The Japanese Bridge

This old covered bridge in Hoi An seems to be a bit of an enigma. Nobody seems to be know exactly when it was first built or when and how often it was reconstructed over the centuries. 

Foreigners know this as the 'Japanese Bridge' recalling a time when this small canal separated the Chinese and the Japanese quarters of the trading port. It is thought that the bridge was built as a symbol of friendship.

The Vietnamese know it as the 'Pagoda Bridge' because the bridge contains a small temple like many examples of chapel bridges in Europe.

It is said that the Japanese established the original shrine to appease Kashima the Shinto thunder god who had the power to quell Nazuma the Earthquake Catfish Monster by placing a stone on it's body.

Nazuma whose head is in India and tail in Japan was said to be the cause of earthquakes in Japan.

I had a look at other temple or chapel bridges and it seems  that Yorkshire has more than it's fair share! I also found some in St. Ives (Cambs) and Bradford on Avon and glorious example in Lucerne.  

Interestingly, it is possible that the Japanese bridge in Hoi is perhaps the most modern of these examples many of which date back to the 14th century.

St. Mary's Chapel - Wakefield

Bradford on Avon

The Chapel Bridge - St. Ives (Cambs)

Our Lady of the Bridge, Rotherham

Le Pont D'avignon

The Chapel Bridge - Lucerne

Bats and dragons

Slightly late, I know, but here is my Halloween offering. 

This gate is on the main road and marks the entrance to Hem Dinh Binh Khanh (the Lane of Binh Khanh temple) which I pass through every day as I come and go. The reason this is my Halloween offering is for the bats that are featured each side of the main archway.  They must have some spiritual or cultural significance for this particular temple. 

It may be that bats are more common in this little neighbourhood than elsewhere. One of the joys of living chez Jo is that, during the early evening hours, bats frequently zoom through the french doors that open onto the garden, and fly through the length of the lounge and kitchen and back out again, inspecting the interior of some of the light fittings as they go. They might be looking for new roosts I guess. I just love it!!! 

The roundels of red calligraphy might be a hangover from Chinese roundels which have been adapted and now contain words, or parts of words in the western alphabet,  The three I have detailed  appear to read 'Binh Kh Ahn' .. with Og from the start of some other word perhaps.

The dragons are pretty standard features on gates of this type, along with lions dogs and other mythical creatures. I have even seen a builders yard where you can buy them. Dragons seem so cheerful and these ones are highly glazed and twinkle in the afternoon   sun. 

In Eastern Asia dragons are usually portrayed as long, scaley, serpentine creatures with four legs like a lizard or crocodile... just like the two on the gate.  In Yin and Yang terminology, the dragon is Yang to the Phoenix Yin.

The dragon symbolises potency and auspicious powers such as control over water, rainfall, hurricane and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength and good fortune.