh Toan tiled-roof once in your life.