Long Bien – the bridge connecting past and present
The old Long Bien Bridge not only spans the banks of the Red River but also the memories of Hanoi people.
The 2,290-m bridge was built between 1899 and 1902 by the French, and opened to traffic in 1903.
As the only bridge across the Red River that connected Hanoi to the highway leading to the northern port city of Hai Phong, the bridge played a crucial role in many important events in the country's history, including the independence wars.
The bridge was initially called Doumer. At the time of construction, the over-2km-long bridge was one of the world's largest bridges, one of the most important works of the Far East.
The Doumer Bridge was known as the first steel bridge across the Red River in Hanoi. It was built in 1898 and completed in 1902 by contractor Daydé et Pillé, under the leadership of the Indochina Governor Paul Doumer.
After the country’s liberation, the bridge was renamed Long Bien.
For over 100 years, witnessing a lot of changes since the country's wartime to peacetime, Long Bien Bridge has become a symbol of the history of Vietnam.
