THE FAMOUS AND HISTORICAL PAUL DOUMER BRIDGE (North Vietnam): “A Misshapen but Essential Component of Ha Noi’s Heritage”
The Long Bien bridge, formerly known as Paul Doumer bridge was built by the French company Daydé & Pille between 1898 and 1902. It is 1680 m long. In 1902, it was the longest bridge in Indochina. The Long Biên Bridge was conceived primarily as part of the government-run (Chemins de fer de l’Indochine, CFI) railway line from Hà Nội to Đồng Đăng (built 1899-1902), but from the outset it was also intended as a means of connecting the capital with a second railway line then under construction. The line from Hải Phòng to Lào Cai and Yunnan (built 1901-1910), operated as a franchise by the Compagnie française des Chemins de fer de l’Indochine et du Yunnan (CIY), did not enter the capital, so a connecting service had to be provided across the river from Hà Nội to Gia Lâm. Because of its dual function, the bridge became part of a “communal” railway line administered jointly by both CFI and CIY. The bridge was originally named after Paul Doumer, the French Governor General who champion