Reminding of Hue, people think of Huong River, Ngu Mountain and Thien Mu Pagoda, Truong Tien Bridge. Like Long Bien Bridge across Red River in Hanoi, Truong Tien Bridge is one of the first bridges in Vietnam built in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century by the French with the steel structure.
Truong Tien Bridge Also known as Trang Tien Bridge is located in the center of Hue city and is built across Huong River. The northern bridgehead belongs to Phu Hoa Ward, the southern bridgehead belongs to of Phu Hoi Ward. The bridge is designed in the Gothic style. It has a length of 403 m, a width of 6 m, a height of 5 m 45, including 6 spans, each span of 67m. The handrail of each span is half-moon shaped.
The bridge was designed by Gustave Eiffel, a famous French engineer in 1897, and started construction in that year, completed in 1899. After two Vietnamese-French and Vietnamese-American war periods, the bridge has been damaged many times and it has been restored many times, the last restoration was undertaken by Thang Long Bridge 1 Company, lasting for 5 years (1991-1995). In spite of being restored many times, the basic shape of the bridge remains the same today.
The image of the bridge having curved handrails printing into the blue sky or reflecting into the river, the image of Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress) of Hue girls on the bridge, the boat on the river under the bridge, the canopy of flamboyant at 2 bridgeheads and the image of the bridge brightly shimmering in the night… are beautiful pictures of the bridge. The bridge is an endless inspiration source for writers, poets, musicians and photographers.
According to numerous city residents and tourists, the best time to admire Truong Tien Bridge is the sunset. The sunshine at the end of the day reflecting Perfume River creates a curious romance. Taking a stroll on the bridge along with the crowded vehicle, tourists will feel the cool breeze blowing from Perfume River. The dragon boats gently float on the river make the scenery more poetic. Standing on Truong Tien Bridge to feel the peaceful river is a wonderful experience.
Truong Tien Bridge, along with the Vietnamese people, has experienced two painful wars. However, for ages, the bridge along with Huong River, Ngu Mountain and Thien Mu Pagoda has made the beauty of Hue. Today It attracts many tourists inside and outside the country. If you have the chance of coming to Hue, do not forget to visit this bridge!
The beautiful Truong Tien Bridge crossing the poetic Perfume River in Hue City – Photo: wikipedia.org
