Talk of turning historic Long Bien Bridge into museum underway

It is a name that speaks of nostalgia in the heart and mind of many Vietnamese.

The Long Bien bridge was constructed by the French in 1898 during their occupation of the country. It once served as the main transportation route between Hanoi and the northern provinces. During the Vietnam war, the bridge was a vital piece of infrastructure, and thus considered top priority and bombed repeatedly by American pilots. The mark of war remained visible today in the many spans of the bridge. Such amazing sight made it one of the must-see spots for tourists visiting Hanoi (see more Hanoi Travel Guide).

But as the bridge ages, population grows exponentially and traffic becomes an aching problem for the overstretched Hanoi’s infrastructure, there have been talks of constructing Long Bien the 2nd and to decommission the original one.

Nga Nguyen will not stand aside to see such invaluable relic going to be torn down. In a recent meeting in Hanoi on July 15th, the head architect of Paris urban planning proposes a radical move to turn the bridge into a modern museum, with the small alluvial patch it crosses into a complex that features a botanical garden, entertainment sites and natural parks.

The daring plan also calls for building two smaller museums on Hang Dau water tower and on the alluvial patch. There is also a proposed electric cable-car route that will take tourists from the Grand Opera to the museum/bridge.

As news reaches the public, the plan has been greeted with both praise and a firestorm of protest. While the new bridge will likely bring in tourists and offer locals a retreat in the middle of the city, it first requires a large investment – one thing that Vietnam is rather shy of now given the inflation rate. Many comment on the traffic jam that officials are still hopelessly trying to fix. Some suggest that money may be better spent building school and on other public projects. Finally, there are heated discussions whether the idea is too different to work on or if it represents something radically new that can put modern Vietnam into the contemporary designed map.

For wary locals, the destruction of the Mac dynasty wall and the Quan Chuong gate in recent projects sure raise eyebrows about the new endeavor.