 |
|
Memory bank: Douglas Jardine's black-and-white photos of Long Bien Bridge are on display at Maison des Arts. — VNS Photo Doan Tung |
HA NOI — Long Bien Bridge, famous for its unique architecture and long history, has been an inspiration for many artists. One of the latest is American photographer Douglas Jardine.
He displays his black-and-white photos of the bridge until next Friday at an exhibition titled Long Bien Bridge – The Connection at Maison des Arts, Van Mieu Street, Ha Noi.
Ha Noi's Long Bien Bridge was built in 1903 by French architect Gustave Eiffel, the man who, 14 years, earlier, designed the Eiffel tower.
In fact the iron latticework used on the bridge reflects the style of the Eiffel tower.
When built, the bridge was called the Doumer Bridge, after Paul Doumer – the Governor General of French Indochina and later the French president. At the time, it was one of the longest bridges in Asia with a length of 1,682m.
During the American War, the bridge was the highest-priority target in northern Viet Nam for US bombers. This was because all supplies moving by rail from China and Hai Phong crossed into the city over the bridge.
The first bombing raids in August, 1967 dropped three of the bridge's 19 spans into the river. From that date until January, 1973, the bridge was repeatedly bombed and repaired.
But despite putting the bridge out of commission for long periods of time, the US never succeeded in fully halting the flow of supplies into the city, which continued to move over an improvised network of pontoons, bamboo rafts, and other makeshift devices.
Nguyen Nga, owner of Maison des Arts, said she hoped the bridge would remain a place of cultural and artistic importance, linking Viet Nam to countries across the world.
"The bridge spans the banks of the Hong (Red) River, it also spans the banks of memory and history," says Jardine. "When we stand on the bridge, we are connected to the past and we gaze at the future."
Jardine, 34, who is married to a Hanoian woman, now works as director of Academic Affairs at the Faculty of International Studies at Ha Noi University.
Jardine visits Long Bien Bridge four or five times a week to enjoy the view and take photos of the bridge and the life around it. With his black-and-white photography, he likes to capture people close up.
Sometimes, they don't want to be photographed, so he spends time talking to them to capture their stories. — VNS