The French-built Long Bien Bridge passes over a banana plantation on an island in the Red River at Hanoi, Vietnam

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Long Biên Bridge (Vietnamese: Cầu Long Biên) is an historic cantilever bridge across the Red River that connects two districts, Hoan Kiem and Long Bien, of the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. The bridge was built in 1899-1902 and opened in 1903. Before North Vietnam's independence in 1954, it was called Paul-Doumer Bridge, named after the Governor-General of French Indochina and then French president. At kilometres ( mi) in length, it was at that time one of the longest bridges in Asia. For the French colonial government, the construction was of strategic importance in securing control of northern Vietnam. The bridge was heavily bombarded during the Vietnam War (American War) due to its critical position as the only bridge across the Red River connecting Hanoi to the main port of Haiphong. The defence of Long Bien Bridge continues to play a large role in Hanoi’s self-image and is often extolled in poetry and song. Some parts of the original structure remain intact, while large sections have been built later to repair the holes. Only half of the bridge retains its original shape. Today trains, mopeds, bicycles and pedestrians use the dilapidated bridge, while all other traffic is diverted to the nearby Chương Dương Bridge and other newly built bridges.

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Size: 5152px × 3434px
Location: Long Bien Bridge, Red River, Hanoi, Vietnam
Photo credit: © Keith Mundy / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: asia, asian, banana, bien, biê, bridge, cantilever, east, french-built, girder, hanoi, indochina, indochine, indochinese, island, long, plantation, south, southeast, steel, trees, vietnam, vietnamese, ầ