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Cầu Ông Cọp

Cầu Ông Cọp is Vietnam's longest wooden bridge - a roughly 700-800 meter hand-built structure of timber and bamboo spanning the Bình Bá river (also called Phú Ngân river) in Phú Yên. Privately funded and built in 1998, opened in 1999, 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.

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Overview

Best Time to Visit
Early morning (roughly 5:00-8:30 AM) for sunrise, soft light, and cooler air, or late afternoon (roughly 3:30-5:30 PM) for sunset over the water - though some visitors also get good results shooting in full midday sun if those windows don't fit your schedule
Entry Fee
A small toll applies, though exact rates vary by source and over time - commonly cited figures include around 3,000-5,000 VND for motorbikes and somewhat less for pedestrians or bicycles. Confirm at the toll hut, since these are locally set and adjusted periodically
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 (roughly 1.5-1.8m wide) and can feel unstable when motorcycles pass
Safety
Wooden planks vibrate and create noise when vehicles cross; exercise caution, especially if you're not used to riding on uneven surfaces
Accessibility
Pedestrians and motorcycles only; cars cannot cross. Accessible from Highway 1 or from the Gành Đá Đĩa area
Seasonal
The bridge may be temporarily damaged or closed during heavy flooding seasons (roughly Sep-Dec) pending repairs

About This Place

What Makes Cầu Ông Cọp Special

Cầu Ông Cọp - also known as Cầu Miếu Ông Cọp or Cầu Bình Thạnh - is a roughly 700-800 meter wooden bridge crossing the Bình Bá river (also called the Phú Ngân river) in Tuy An district, connecting villages in An Ninh Tây commune with Xuân Đài ward in neighbouring Sông Cầu town. It's built almost entirely from phi lao and eucalyptus timber planks, with bamboo railings, no concrete, no steel, and no engineering firm involved. Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn't a grassroots community project: it was privately funded and built in 1998 for over 1 billion VND by Nguyễn Phước Thọ, an individual from Nha Trang, and opened for use in 1999. Local families later took over its ongoing management, toll collection, and reconstruction, with some now also contributing capital themselves. Every flood season, parts of the bridge get swept away or damaged, and in 2025 it was reportedly washed away entirely by flooding before being rebuilt - a dramatic but telling example of the bridge's whole design philosophy: wood and bamboo are relatively quick and cheap to rebuild compared to a concrete structure, which is precisely why this cycle of damage-and-reconstruction has continued for decades rather than pushing the community toward a permanent replacement. A concrete replacement was in fact proposed by Phú Yên's transport department around 2016, targeted for completion by 2018-2020, but as of the last confirmed update the project remained unbuilt due to funding shortfalls - so the wooden bridge experience may not be permanent, but it has also proven more durable in practice than its fragile appearance suggests. The bridge 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, tied to a fuller local legend: a renowned local midwife was once visited late one night by a tiger, terrifying the household - but the tiger's actual purpose was to lead her up the mountain to help deliver its own cub. After a successful delivery, the tiger carried her home and later repaid her kindness with a wild boar. When the midwife eventually died, the tiger is said to have continued visiting her grave out of remembrance; when the tiger itself later died, villagers built a small shrine - Miếu Ông Cọp - in tribute to its loyalty and good character. The bridge, built near this shrine, inherited its name.

How to Get There

Getting There

Cầu Ông Cọp is about 35km north of Tuy Hòa, in An Ninh Tây commune, Tuy An district, just a few hundred metres off National Highway 1. From Tuy Hòa, take Highway 1 north for around 30km, then turn off toward the bridge - it's 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 1, cross the bridge, continue to Gành Đá Đĩa further north, then loop back via Nhà Thờ Mằng Lăng on the return. 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 for better lighting and fewer shadows
Bring water - facilities directly at the bridge are minimal to none
Check bridge condition ahead of visit, since repairs may be underway after flooding events
Time needed: 20-30 minutes for crossing and photos, longer if you're also enjoying the river scenery or stopping at nearby stalls
If you're not confident on a motorbike, walk across - the bridge is only 1.5-1.8m wide in places, has gaps between the planks, and wobbles under weight; falling into the river is a real possibility for inexperienced riders
The bridge isn't perfectly straight - some sections have shorter plank runs that create winding, zigzagging stretches, so keep a steady hand on the handlebars rather than expecting one continuous straight line
Larger motorbikes (under about 200kg) are generally fine to cross, but heavier vehicles are uncertain - ask the person managing the toll at the entrance before attempting to cross with a heavy bike
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 periodically after flood damage - the version you cross may be considerably newer than the 1998 origin date suggests, which explains why it looks both weathered and freshly repaired in different sections
The toll is nominal and goes toward maintaining and rebuilding the structure - exact rates vary, so just pay what's asked at the toll hut
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 on the route to Gành Đá Đĩa and saves a detour of roughly 10km compared to going the long way via the main road

FAQ

Common questions from travelers who've visited this place.

What is the entrance fee?›
A small toll applies, but exact rates vary by source and over time - commonly cited figures are a few thousand VND for pedestrians and bicycles, and somewhat more for motorbikes. Just pay what's asked at the toll hut.
Is the bridge safe to walk on?›
Yes, but wooden planks vibrate and creak when motorcycles pass through, and the bridge is narrow (roughly 1.5-1.8m). Walking is a good option if you're not confident riding across.
Can I drive a car across?›
No. Only pedestrians and motorcycles are permitted - the bridge is too narrow for cars.
Who built the bridge, and is it really the original 1998 structure?›
It was privately funded and built in 1998-99 by an individual from Nha Trang, not a community project as sometimes described. The bridge you cross today isn't the original, unbroken structure, though - it's rebuilt in sections after flood damage nearly every year, funded by the toll and maintained by local families who took over its upkeep.

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