He led me across the small curved bridge to reach the main courtyard of the pagoda. He said, “As the legend goes, Thay Mountain is seen as the body of a blue dragon. The courtyard in front of the pagoda is the opening mouth of the dragon with the floating pavilion in the middle of Long Tri lake in it. The pavilion is like the pearl in the mouth of the dragon. On both sides of the lake, there are two curved bridges with beautiful names Nhat Tien (Sun fairy) and Nguyet Tien (Moon fairy).

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The unique curved bridges of Thay Pagoda

The bridges are the two eyes of the dragon, looking down on the lake. As Ha revealed, the two bridges were donated and built by Phung Khac Khoan, a well-known scholar in the 16th century. Nhat Tien Bridge connects the temple yard to the path to Thay Mountain, while Nguyet Tien Bridge leads to Tam Phu temple (worshiping the deities of the sky, the earth and the water) and then to the main road. The scholar later made canals to bring water to fields around Thay Mountain.

The two ancient bridges were built of bricks in the arc shape with several spans. On the bridges are wooden pillars. The attic roof slopes gradually from the top of the roof to a lower point and is roofed with yin-yang tiles. The bridges have undergone several times of embellishment and restoration and the current architecture is typical of the late 19th and early 20th century.

The bridges have moderate height and passers-by can reach out their hand to touch the roofs to feel each of their components. The moderate height also makes it convenient for repairs and embellishment when damaged. The two sides of the bridge have a pair of stone dragons curling up like guiding visitors to cross the bridge.

When crossing the bridge, people can take a rest on it when they are tired or when it is raining as they are visiting and offering incense at Thay Pagoda.

As time went by, each layer of the tiles on the roofs of the two bridges faded their colors. However, the bridges are still there regardless of time, making the scenery more romantic. The curving “dragon’s eyes” are there, leaving their imprints on the glittering water, connecting love and leaving a feeling of nostalgia to every visitor coming to visit.

Translated by Quynh Thuong – Minh Hue