Nam Dinh (VNA) - Co Le town in Nam Dinh province is home to an ancient thatched-roofed bridge called Lang Kenh. Among Vietnam’s many covered bridges, Lang Kenh is the only one with a thatched roof.
The bridge spans the Hai Ninh River and was built 700 years ago. Despite its long history, the bridge remains intact.
Lang Kenh thatched-roofed bridge has five spans with a length of 1.45-1.65 metres each. Together, they make a total length of 10 metres.
Its pillars and floors are all made from ironwood.
Inside the bridge are two wooden benches, which make it a perfect rest stop for people to escape the scorching summer heat. Many villagers come here to fish.
The bridge’s corridors feature a simple design.
Instead of a tiled roof, as is usually seen on covered bridges, Lang Kenh’s roof is made of sedge leaves that are light in weight and durable. When the leaves become rotten or damaged, they are replaced by villagers.
This is done so often that villagers decided to change sedge leaves with palm leaves. They are now firmly glued to one another and the roof’s framework for better durability.
The Lang Kenh thatch-roofed bridge underwent major restorations in 1883, 1904, and 2014.
Each time restoration work has been completed, villagers have carved the completion dates on the crossbeam.
With this, experts have an insight into the history of the bridge.
Villagers have been encouraging relevant authorities to inspect the site as an initial step to have it recognised as a National Historical-Cultural Relic Site. Following an inspection, the local government is set to complete a dossier to submit to relevant State authorities for recognition./.
