Long Biên Bridge
Cầu Long Biên
A steel truss railway bridge built by the French in 1902, bombed several times during the Vietnam War, and popular for walking across to watch the Red River sunset.
Long Biên Bridge (formerly Doumer Bridge) was begun in 1899 and opened in 1902. It was the first steel bridge across the Red River and was designed and built by a French company, though it is often wrongly credited to Eiffel. During the Vietnam War, as a key northern transport route, it was bombed by American forces several times, and traces of repairs can still be seen on the bridge. Today only trains use the center of the bridge, while motorbike lanes and narrow footpaths run along both sides. You can walk onto the bridge from the east side of the Old Quarter. In the evening, you can watch the Red River sunset and the riverside vegetable fields, and the bridge deck vibrates noticeably when a train passes. It is free to visit. Note that the railings on the footpath are low, so do not climb over them.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Đồng Xuân Market
- Tạ Hiện Beer Street
- Hanoi Old Quarter
- Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
- Hoan Kiem Lake
- St. Joseph's Cathedral
- Vietnam National Museum of History
- Hanoi Opera House