Truong Tien Bridge. A History of Hue's Legendary Royal Mint Bridge

Photo credit: WikipediaDuring my trip to Hue, one of the things that left the deepest impression on me was a bridge - a rather modest bridge, actually. When you come to Hue city in Vietnam, you will inevitably see and cross Truong Tien Bridge which spans the Perfume River (known in Vietnamese as Huong River 香江). This bridge is legend and has been here for 121 years (since 1899 to be exact).

Photo credit: WikipediaWhen you stand on Truong Tien Bridge or cross its six span 400 metres length by bike, car or on foot, the significance of this bridge may not be immediately obvious. It is no where as imposing as San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge nor New York City's Brooklyn Bridge.

Photo credit: WikipediaYou may notice the bridge's sturdy steel girdles and the panoramic view of the placid Perfume River with little boats cruising silently by. Hue's city skyline is decidedly modest without those gleaming symbols of modernity you find in almost every waterfront city. But beyond all that, the rise and fall, and rise again Truong Tien Bridge is a good vantage point to tell the at times painful story of Hue and Vietnam in the last century.

Photo credit: WikipediaThough a modest structure, Truong Tien Bridge was designed and built in 1899 by Monsieur Gustave Eiffel, no less. Yes, the same Monsieur Eiffel responsible for Paris' Eiffel Tower and New York City's Statue of Liberty. (Note: This is disputed and others attributed Truong Tien bridge to Schneider et Letellier.)

Photo credit: WikipediaOn its inauguration in 1904, the bridge was named Pont Thanh Thai after the reigning Nguyen Emperor Thanh Thai 成泰. Photo credit: WikipediaAt that time, Vietnam was already part of French Indochina which included Laos and Cambodia. The French ruled Vietnam from 1887 to 1954 - 67 years in all.

Photo credit: WikipediaThe French allowed the imperial Nguyen Dynasty monarchs to retain their titles but with the French wielding the real power behind the throne. Bao Dai 保大, the last Nguyen Dynasty emperor abdicated the throne in 1945 proclaiming that he "rather be a citizen of an independent country, than emperor of an enslaved one".

Photo credit: WikipediaThe Nguyen Dynasty ruled Vietnam for 143 years from 1802 to 1945 (but only nominally from 1887 onwards under French Indochina). The seat of the Nguyen Dynasty is the Forbidden City in Hue located north of the Perfume River.

The purpose of Truong Tien Bridge is to connect the ancient sections of Hue (around the Forbidden City) with the new French Quarter built south of the Perfume River. When you cross Truong Tien Bridge from north to south, the first building you'll see in the French Quarter is the French colonial style building, Hotel Saigon Morin. It was built in 1901 by Monsieur Morin, hence the name.

Hotel Saigon Morin seen from Truong Tien Bridge (the taller building behind is Imperial Hotel. Photo credit: WikipediaHotel Saigon Morin was badly damaged in the typhoon of 1904. It was restored and expanded in 1907. Charlie Chaplin and his third wife Paullette Goddard honeymooned here in the 1930s. The hotel was again damaged and restored during the war with France in 1946 and America in 1968. The hotel fell into disrepair and even degenerated into backpacker lodging for a while. It is now restored to 5-star hotel status. Truong Tien Bridge was badly damaged three times in its 121 years but each time it rise again from the river, symbolising the Vietnamese people's resilience. The typhoon of 1904 which smashed head-on into Hue, badly damaged Truong Tien Bridge. It was fully restored only in 1937.

Photo credit: WikipediaOn reopening in 1937, from Pont Thanh Thai the French renamed it Pont Clemenceau, to honour the French Prime Minister.

Photo credit: WikipediaTruong Tien Bridge fell again in 1946 during fighting between independence forces and the French. When the French surrendered in 1954, the bridge was renamed Nguyễn Hoàng Bridge, after the first Nguyen lord. Photo credit: Wikipedia Photo credit: WikipediaTruong Tien Bridge fell a third time during the Battle of Hue in 1968. It was the only bridge connecting north and south Hue, so inevitably it was targeted during wars.

Photo credit: Wikipedia Photo credit: Philip Jones GriffithsRefugees fled across the Perfume River during the fighting in 1968 that badly damaged Truong Tien Bridge.

Photo credit: WikipediaAfter the Americans left in 1975, the Nguyễn Hoàng bridge was repaired and reopened only in 1995. The Vietnamese renamed the bridge Trường Tiền which means "Royal Mint" as there was a royal mint at the northern end of the bridge in the late 1700s when the Trinh Lords ruled Hue. The name Trường Tiền signifies blessings and prosperity for Vietnam.

Photo credit: WikipediaToday, Truong Tien Bridge is a favourite spot with tourists and locals who come here for the Perfume River view and souvenir photos. Many come here for wedding shoots and graduation photos. Photo credit: WikipediaTruong Tien Bridge is today a colourful, cheerful bridge busy with traffic day and night.

Photo credit: WikipediaThe bridge lights change colour every few seconds. It is a sight to behold in night time Hue.

When you visit Truong Tien Bridge in the morning, join the locals at Cho Dong Ba market which starts right at the northern head of the bridge.

For over a century, Cho Dong Ba market sells the best vegetables, fruits, meat and seafood in Hue. Even the chefs of the Forbidden City come to Cho Dong Ba to get the best ingredients to cook imperial dishes for the emperor.

Photo credit: Wikipedia The Cho Dong Ba market is named after the Citadel's Dong Ba gate as it is located just outside the gate. As the Dong Ba gate overlooks the Truong Tien Bridge, fierce fighting took place here during the Battle of Hue to control the bridge. The Dong Ba gate was reduced to a sad pile of rubble.

While at Cho Dong Ba, join the locals for breakfast or brunch.

Don't be shy. Sit down on one of those low and tiny kindergarten size stools and the hawker will fix your meal right there for you.

You can must try this - bun bo Hue. While bun bo Hue has a lower profile compared to pho which is like the international face of Vietnamese noodle, many people prefer the Hue specialty once they've tried it. Me too ✋Though the dish is called "beef noodle from Hue" the soup is made by boiling beef bones, pork bones, lemongrass, fermented prawn paste, hot spices like chili etc. So the orangey soup is loaded with savoury sweet flavour and a spicy kick.The noodle which is like a thick round vermicelli is made with rice and cassava. Soft springy and subtly sweet.Toppings include a choice of pork, beef, pork blood curd etc but the signature is the crab-pork meat ball - that you must have in your bowl to qualify as bun bo Hue. Savoury sweet umami grenade - enough said.

Try also bun nghe - it is thick round rice vermicelli infused with turmeric spice hence the yellow colour. It is eaten with pork intestines, liver slices and pork blood curd cooked in hot spice. Served with basil leaf and a big scoop of spice paste in a way that reminded me of dry curry mee of Ipoh (but very different, of course).Very easy for Singapore and Malaysia palates to like but less so for folks from countries with less spicy diets. I enjoyed the blend of savoury spicy sweet flavours. It is not as spicy as its fiery looks suggest.There are many, many more local dishes to try at Cho Dong Ba, so it is a great way to complete your visit to the legendary Truong Tien Bridge.

Photo credit: WikipediaWhen you come to Hue, it is almost inevitable that you will be face-to-face with Truong Tien Bridge. I hope this short history can help you travel a little in time too, to appreciate the hidden meaning of this symbol of Hue.

Photo credit: Wikipedia Don't quite like the music in this video but I like how it captures everyday life on Truong Tien Bridge today.