Japanese-built bridge in Vietnam faces collapse

An ornate wooden bridge built by Japanese merchants centuries ago in the central Vietnamese town of Hoi An was almost completely submerged by flood waters over the weekend and faces imminent collapse. The photo was taken in September, 1996. The picturesque 18-meter bridge, built between 1593 and 1596 by Japanese merchants who lived and worked in Hoi An, is now a tourist site and a symbol of friendship between Japan and Vietnam.