After many cancellations, the Long Bien Bridge Memory Festival, considered one of the biggest art festivals of the year, will take place from October 10-11 for the first time as part of the celebrations of the 55th anniversary of the Hanoi’s liberation and the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi.
Proudly spanning the Red River for one hundred years and having withstood several attacks in times of war, Long Bien Bridge has been a witness of the bravery of Vietnamese people and deserves to be a symbol of Hanoi in the present era of peace and integration.
Therefore, during the festival, the bridge will be honored with a series of artistic performances by professional and amateur artists as a place for everyone to share their feelings, discover the beauty of art and Vietnamese people from the past to the present. Performances will feature Vietnam’s traditional arts and music of the 19th century and contemporary art of the 21st century of Vietnam and the world.
The 1,628m bridge will be divided into 12 sections representing the 12 decades of its existence (1890-2009). Each section will be covered with images of the decade it represents. Impressive images of the bridge will be seen in the combining of traditional and modern styles.
A flute kite flying festival and a flower-lantern festival with 999 lanterns released down the Red River will be included as a prayer for peace and prosperity for the city.
Some 100 paintings of the bridge will be on display and traditional crafts, a traditional fashion show, an arts garden and a light show will round out the event.
There will also be a cinema screening films about the history of the bridge.