The broken bridge of Song Be
A historical vestige that resonated in 1975
Historical significance of Be River Bridge
Be River Bridge was the lifeline of traffic during the resistance war between the US and puppet governments. Built in the 1920s, this place is a testament to the heroic history of the Southern army in general and especially of Binh Duong province in particular (former Song Be province). Going through the resistance period, in 1975, while our troops were fleeing, the US and Puppet placed bombs to destroy the bridge to escape.To ensure that vehicle traffic still operates normally, after liberation, the government built Phuoc Hoa Bridge to replace Song Be Bridge, but evidence of the broken bridge's history has still been retained to this day and has become a bridge. Historical relics have profound humanistic significance.
The enemy destroyed the bridge and escaped
Those who travel on road DT741, passing through the section of Phuoc Hoa commune connecting Vinh Hoa commune, Phu Giao district, Binh Duong province, will see a bridge broken in half. Surely those who are not indigenous people will be curious as to why the bridge was broken in half like an unfinished construction project. However, few people know that the broken bridge is called Song Be Bridge, a historical vestige of the fierce and fierce battle of the Southern army and people in 1975.
According to documents from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Binh Duong province, it shows that the Song Be bridge was built by France in the years 1925-1926 when the Phuoc Hoa Rubber Department was established. The bridge construction was aimed at colonial exploitation, as well as expanding rubber plantations in Phu Giao, Phuoc Long... and this was a vital route to the provinces in the Central Highlands. According to a survey by the Relics Management Board of Binh Duong province, the bridge has a width of more than 4.5m, the length of each side of the remaining bridge after the break is about 50m, including 3 spans of steel and concrete beams. The highest point on both sides of the bridge is 6m, the lowest is 3.5m, the foot of the bridge is 30m high.
In the 1930s, the struggle movement of workers on rubber plantations broke out strongly, the enemy considered the bridge as a scaffold, a shooting point and the Song Be river became a deep grave of revolutionaries. Faced with the brutal repression of the enemy, our people still stood up and fought fiercely, at this time Song Be bridge became the gateway to war zone D. With determination to win, in 1945, the red flag with a yellow star was placed on the bridge to show sovereignty.
During the American-Puppet period, Song Be Bridge was a vital traffic route for the Saigon puppet government under Phuoc Thanh Provincial Governor Nguyen Minh Man. They "turned" this place into a shooting and burial site for comrades and compatriots. revolutionary activities. During the night of April 27 and early morning of April 28, 1975, the armed forces of Phu Giao district destroyed the enemy and cut off all military posts in the two communes of Binh My and Binh Co along Highway 16, opening the way for the two wings of the Army. Group 1 attacked to the west (Ben Cat district) down to Di An and Thuan An.
With the strong attack of the army and people of Song Be province, the enemy in Phu Giao district branch withdrew across Song Be bridge to run towards Ben Cat district. On the way to escape, the enemy was blocked by Phu Giao soldiers and guerrillas and killed 30 people. On the afternoon of April 29, 1975, enemy troops rushed to Phuoc Hoa to find a way to escape. To avoid being pursued, the commander of the puppet commando platoon in Phuoc Vinh placed mines to destroy the Song Be bridge. After that, the Phu Giao army and people destroyed strategic hamlets, destroyed posts... arrested more than 200 stubborn invaders, and confiscated more than 200 guns of all kinds. By noon on April 30, 1975, Song Be was completely liberated.
To record the crimes of the French colonialists and American imperialists against our people during the war, the Party Committee of Phu Giao district, Binh Duong province built a memorial stele area of nearly 100 square meters at the bridgehead in Bung Rien hamlet. , Vinh Hoa commune. Here puppet soldiers brutally tortured revolutionary soldiers and people they suspected of following the revolution. In addition, on the broken bridge, the Phu Giao district Party Committee is also used as a place to educate revolutionary traditions for the young generation, and as a place to recruit new party members.
Tragic Evidence
Going on DT741 road, when passing Phuoc Hoa bridge (connecting Phuoc Hoa and Vinh Hoa communes of Phu Giao district, Binh Duong province) - about more than 35km from Thu Dau Mot city, many people are impressed with the image of a tree. The cement bridge is broken in the middle of the river bed. Associated with the broken bridge separating the two picturesque banks are many upheavals of the times, the unforgettable days of blood and fire of the army and people of Song Be in the past and Binh Duong now.
According to the memories of the elders here, the Be River Bridge was built by France in the years 1925-1926, during the establishment of the Phuoc Hoa Rubber Department. The bridge was originally built to exploit the colony, as well as expand rubber plantations in the Phu Giao and Phuoc Long areas. In addition, the bridge is also part of the arterial route to the Central Highlands.
