Old Hang Tom Bridge

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Update 03 - 10 - 2020

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Old Hang Tom Bridge was once famous as the most beautiful cable stayed bridge in the Northwest, connecting Muong Lay (Dien Bien) and Phong Tho, Sin Ho of Lai Chau. The reason that the Bridge is named Hang Tom is because this section of river formerly used to have too much shrimp. About 50 m from the Bridge, there is a “source” of very cool water. Shrimp floods in from the Da river to lay eggs, making a dense river of shrimp. Everyday, people take turns going up there to catch them and eat. But people around this area have an unwritten custom, that each family can only take about an hour to catch the shrimp and then another family continues.

Old Hang Tom Bridge was once famous as the most beautiful cable stayed bridge in the Northwest (Photo: internet)

In the late 1960s, the construction of Hang Tom Bridge started. At that time, Chinese experts and workers also came to help us build the bridge. However, in 1968, China occurred cultural revolution, their experts and workers withdrew to their country. Fortunately, the item considered to be the most difficult as suspension cable had been completely pulled, leaving only the finishing stages.

However, it was not until 1973 that Hang Tom Bridge was inaugurated. That time was really a great festival for thousands of people in the Northwest. Thousands of people from all over the place with dumpling rice, rice balls, walking for a few days, flocked so as to see with their own eyes and cross the dream bridge once.

Hang Tom Bridge as a highlight for the Northwest region. Also because of the majestic and wild beauty of Hang Tom Bridge, in the following years, both foreign and domestic tourists have flocked to here, especially since the backpacking tourism movement appeared.

In Novmeber, 2012, Son La hydropower plant kept water, the entire old Muong Lay Towship, including Hang Tom Bridge, sunk deep in the bed of Song Da Lake, ending 40 years of operation of the historic bridge. Right near the old Hang Tom Bridge, a new bridge was built to replace the task, 70 m higher than the old bridge