Hanoi residents are expressing both excitement and skepticism about a new plan to reopen all 131 stone arches under the city’s iconic Long Bien Bridge.
According to VietnamNet, Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung of the Hanoi People’s Committee told members of the public at a district meeting: “The district’s People’s Committee has invited experts to plan the project, after which we will ask for opinions from the city’s Party Committee on reopening the bridge spans."
Chung also added that the project will be part of an effort to provide the city with more cultural and living spaces, according to VnExpress. Similar projects, like the opening of book streets and the pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake, have been applauded as the streets have become new hot spots for entertainment and cultural activities.
The street of Gam Cau, which runs along the bridge, has been abuzz with rumors about the opening of the archways, which were sealed four decades ago. Some residents expect that the changes will revitalize the neighborhood, making it a tourism hub.
The street’s residents are largely impoverished, as the area has been has been historically ignored by urban planners. Ta Thi Hong, a local vendor, told VnExpress: "It has long been an overlooked neighborhood. No customers, no tourists."
The more hopeful residents of Gam Cau are looking forward to the potential changes. Nga, a local shoe vendor, told the news source: "I can imagine us using those empty spaces to sell souvenirs, clothes, shoes and sandals."
Other residents are concerned that the problems that were solved by the sealing of the arches will return. Locals say that before the passageways were closed, they were plagued by petty crime. "Some 10 years ago, we were all anxious as a lot of factory workers, beggars and drug addicts were frequenting this area," Tam, a street vendor, told Zing.
The sealing of the arches also provided support for the bridge's foundation, which has eroded over time due to inclement weather. Local resident Le Thi Phuong told VnExpress: "The water would run down from the bridge, building up layers of dirt and mold. It was probably why they filled in the arches, because they were too rusty."
[Photo via DTI]
