Unified Memorial of Hope
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The “Unified Memorial of Hope” and Hiền Lương Bridge

Hiền Lương Bridge

Đài Tưởng niệm Khát Vọng Thống Nhất

Hiền Lương Bridge is a bridge over the Bến Hải River. The bridge is located at the 17th Parallel that divided Vietnam in two parts by the Geneva Accords of 1954. It formed part of the border between South Vietnam and North Vietnam from 1954 till the reunification. After the partition, the northern part of the bridge was painted red and the southern part yellow. Now the northern part is blue – guess they where out of red paint when they renovated the bridge. Today it is a major national monument with a museum and two memorials – one on each side of the river.

Hien Luong Bridge

The old bridge itself is a simple steel construction built by the French in 1950. On the southern side is the Reunification Memorial which for a change is quite modern compared to some of the other memorials I saw on my Vietnam trips.

Speakers
Guess they used the speakers to blast propaganda over the water. They do that still at the DMZ in Korea

Big Speaker
Does not look like this one delivers HIFI sound but judging by the size it is probably quite loud

Ho Chi Minh Monument
Monument at the North side of the bride. You see the bigger Reunification Memorial on the other side.

The Đài Tưởng niệm Khát Vọng Thống Nhất Memorial Park

Reunification Memorial
The centre piece with a woman and her daughter – in the back 6 feathers.

Reunification Memorial
The NVA is on the way down south on the Ho Chi Minh path along the border of Laos and inside Laos.

Reunification Memorial
Captured Vietnamese in prisons – the farmers pray for them.

Reunification Memorial
But the North is not only fighting on the battlefield – they also mining – man and woman together. While the US bombs their trucks. On the right you can see US soldiers – easy to spot with their fancy sunglasses!

Reunification Memorial
Fresh from the battle ship they march along. A spook on the right watches what is going on.

Reunification Memorial

NVA troops battle their way towards the South

Reunification Memorial
This way! This way!

Reunification Memorial
And in the middle of the war Uncle Ho gives some flowers to a guy. On the right the fighting continues!

Reunification Memorial
The battle is in its last days. Mortars, RPG’s and light weapons are in use, fire everywhere and big bombs drop. The man on the radio calls for instructions.

Reunification Memorial
Finally the war is over! Hill tribe girls, farmer and city girls unite and dance

Reunification Memorial

Vietnam is one
Vietnamese people are one
But what we need. Mountains can wear out.
But that truth never changes

That is what Google Translate gives me – hmmm

Next year I will be back – getting a picture of the flag pole and visit the museum – pictures will follow!

The DZM Memorial Site

 
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