QUANG NAM A Bridge Pagoda that dates back to Japanese traders will be removed from Hoi An, Vietnam’s leading World Heritage town in the name of conservation.

Tourists queue to take their selfies and photos on the bridge, which is a rare example of a timber bridge with its own pagoda.

Experts say the best way to save the bridge is to dismantle it and possibly rebuild it in a museum with controlled temperature and restrictions on visitors touching the exhibit.

The other more feasible option is to repair it section-by-section in a workshop and then reassemble the bridge in its original location over the canal.

Thanh Nien News reported that Hoi An authorities are planning to completely dismantle the Japanese bridge claiming international experts said it was the best way to save the 400-year-old icon.

Japanese traders built the bridge in the 17th century.

Vietnamese gave it another name — Bridge Pagoda — after a small shrine to a water god was added at one end of the bridge  in 1653.

The bridge spans some 18 metres across a canal that empties into the Thu Bon River. It is a popular tourist attraction in Hoi An.

However, many poles and beams supporting the bridge have rotted and cracked, due to heavy flooding during the rainy season in recent years, the report said.

Several beams have been replaced with iron ones, which have also corroded.

Vietnam Culture Heritage Association also suggested that the number of visitors allowed to walk across the bridge should be limited once the restoration is completed.

An average of 4,000 visitors visit the bridge daily causing wear-and-tear to the structure.

Hoi An was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999 as an example of a well-preserved trading post that was a port of call for traders from China in the 1600s.

Quang Nam is home to three world-renowned attractions – the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary, and the Cu Lao Cham UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

Hoi An welcomes nearly 2 million visitors annually, mostly domestic tourists.

sourced:ttrweekly.com