Long Bien Bridge

Long Bien Bridge, originally known as Paul Doumer Bridge, is a historic cantilever bridge across the Red River connects two parts of the city of Hanoi, Vietnam. Built in 1903, it was, at that time, one of the longest bridges in Asia with the length of 2,500 m. This bridge was built by the same company as that who built Paris’s Eiffel Tower, thus the slight resemblance in structure and design.

As Long Bien Bridge was the only bridge during the time of the Vietnam War across the Red River that connected Hanoi to the main port of Haiphong, the third largest city of Vietnam, it was heavily bombarded due to its critical position.

To date, 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. Trains, mopeds, bicycles and pedestrians still use the dilapidated bridge, while all other traffic are diverted to the nearby Chuong Duong Bridge and some other newly built bridges.