Ba Na Hills is a mountainside resort which was established by French colonists in 1919.
Image courtesy of: Somewhere Magazine
Architecture
Golden hands hold up bridge!
Over the summer, a very unique bridge opened in central Vietnam. 492 feet long, the bridge is held up by two weathered hands holding up golden balustrades. The huge hands which look like steel, are actually made from a steel mesh and coated with a fiberglass finish.
Constructed 3,280 feet above sea level, the view from the bridge is spectacular and allows for amazing views of the Ba Na Hills mountains. And just below, the lobelia chrysanthemums appear as purple embroidery. Spectacular!
In Vietnamese, the Golden Bridge is called, Cau Vang.
Image courtesy of: The Points Guy
Designed by TA Landscape Architects from Ho Chi Minh City, the bridge cost $2 billion to complete. The hope was to increase tourism to the region. The enormous hands have a spiritual connotation and are intended to give the impression of being guided by a stone giant.
Stretching through the forested mountains below, it’s no surprise that this has become a fast social media sensation. Vu Viet Anh, the architect, is still surprised by all the excitement!
The purple flowers soften up the harsh, tired-looking hands.
Image courtesy of: Somewhere Magazine
The golden bridge stretches across a beautiful area, and one which has become a popular tourist destination. An hour drive from Da Nang, the area was once inhabited by 200 villas. Unforutnely, only a few remain from the early 1900’s… but now, the area holds a Fantasy Park and an authentic French-style village. Ladies beware though, the cobble-lined streets make for evening walks with high heels quite challenging!
Last year, prior to the bridge’s opening, the region saw 2.7 million visitors. Surely this year, that number will see a substantial increase.
Image courtesy of: Blue Sky Travel Vietnam
Up next, developers are planning on building a silver bridge which is suppose to resemble a strand of God’s hair.
With regards to this bridge, visitors have different thoughts on the hands and to whom they belong. God seems to be the top contender, but there are other “contestants” in the running. The common feeling is that there’s a wonderful feeling of security while crossing the walkway.
Image courtesy of: TA Corporation
Le Jardin Historique is part of the old, French-style village.
There are plenty of cool bridges, but this one might just be the most impressive of all!
