I once saw an interesting picture onone of my friends’ facebook page. The picture was of two identicallocks that were on a fence on a bridge. I though it was just a randompicture until recently, when I saw a picture of the Great Wall. Itwasn’t just another image, but a picture that highlighted a part of thefence where a lot of locks were hung.
I googled andfound out that walls of locks are not new in the world. They haveappeared in countries across the globe. But in different countries, thewalls have different meanings. One such area at the Great Wall in Chinasymbolises the everlasting romance between two people, while in Hungary, putting a lock on a wall is a patriotic gesture. The tradition hasrecently been practiced in Vietnam at the 100-year-old Long Bien Bridgein Hanoi .
With its charming vintage look and incredible view of the Hong (Red)River, Long Bien, the oldest bridge in Hanoi , has been a favouritespot for young people to get together. After a slow ride on motorbikes,people often stop at a fine spot on the bridge, where they enjoyconversation with one another or stare at the magnificent view. On thebridge, couples could possibly forget about time and stand or sit onthe side of the bridge for hours. There are vendors there who arewilling to serve them with snacks or drinks.
But a recent trend has transformed Long Bien from a hangout spot tosomething more personal. About three years ago, mysterious locksappeared on the fence of the bridge. At first no one knew who put themthere or why. But after a story that explained the meaning of the lockswas posted on various blogs, more and more locks were secured to thefence.
Most locks belong to young couples. First, they find a good spot fortheir locks. Some couples are prudent in their placement of locks. Theyhave been known to take measurements of the fence in order to findlocks that would fit on their chosen place. Then they buy stainlesssteel locks, which can cost more than 200,000 VND (11 USD). Next, theyplace their locks onto the fence, but this is not a simple task.Couples have invented creative ways to make their tough locksintertwine, which allows them to be able to tell a story about theirowners. Finally, after securing the locks to a nice spot, they throwaway the keys as a sign of commitment to their partner.
The whole procedure is so complicated that it’s like a ritual. Youngcouples believe that the locks will bless their young love and keep italive for 100 years.
It might seem like a strange belief at first, but the locks have savedrelationships. Do Mai Quyen, a 21-year-old student, shared: “Myboyfriend and I put our locks here two months ago. We had an outrageousfight once. But then we went back to the bridge and saw out locksthere. Through all the scorching sun and pouring rain of Hanoi , theyare still holding on to each other. We immediately found a way to solveour problem. It’s better than therapy.”
Nguyen Thi Ton, a 38-year-old vendor on the bridge, sells maize byduring the day and snacks at night. “Couples who put locks here are allnice young people. They often return to their spot on the bridge. Someeven told me their love story. Kids these days get so much more of anopportunity to be romantic,” said Ton.
“They hardly cause traffic problems, because the part of the bridge hasspace for parking. People have parked their motor bikes there forsight-seeing forever,” Ton said.
When I asked Pham Van Tuan, 47, a bridge guard, whether or not parkingor putting locks on the bridge is legal. He was uncertain. Technically,parking on any bridge is illegal, but these regulations have not beenenforced on Long Bien. Most people on the bridge are either vendors,sightseers or joggers. Daily trains still run on the railway in themiddle of the bridge.
Long Bien will be renovated in the near future, which means all thelocks will be removed and this tradition may have to move somewhereelse or disappear forever./.
I googled andfound out that walls of locks are not new in the world. They haveappeared in countries across the globe. But in different countries, thewalls have different meanings. One such area at the Great Wall in Chinasymbolises the everlasting romance between two people, while in Hungary, putting a lock on a wall is a patriotic gesture. The tradition hasrecently been practiced in Vietnam at the 100-year-old Long Bien Bridgein Hanoi .
With its charming vintage look and incredible view of the Hong (Red)River, Long Bien, the oldest bridge in Hanoi , has been a favouritespot for young people to get together. After a slow ride on motorbikes,people often stop at a fine spot on the bridge, where they enjoyconversation with one another or stare at the magnificent view. On thebridge, couples could possibly forget about time and stand or sit onthe side of the bridge for hours. There are vendors there who arewilling to serve them with snacks or drinks.
But a recent trend has transformed Long Bien from a hangout spot tosomething more personal. About three years ago, mysterious locksappeared on the fence of the bridge. At first no one knew who put themthere or why. But after a story that explained the meaning of the lockswas posted on various blogs, more and more locks were secured to thefence.
Most locks belong to young couples. First, they find a good spot fortheir locks. Some couples are prudent in their placement of locks. Theyhave been known to take measurements of the fence in order to findlocks that would fit on their chosen place. Then they buy stainlesssteel locks, which can cost more than 200,000 VND (11 USD). Next, theyplace their locks onto the fence, but this is not a simple task.Couples have invented creative ways to make their tough locksintertwine, which allows them to be able to tell a story about theirowners. Finally, after securing the locks to a nice spot, they throwaway the keys as a sign of commitment to their partner.
The whole procedure is so complicated that it’s like a ritual. Youngcouples believe that the locks will bless their young love and keep italive for 100 years.
It might seem like a strange belief at first, but the locks have savedrelationships. Do Mai Quyen, a 21-year-old student, shared: “Myboyfriend and I put our locks here two months ago. We had an outrageousfight once. But then we went back to the bridge and saw out locksthere. Through all the scorching sun and pouring rain of Hanoi , theyare still holding on to each other. We immediately found a way to solveour problem. It’s better than therapy.”
Nguyen Thi Ton, a 38-year-old vendor on the bridge, sells maize byduring the day and snacks at night. “Couples who put locks here are allnice young people. They often return to their spot on the bridge. Someeven told me their love story. Kids these days get so much more of anopportunity to be romantic,” said Ton.
“They hardly cause traffic problems, because the part of the bridge hasspace for parking. People have parked their motor bikes there forsight-seeing forever,” Ton said.
When I asked Pham Van Tuan, 47, a bridge guard, whether or not parkingor putting locks on the bridge is legal. He was uncertain. Technically,parking on any bridge is illegal, but these regulations have not beenenforced on Long Bien. Most people on the bridge are either vendors,sightseers or joggers. Daily trains still run on the railway in themiddle of the bridge.
Long Bien will be renovated in the near future, which means all thelocks will be removed and this tradition may have to move somewhereelse or disappear forever./.
