Truong Tien Bridge - Historical bridge - Symbol of Hue

There are a total of 6 bridges spanning the Perfume River of Hue city. But Truong Tien Bridge is the bridge that appears in poetry, songs, music, and paintings the most. So much so that when mentioning Hue, most of us immediately think of the image of the majestic iron bridge spanning the romantic Perfume River. This historic bridge and symbolic bridge always attracts the curiosity of every tourist coming to Hue.

History of formation of Truong Tien sentence

According to ancient documents, after King Thanh Thai issued an edict "an iron bridge should be built for ease of travel", the Imperial Court's Privy Council together with the French Legation of Central Vietnam implemented this.
The project was started in May 1899, and completed in October 1900, in December it opened to traffic and was named Thanh Thai. Thanh Thai Bridge at that time was the first bridge connecting the North and South banks of Hue. Of which, the south belongs to Phu Hoi ward, and the north belongs to Phu Hoa ward. This is also one of the first iron bridges in Indochina built using new techniques in the late 19th - early 20th centuries.
Contractor Société Schneider et Cie et Letellier was chosen as the first construction unit of this bridge. Eiffel company is the unit that left a deep impression because they were the contractor who carried out the "major restoration" of the bridge during the reign of King Bao Dai (1937-1939). That was when the bridge was expanded and shaped to the desired shape until later. Also in 1953, Eiffel was also invited to rebuild a bridge collapsed by bombs.

The name of Truong Tien Bridge through the ages

Few people know that, before being called Truong Tien Bridge, this bridge had many different names.

Because the bridge was born after King Thanh Thai's edict, the king's name was used to give the first name to this bridge. However, later, this reform-minded king had a tense conflict with the French colonialists. The French accused the king of being crazy, forced him to abdicate and exiled him to Africa. In 1919, the Governor General of Indochina changed the name of Thanh Thai Bridge to Clemenceau Bridge - the name of the French Prime Minister at that time. By 1945, Tran Trong Kim's government had a policy of "erasing the name of the West" so it changed the name of Clemenceau Bridge to Nguyen Hoang Bridge when Japan had just coupd over France.
However, in documents of the provisional revolutionary government at that time and in Vietnamese books and newspapers in the following period, they all called it Truong Tien Bridge. “Truong Tien” in Chinese means coin mint. In 1775, after capturing Phu Xuan citadel, Lord Trinh established a mint on the north bank of the Perfume River. The ferry wharf next to it is called Truong Tien wharf. And the iron bridge built at the ferry wharf is also called Truong Tien bridge in the folk style. Yet that name has existed for more than a century and has long become the official name of the bridge.

Explore the architecture of Truong Tien Bridge
Truong Tien Bridge is designed in French Gothic style with a length of 402.6m, a height of 5.45m and a bridge deck width of 6m. The bridge has a structure of 6 spans, 12 posts joined together to form 6 pairs. The 6 spans of the bridge are made entirely of extremely sturdy steel beams, each span is 67m.
Overall, the bridge has a comb-like design. Initially when it was first built, the bridge did not have a walkway for pedestrians. The bridge surface is paved with ironwood planks. After many repairs, it has become a modern, solid bridge over time

The bridge is located in the city and spans the peaceful Perfume River, so from the bridge visitors can admire the dreamy city. Cool breezes bring steam from the river surface to caress the skin. Below the river are dragon boats and small boats floating lazily. On both sides of the Huong River is a bustling scene, full of life.
In the evening, visitors can stroll along the walking street and Nguyen Dinh Chieu night market under the bridge. From the walking street, visitors will admire the bridge changing sparkling colors. This is where visitors can enjoy street food, buy souvenirs and participate in interesting entertainment.