A Golden Bridge Suspended by Giant Hands Is Vietnam's New Tourist Attraction
Quick summary
In central Vietnam, not far from Da Nang, travelers have discovered a gleaming gold bridge stretching across the highlands. It's supported by giant concrete hands.
Known as Cau Vang, or "Golden Bridge" in Vietnamese, it's one of the nation's newest tourist attractions, having quietly opened to the public in June.
According to the AFP, the bridge, which meanders above the forested mountains, has become a social media success — much to the surprise of the architect, Vu Viet Anh.
The bridge, which is at once Instagram-worthy, beautiful and frankly, a little weird, is actually quite spiritual in design. Anh told Reuters it was meant to conjure the image of God's "giant hands … pulling a strip of gold out of the land."
The 490-foot-long shimmering walkway is suspended 3,280 feet above sea level, providing stunning views of the landscape and the Ba Na Hills resort town below.
Though Ba Na Hills may not be nearly as well-known as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (especially for international travelers) it's a rather popular destination. In 2017, more than 2.7 million visitors flocked to the former French colonial city, according to Reuters.
Visitors will find that, in addition to the Golden Bridge, the destination is home to the world record-breaking cable car system (affording even more expansive vistas of Da Nang and the nation's central coastline); a roller coaster and 95-foot drop ride; and a mock European village.
Anh, who is already working on a silver sister bridge that will connect to the Golden Bridge, told the AFP that he and the team at TA Landscape Architecture are "proud" of the structure's viral fame. Like the Golden Bridge, the silver counterpart is also inspired by God. This time, God's hair — not hands — will be the muse.
Want to check out the Golden Bridge for yourself? From Da Nang International Airport (DAD), the trip to Ba Na Hills requires an hour-long drive along some snaking mountain roads, or a slightly longer bus ride.