The Many Names Of Hue city's Iconic Landmark
The Very First Name
Thanh Thai Bridge
Few landmarks in Hue carry as many stories as the iconic Truong Tien Bridge. Although locals today call it “Trường Tiền,” the bridge’s earliest identity was quite different. When it was first commissioned by King Thanh Thai, the structure proudly bore the monarch’s own name, a symbol of his ambition to modernize the imperial capital and introduce new engineering achievements to the heart of Vietnam.
Georges Clemenceau Bridge
Only eight years after its inauguration, political turmoil reshaped the bridge’s destiny. King Thanh Thai was exiled to Cap Saint Jacques, and the bridge was renamed once again, this time honoring Georges Clemenceau, the French Prime Minister. Despite the shifting names, the graceful metal arches, riveted joints, and unmistakable silhouette remained a constant reminder of Hue’s layered heritage, blending royal Vietnamese tradition with early twentieth-century European influence.
Nguyen Hoang Bridge:
It was renamed in 1945 to honor the lord who pioneered the settlement of the Thuan Hoa region, which is present-day Hue.
Truong Tien Bridge
Today, Truong Tien Bridge continues to anchor the cultural landscape of the Perfume River. At dusk, the lights shimmer on the water, casting soft reflections that make the riverfront feel both nostalgic and poetic. Photographers, locals, and travelers all find themselves drawn to this familiar image that captures the soul of Hue. Countless poems, songs, and paintings have immortalized the bridge, keeping its spirit alive through generations.
WHEN EFFIEL'S DESTINED CONNECTION WITH TRANG TIEN BRIDGE WAS LOST AND THEN REUNITED AGAIN
The story of Tràng Tiền Bridge carries another fascinating twist: a missed opportunity, a decades-long gap, and an unexpected reunion with none other than the legacy of Gustave Eiffel. Back in 1897, during the reign of King Thành Thái, four major French construction conglomerates competed for the privilege of building the first modern bridge across the Perfume River. Among the companies that failed to secure the contract was Société de Levallois-Perret, the very firm over which Eiffel had previously presided. History could easily have taken a different turn, with the bridge becoming an early companion to the Eiffel engineering dynasty, but fate had other plans.
The winning bidder, Schneider et Cie et Letellier, carried out the construction of what would first be known as the Thành Thái Bridge. Remarkably, the company behind that original structure still survives today as Schneider Electric SA, one of the world’s leading names in energy and infrastructure solutions. Their early work in Hue stands as a testament to how engineering legacies can outlive names, eras, and political shifts while continuing to shape the built environment around us.
Four decades later, the connection that was lost in 1897 finally resurfaced. In 1937, Eiffel’s engineering successors were invited to lead a major restoration project on the bridge, marking the most extensive structural intervention in its 126-year history. Their involvement reintroduced Eiffel’s influence to Hue, creating an unexpected full-circle moment between the bridge and the man whose fingerprints marked so many iconic structures around the world. After the turbulent years that followed, including wartime damage in 1954, further repairs once again drew on expertise rooted in the Eiffel tradition, strengthening the bridge’s story as one shaped by both Vietnamese identity and global engineering heritage.
