Cau The Huc Bridge

In 1865, during the reign of Tu Duc, the scholar Nguyn Van Sieu commissioned the construction of a bridge connecting the riverbank to the Temple of the Jade Mountain (Den Ngoc Son; Vietnamese: ). He christened it The Huc (meaning “a drop of light rests” or “Condensation of aura”).

Since it was first constructed, the bridge has undergone two full reconstructions. The first time was in 1897, during Thanh Thai’s rule. The second time was launched in 1952 by then-mayor Tham Hoang Tn, following the collapse of the bridge on New Year’s Eve due to an influx of visitors to Temple of the Jade Mountain. Under the guidance of architect Nguyen Ba Lang, the bridge was reconstructed in 1953 with a cement foundation instead of a wooden one.

In 1887, the Huc Bridge was likewise the target of an arson attack. During their colonial reign, the French designated Temple of the Jade Mountain as a mandarin’s home and prohibited worship at the site. In defiance, two teenagers, Nguyen Van Minh, 17, and Duc Nghi, 14, planned to torch a bridge. The French troops stationed at Tran Quoc temple, Chau Long Pagoda, and Yen Phu village’s communal house withdrew due to the fire’s fear-inducing effects. 18-year-old Minh was arrested, imprisoned, and ultimately executed in 1888 after the scheme was uncovered.

Charles-Edouard Hocquard is believed to have taken the earliest photograph of the bridge in 1884 or 1885, capturing it in its 19th-century form.