Its location is said to be atop the weakest vertebrae of a legendary monster whose head is in India and tail is in Japan. When the monster becomes restless, natural disasters strike Vietnam, but the weight of the bridge keeps the beast trapped. Just to be safe, residents built a nearby temple to placate the monster's spirit. Hoi An's' antique houses, meanwhile, have spawned a treasure hunt fad among tourists, similar to the way visitors to Hollywood and Beverly Hills buy maps revealing where famous movie stars live so tourists can gawk at their homes. These houses are small, two-story buildings wedged along the main street near the Japanese bridge and elsewhere.
Interiors display carved teak walls, shelves, shrines and other flourishes.
Windows are often framed by carved wooden panels depicting animals, mythical beasts, rural scenes, and the sort of pictures often found in classic Vietnamese and Chinese watercolor paintings. The windows themselves usually do not have glass, and instead display a latticework of wood, cut to resemble bamboo or fanciful designs. One homeowner proudly displayed large portraits, hung on the walls, which showed his wealthy ancestors beaming satiated smiles. In another home, a woman invited visitors to climb a wooden ladder to see an upstairs shrine decorated with Chinese characters, smoldering incense, and a poster of the Lord Buddha. The woman said these old homes always included a second story because during seasonal floods the families often had to live upstairs for an extended period of time.