The new bridge is open in Yen Bai Province on May 19
Dantri newspaper, in collaboration with local authorities and residents, held the inauguration ceremony for a newly built bridge in Minh Xuan Commune in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai's Luc Yen District on May 19.
Named “Dantri Bridge,” the structure spans 25 metres in length and 5 metres in width, with a load capacity of 6 tonnes. The total construction cost was VND 600 million, with VND 500 million contributed by Dantri readers and VND 100 million from the local government, along with donated land and volunteer labour.
The bridge provides essential daily access for 1,113 households, nearly 7,000 residents of Minh Xuan commune, including children commuting to school.
“I used to cry out of fear after slipping and falling while crossing the stream,” said Hoang Thu Chang, 29, a local resident. “But even scarier was watching my child wade through that water to get to school. On days when the water rose too high, I had no choice but to keep my child home.”
Hoang Thu Chang
Living just 50 metres from the bridge, Chang has to cross it multiple times a day to take her children to school and work on her farm. “When the water was high, we had to detour three kilometres to get across. Now with this bridge, everyone is overjoyed,” she said.
Hoang Nhat Toan, another local, was overwhelmed with emotion as he crossed the bridge.
Hoang Nhat Toan
“I lost my two daughters to that stream in 2005 while they were on their way home from school. They were only in sixth and seventh grade. And they weren’t the only ones. In 1979, two other students were also swept away by floodwaters here. That pain keeps repeating, and we had no way to protect our children.”
Previously, villagers would build makeshift bamboo bridges, which were often washed away during heavy rains. “Year after year, we stood helpless on the riverbank watching the current. Now, for the first time, we have real hope,” Toan said.
At the ceremony, a village representative expressed gratitude: “On behalf of local residents, I sincerely thank Dantri and the generous donors. This bridge will save countless lives. No more parents fearing their children might drown during the rainy season.”
To date, thanks to support from readers, Dantri has completed and inaugurated 30 bridges across Vietnam.