Thanh Toan Tile Roofed Bridge

The tile-roofed Thanh Toan is an arched wooden bridge, 17m long and 4m wide. The bridge is roofed with tubes. Thanh Thuy Village was established in the 16th century. The village is about 8 km east of Hue City. Among the emigrants from Thanh Hoa following Lord Nguyen Hoang, there were 12 family heads who settled down there - forming the 12 initial families of the village. One niece of the sixth generation of the Tran family - Mrs Tran Thi Dao - offered the funds to the village to build a wooden bridge so that the villagers on both sides of the canal could transport conveniently and benighted travellers could rest on their way. Mrs Tran Thi Dao was a childless wife of a high-rank mandarin in the Le Hien Tong reign. She wanted to use her money for charity. In Canh Hung 37th year, Emperor Le Hien Tong granted the village a document to praise Mrs Tran Thi Dao and exempted the villagers from many taxes for them to remember her and to live after her example. In 1925, Emperor Khai Dinh also granted a document to bestow her "Duc Bao, Trung Hung Linh Pho" and to order the villagers to set up an altar on the bridge to worship her.

The tile-roofed Thanh Toan Bridge is not only an ancient architectural remain with highly historic and cultural values but also a tourist attraction. The bridge was built over 2 centuries ago and damaged many times by storms, floods and wars. However, after the bridge was destroyed, the villagers always contributed to repair, renovate and preserve it. The Thanh Toan bridge with its tile-roof has entered into the moods and aspirations of many generations as well as inspired the poetic souls of the local people and travellers, their contents are still handed down among the people or engraved right on the bridge.

In September 1991, the bridge was greatly renovated according to the old design and officially accepted by the Cultural Ministry as a national remains, a rare and appreciated beauty-spot of the whole country.

8AM: Take a bicycle ride around the Old Citadel before cycling ahead to Thanh Toan village, 8km from the centre. You visit the Thanh Toan Bridge, temples, the colorful daily market of the village and the paddy fields along the roads. Continue to cycle around the village and back to Hue. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant with specialties from the country village's menu. Return to hotel.

Services included: English or French speaking local guide, private bicycle, lunch (set menu), mineral water and towel during tour.

Services not included: Drinks, tips, ticket to the Old Citadel, personal expenses and others.