According to survey information from the Binh Duong Provincial Monuments Management Board, the bridge has a width of more than 4.5m, the length of each side of the remaining bridge is about 50m, including 3 spans of steel and concrete beams. The highest point on both sides of the bridge is 6m, the lowest is 3.5m, the foot of the bridge is 30m high. Although the middle part of the bridge has endured bombs and was destroyed by humans, after nearly a century of construction, the two ends of the bridge still stand tall in the sun and rain.
The history of the land also records that in the 1930s, the struggle movement of rubber plantation workers broke out strongly. During the repressions, the enemy treated the bridge as a scaffold when they brought patriotic soldiers here to be shot and then floated down the river. The river thus became the deep grave of the revolutionaries. Although brutal repressions still cannot subdue the patriotic spirit of our army and people. During the days of fierce struggle, Be river bridge was the gateway to war zone D. Evidence of that indomitable spirit is the event in 1945, when the red flag with yellow star fluttered on the bridge.
During the Republic of Vietnam regime, the bridge was the lifeline of the Saigon government's army at that time. During the period of power of Phuoc Thanh Provincial Governor Nguyen Minh Man, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam "turned" this place into a shooting and burial site for comrades and fellow revolutionary activists. The bridge's mission to connect the two banks on the vital route ended with a fierce battle that history still remembers today.
One-of-a-kind sights
After liberation, the authorities of Song Be province (now Binh Duong province) built a double bridge named Phuoc Hoa bridge next to the broken bridge to make it easier for people to travel. On the new bridge, the traffic is becoming more and more crowded. The image of the broken Song Be bridge lying silently in the middle of the hustle and bustle of life, I don't know how many eyes it has attracted. It could be the strange look of those who are passing through the land for the first time, or the familiar look of the people of the land who clearly understand the many layers of ups and downs that cover it.
The bridge is located in a quiet space with lush green banks shady at both ends of the bridge, stretching down to the water's edge - sometimes making people feel lonely and lonely. The bridge's architecture has ancient lines that only hundred-year-old bridges in our country have that look. The image of an unfinished fracture that creates a gap between the banks is not only seen on the bridge but is also reflected in the deep riverbed, lazily red with heavy silt.
Not only does it attract people who love photography, the beautiful scenery of the bridge also "caught the eye" of film crews. At the end of 2013, the famous comedy movie "Tell Me" was released, making a strong impression with a risky scene of a car "flying over" a broken bridge - the broken Song Be bridge.
Immediately the mysterious filming location was discovered, thousands of viewers were extremely surprised to learn that the bridge was not a product of special effects but was completely real. The bridge, which many people know, has since become even more famous. In recent years, the broken bridge has become a cool check-in and virtual living place for young people not only in Binh Duong but also many tourists from neighboring provinces or anyone who has the opportunity to pass by.
If in the past, tourists only came to the broken bridge on Saturdays and Sundays, now there are many visitors on weekdays. In addition to admiring the beautiful scenery, guests can also enjoy two specialties of this land: boiled corn and fish cooked with sour bamboo shoots.
However, what is causing concern is that many innocent and carefree young people try to climb up the bridge or get close to the fault to take risky pictures, causing the risk of accidents and unfortunate consequences. Mr. Le Hoang Toan - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Hoa commune, (Phu Giao district) said that the increasing number of young people coming here to have fun and take photos is accompanied by dangers that make the locality extremely concerned.
Recently, the People's Committee of Vinh Hoa commune asked for permission from the People's Committee of Phu Giao district to set up a fence right at the foot of the bridge to limit vehicles from traveling on the bridge, but it cannot block the path because this is a historical relic and cannot ban people. People come to visit and learn about the history of the bridge.
In the face of the trend of racing to the broken bridge in search of unique experiences, besides compliments on the beauty of this unique landscape, there are many recommendations for young people and tourists when visiting the broken bridge. Song Be is careful and does not climb to positions that pose a danger to herself and everyone around her because of her interest in taking adventurous photos or thrills.
Thanks to the quiet space, beautiful and fresh natural scenery, it comes on weekends, holidays, and Tet holidays
From here, images of the broken Song Be bridge appeared more and more on social networking sites and many people expressed interest in the beautiful photo angles. Suddenly, this historic broken bridge is not only a tourist attraction, but many film crews have also come to the bridge to film and set up scenes like the movie Teo Em, the movie Surrogacy...
When the movies are released makes young people even more curious about the image of this bridge.
