Better to Know about An Hoi Bridge in Hoi An

First of all, An Hoi Bridge is short (50 meters long) and small (5 meters wide). It’s named after the island of An Hoi, a 26-hectares island on Thu Bon River. On this island, there are the Hoi An Night Market, Hoi An Lune Center for Performing Arts (where world-class Teh Dar show occurs), the An Hoi Sculpture Park, fishing villages, hotels and resorts.

An Hoi Bridge crosses Hoai River which flows through the heart of the Hoi An Old Town, a world heritage site and a world-famous tourist attraction. This river is about 1,5 kilometers long and 30-40 meters wide. It’s a small branch of Thu Bon River, the largest river in the delta. For locals, its name means ‘missing home river’ because the town on its bank is where many people immigrated from different countries. See more information & details

On the other side, An Hoi Bridge is on Chau Thuong Van Street. This road runs from north to south, started at the Cantonese Assembly Hall and ended at Ngo Quyen Street. Chau Thuong Van is a local man lived between 1856 and 1908 in Minh Huong village, at the central area of Hoi An. His ancestors are Chinese people who immigrated from southern China to the town. In French colonial time, his house-shop that is located by the Hoi An Central Market, served as meeting and gathering place of local patriots and anti-French revolutionists. Later, he was caught by French people and jaied in the prison of Hoi An, Faifoo and then passed away in Thua Phu Prison, Hue city.

An Hoi Bridge is known by travellers as ‘Bridge of Lights’ because it’s decorated by many lanterns and lamps at night. Additionally, from this bridge, visitors can see and photograph brilliant scenes that come from thousands of colorful lanterns. They are hung up in ancient houses, trees, in streets and float on the river. No surprise, when walking across the bridge, all people will feel overwhelmed and impressed and take at least one picture. In the middle of the bridge, there is a logo of Hoi An (featuring Japanese Bridge) with a bat (traditional decorative motif, symbolizing happiness and good fortune). Many people like standing here to take photos.

To go from the Hoi An Ancient Town (or Japanese Bridge) to the Hoi An Night Market, visitors must cross An Hoi Bridge. So, during the night, this bridge is always busy and during peak hours, it’s crowded.

At the south end of An Hoi Bridge, there is a ticket booth where visitors can buy tickets to sightsee Hoi An Old Town world heritage. The ticket price is 120,000 VND for adults and children above 15 years old. With it, it’s possible to enter nearby attractions such as the Japanese Bridge, Cantonese Assembly Hall, Museum of Sa Huynh Culture, Phung Hung Old House, Tan Ky Old House, Japanese Culture Gallery, etc. See more information & details

Along riverbanks around An Hoi Bridge, there are many ticket booths for lantern boat rides on Hoai River at night (on which visitors can watch the townscape and release lanterns). The ticket price is 150,000 to 200,000 VND, depending on group size. On the bridge, it’s possible to see several old women selling paper lanterns with a cheap price. See more information & details

Close to the north end of An Hoi Bridge, there is an outdoor stage where Bai choi, a Vietnamese traditional bingo game and singing, performs every night. This one was honored by Unesco to be an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2017. Visitors should join locals to sit in bamboo huts and enjoy watching performances from local artists, to have a stunning cultural experience. See more information & details

An Hoi Bridge lies within the pedestrian zone of Hoi An Old Town. Meaning that it’s only for walking and cycling from 9 to 11:30 am and from 3:30 to 9:30-10 pm everyday. Before 9 am and from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm, motorbikes can go across it. See more information & details

With Bach Dang Wharf along the river, An Hoi Bridge is one of the best spots to watch the sunset in Hoi An. See more information & details