It was the Japanese, established to the west of the river, who started to build this covered bridge in 1593. The project took three years, from the Year of the Monkey to the Year of the Dog, hence the presence on it of statues of these animals. In 1719, a Chinese mandarin visiting Hoi An gave it the name of Lai Vien Kieu, "The bridge built by men from far away". Fifty years later, the Chinese decided to erect a pagoda dedicated to Bac De Tran Vu, a highly respected Chinese mandarin.