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📍 landmark

Cầu Ông Cọp

Cầu Ông Cọp is Vietnam's longest wooden bridge - an 800-meter hand-built structure of timber and bamboo spanning the Bình Bá river in Phú Yên. Built by locals in 1998 and rebuilt after every flood season, it became famous as a filming location for the 2015 Vietnamese film 'Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass' and is now one of Phú Yên's most photographed landmarks.

🌉 Longest Wooden Bridge in Vietnam📸 Photography Spot🎬 Film Location🏍️ Motorbike Route
🧭 Get Directions

Overview

Best Time to Visit
📅 Jan - Aug (dry season; the bridge floods and is often dismantled Oct - Nov during storm season)
Entry Fee
🎟️ 2,000 VND (on foot) / 5,000 VND (motorbike)
Opening Hours
🕐 Open 24/7 (when structurally intact - check locally during Oct - Nov)
Address
📌 An Ninh Tây, Tuy An, Phú Yên

Things to Know

👥Crowds
Local traffic passes through regularly, especially during peak hours
🥾Difficulty
Bridge planks are narrow (1.5-1.8m wide) and can feel unstable when motorcycles pass
⚠️Safety
Wooden planks vibrate and create noise when vehicles cross; exercise caution
🚶Accessibility
Pedestrians and motorcycles only; cars cannot cross. Accessible from Route 1A or from Gành Đá Đĩa area
🌤️Seasonal
Bridge may be temporarily closed during heavy flooding seasons for repairs
ABOUT THIS PLACE

What Makes Cầu Ông Cọp Special

Cầu Ông Cọp is an 800-meter wooden bridge crossing the Bình Bá river in Tuy An district - built entirely from phi lao and eucalyptus timber planks, with bamboo railings, no concrete, no steel, and no engineering firm involved. Local families built it in 1998 to save residents a 14km detour to the nearest highway crossing. Every flood season, parts of it get swept away. Every dry season, the community rebuilds it using the same materials and the same methods, financed by the small toll collected at the entrance. The bridge has been reconstructed at least five to seven times since 1999. It became known beyond Phú Yên after appearing as a filming location in the 2015 film 'Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh' (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass) - a critically acclaimed Vietnamese coming-of-age film that put Phú Yên on the domestic tourism map. The bridge's name comes from a nearby shrine: local legend holds that a white tiger once helped a midwife in distress, and after the tiger died, villagers built a small temple - Miếu Ông Cọp - in its honor. The bridge inherited the name.

How to Get There

🚗 Getting There

Cầu Ông Cọp is 35km north of Tuy Hòa, in An Ninh Tây commune, Tuy An district. From Tuy Hòa, take National Highway 1A north for around 30km, then turn right onto road ĐH31 toward Tuy An - the bridge is a few kilometers from the turnoff. The ride takes around 50 minutes by motorbike. The bridge also serves as a shortcut on the route to Gành Đá Đĩa: cross it heading north and continue to the rock formation rather than backtracking to the highway. Grab drivers from Tuy Hòa may not know the exact location - show them 'Cầu Gỗ Ông Cọp, An Ninh Tây, Tuy An' in Vietnamese. There is free parking on both sides of the bridge.

What to Expect

👀 On the Ground

The bridge is a working piece of infrastructure, not a tourist installation - motorbikes and locals on foot use it throughout the day as a genuine transport route. It flexes and shakes under weight, the planks are uneven, and gaps between boards are wide enough to catch a wheel. The river below is shallow on the Tuy An side and widens toward the estuary. The surrounding scenery - flat rice fields, low hills, open sky - is quietly beautiful rather than dramatic. There are no cafes, shops, or facilities at the bridge itself. The toll booth at the southern entrance is a small wooden hut where a local family member usually sits. The crossing takes around 10 minutes on foot.

Travel Tips

🧳 Tips

Cầu Ông Cọp fits naturally into a north Phú Yên day loop from Tuy Hòa: head up Highway 1A, cross the bridge, continue to Gành Đá Đĩa (15km further north), then loop back via Nhà Thờ Mằng Lăng on the return. The full circuit is around 100km and covers three of Phú Yên's most distinctive stops in a single day. The bridge is most worth visiting for the experience of crossing it and for the surrounding river scenery - if photography is the main goal, timing around golden hour makes a significant difference to the results.

Insider Tips

Based on real traveler experiences and commonly mentioned advice from multiple visitors.

Visit in late afternoon after 4:30 PM for better lighting and fewer shadows
Bring water; there is one drink stall at the bridge entrance with reasonable prices
Check bridge condition ahead of visit as repairs may occur after flooding events
If you're not confident on a motorbike, walk across - the bridge is only 1.5m wide in places, has gaps between the planks, and wobbles under weight; falling into the river is a real possibility for inexperienced riders
Go at sunrise or late afternoon - the flat light in the middle of the day kills the atmosphere; early morning mist over the river makes for genuinely strong photographs
The bridge is rebuilt by the local community every year after flood season - the version you cross may be less than a year old, which explains why it looks both ancient and freshly cut at the same time
The toll is nominal (2,000 - 4,000 VND depending on whether you walk or ride) and goes directly to the families who maintain and rebuild the structure
Do not attempt to cross during or after heavy rain - the river rises fast and the bridge can become unstable without warning; check with locals if visiting between September and December
The bridge is a shortcut to Gành Đá Đĩa - cross it heading north and you save roughly 14km compared to going via Highway 1

FAQ

Common questions from travelers who've visited this place.

What is the entrance fee?›
Pedestrians: 1,000-5,000 VND. Motorcycles: 3,000-5,000 VND. Fees may vary by season.
Is the bridge safe to walk on?›
Yes, but wooden planks vibrate and creak when motorcycles pass through. The bridge is sturdy but narrow at 1.5-1.8m wide.
Can I drive a car across?›
No. Only pedestrians and motorcycles are permitted. The bridge is only about 1.5m wide.

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