Travel portal Time Out (UK) recently announced a ranking of “The most beautiful bridges in the world”, featuring 19 outstanding global structures. This list honors bridges that combine unique architecture, impressive construction techniques, and symbolic value for the tourism of each country.
In this year's ranking, the Golden Bridge in Da Nang ranked 4th, surpassing many famous structures such as the Brooklyn Bridge (USA) or the Sydney Harbour Bridge (Australia). According to the assessment of Time Out experts, the Golden Bridge creates a “visual marvel” and is considered a phenomenon of contemporary tourism.
The Golden Bridge was built during the period 2017-2018 and officially opened to visitors in June 2018. The structure is about 150m long, located at an altitude of nearly 1,000m above sea level, overlooking the city of Da Nang. This special location makes the bridge not only a tourist attraction but also a stunning viewpoint amidst the mountainous landscape of Ba Na Hills.
The Golden Bridge is about 150m long, located at an altitude of nearly 1,000m above sea level and overlooking the city of Da Nang.
The outstanding highlight of the design is two giant stone hands with a weathered appearance, creating the feeling of an ancient ruin supporting a golden silk ribbon in the sky. Despite its appearance as an ancient relic, the Golden Bridge is actually a modern structure, positioned as a tourist icon from its inception. After its launch in 2018, images of the bridge quickly spread widely on social media and international media.
To visit the Golden Bridge, visitors travel by cable car system to the top of Ba Na – where the structure is located. This area also boasts a complex of European-style architecture, a French village, and many entertainment complexes, forming an attractive destination on the journey to explore Da Nang.
In Time Out's rankings, the number one spot belongs to the Stari Most bridge – a 16th-century stone bridge in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country located in Southeast Europe. The presence of the Golden Bridge in the top group further affirms the structure's position on the world's architectural and tourism map.
Since its launch, the Golden Bridge has continuously appeared in prestigious international rankings. In 2021, the structure was included by Daily Mail (UK) in the list of new world wonders. This survey was conducted with the 'millennial' generation – a group that grew up with the development of information technology and global migration trends – to find new wonders that meet the criteria of 'design that creates an immediate impact, is astonishing, and iconic'.
Previously, in April 2020, Insider ranked the Golden Bridge among the 28 most beautiful bridges in the world. In 2018, The Guardian (UK) also voted the structure as one of the 10 most beautiful pedestrian bridges on the planet. Many international media outlets such as Time and CNN have praised it, calling it one of the most famous pedestrian bridges in the world.
Not only honored in international media, the Golden Bridge has also become a model replicated in several other locations. In Benguet (Philippines), a tourist spot under construction once attracted attention when a structure with a similar design of two supporting hands appeared, although it had not yet opened to visitors.
In China, in July 2024, the Maling Tianguan scenic spot in Zhejiang also introduced a bridge named Tianguan Buddha Hand Bridge, located at an altitude of about 1,500m above sea level. This structure features two hands supporting the bridge section above, attracting a large number of visitors for sightseeing and photography.
After the images were shared, many comments on social media noted similarities between the bridge in China and the Golden Bridge Da Nang, from the mossy color of the hands to the golden tone of the bridge deck. However, the difference is that the Tianguan Buddha Hand Bridge has a more winding design, while the Golden Bridge maintains softer but more restrained lines.
Being ranked fourth in Time Out's list of the 19 most beautiful bridges in the world once again demonstrates the enduring appeal of the Golden Bridge. From a modern architectural work, the bridge has become a visual icon of Da Nang and has contributed to elevating the image of Vietnam's tourism on the international stage.
