" Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment "
Beautiful Connections - Giant Works of Art to Visit - there are many amazing bridges around the world and as much as they are architectural marvels, some are popular tourist attractions, one of the most notable bridges I visited in Jan 2016 is the Bridge on the River Kwai, Kanchanburi, Thailand, this bridge was made famous after the filming of a 1957 epic war film directed by David Lean and based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle, the film uses the historical setting of the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942-1943.
In my world of travelling thus far, I had the opportunities to visit a number of iconic bridges be it ancient, old or in the present era ie stone bridge, Roman foundation bridge, death railway bridge, suspension bridge, glass bridge, steel bridge, love bridge, sky bridge .... admiring the night scenery from a bridge is a very calming experience !
Some of the famous bridges worth mentioning here are Golden Gate Bridge (USA), Akashi Kaiyo Bridge (Japan), Sydney Harbour Bridge (Australia), Brooklyn Bridge (New York, USA), Tower Bridge (Britain), Ponte Vecchio (Italy), Chapel Bridge (Switzerland), Tsing Ma Bridge (Hong Kong) & many other bridges that looked spectacular in the eyes of the tourists !
It is interesting to note that China has about 2.300 glass bridges which were designed to attract thrill-seeking tourists !
Malaysia (my home country) too has a number of spectacular bridges ie Penang Bridge, the 1st drawbridge in South East Asia is in Kuala Terengganu, Langkawi & Petronas Twin Towers Sky Bridge (Kedah), Sungai Johor Bridge (Johor), Saloma Link Bridge (Kuala Lumpur) & bridges in Putrajaya, Federal Territory ....
" Every bridge has a story to tell .... Men build too many walls & not enough bridges but all bridges can be crossed, so do not give up ! "
1) Thailand - The Bridge on the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi Province (my overland trip to Thailand with my Klang travel buddies in Jan 2016) - the death railway built by 60,000 of Prisoners of WAR (POW) across the river Kwai in 1943 forced by the Japanese captors, now a well known remnant of war history in Thailand
2) USA - Brooklyn Bridge, New York (visited Eastern USA & Canada with 2 of my travel buddies in June 2019) - a hybrid cable-stayed / suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between Manhattan Island & Brooklyn on Long Island, opened in May 24 1883, Brooklyn Bridge was the 1st fixed crossing of the East River
" Movie & TV fans would recognise this hybrid cable-stayed / suspension bridge in New York from the countless Hollywood productions that it has great guests starred in. Stretching across the East River, the bridge connects the boroughs of Manhattan & Brooklyn. A stroll across the elevated pedestrian walkway here will provide visitors with a true New York city experience. Crossing the bridge would present pedestrians with numerous photo opportunities. Look out for beautiful vistas of Manhattan, the East River, & the waterfront but be sure to stick to the pedestrian lane as many bicycles zip past the bridge daily. You would also get to see the Statute of Liberty from the bridge. If anything,, walking across the Brooklyn bridge is a quintessential experience for travellers to New York "
3) England - Tower Bridge, London (my solo visits to Europe in May 2009, 2010, 2011 & with my wife & brother-in-law + wife in 2012) - a combined bascule & suspension bridge in London, built between 1886 & 1894, the bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London (about 0.5m upstream) & has become a world-famous symbol of London
" Opened in 1894 by The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, the Tower Bridge is a combined bascule & suspension bridge in London. The structure, one of England's most famous landmarks, stretches across the Thames river. While its exterior which evokes a sense of Victorian London, is impressive enough, visitors need to step inside the bridge to truly enjoy the remarkable venue. An exhibition inside the Engine Rooms showcases modern day stories of the bridge. There are guided tour available. Many visitors would time their visit to coincide with the lifting of the bridge. Tower Bridge lifts around 800 times a year for passing vessels. Some iconic ships that have passed through include the Royal Yacht Britannia which brought Queen Elizabeth II home from a Commonwealth tour in 1954 & the speed boat Max Power which carried David Backham during the London 2012 Olympic "
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4) Switzerland - Chapel Bridge, Lucerne (my visit to Europe with my wife & brother-in-law + wife in May 2012) - the Kapellbrucke is a covered wooden footbridge spanning the river Reuss diagonally in the city of Lucerne in central Switzerland
" Together with the Water Tower, the Chapel Bridge forms one of the most iconic sights in the city of Lucerne. The bridge is considered to be Europe's oldest covered bridge. Built in the 14th century, the foot-bridge also known as Kapellbrucke - was part of city fortifications, securing Lucerne against attack from the lake. Today, it is one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions. Inside the bridge, tourists will find pictorial panels & paintings that contain scenes of Swiss history. There are also biographics St Leodgear & St Maurice, the city's patron saints. Unfortunately many of the paintings were destroyed in a 1993 fire "
5) Italy - Ponte Vecchio, Florence (my solo visit to Europe in May 2011) - a medieval stone closed-spandrel segmental arch bridge over the Arno River in Florence, noted for the shops built along it ie jewelers, art dealers & souvenir sellers
" With an illustrous history dating back to the Roman period, the Ponte Vecchio has definitely stood the test of time. But one might say luck is partly responsible for its enduring structure - it is the only Florentine bridge that survived World War II. The surrounding shops are also considered ancient as they have been around since the 13th century. Many of them are occupied by goldsmiths, lending the area an opulent vibe. Above the shops, visitors will find a secret passageway known as Vasari's Corridor. Located on the eastern side of the bridge, the passageway houses various self-portraits of artists like Rembrandt, Rubens & Hogarth "
6) Australia - Sydney Harbor Bridge, New South Wales (my working visits to Australia in 1984, 1990 & 2004) - an Australian heritage listed steel bridge through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle & pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district & the North Shore
" The largest steel bridge in the world also happens to be one of the most photographed landmarks in Australia. In fact, mention Australia& most people would immediately associate it with the Sydney Harbour Bridge & kangaroos of course. The bridge opened in 1932 & is affectionately preferred to by locals as the Coathanger. More than just a popular tourist spot, the structure has been instrumental in connecting the central business district & the North Shore. A popular activity here is the bridge walk - where you walk to the top of the archway - which offers a spectacular panorama. Another great way to see the bridge is from a ferry. Take a ferry from Circular Quay past the bridge & the Opera House to Taranga Zoo, Manly / Watsons Bay "
7) Hungary - Szechenyi Chain Bridge, Budapest (my solo visit to Europe in May 2009 & a package tour with my wife & sister in June 2017) - also known as Chain Bridge, a suspension bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda & Pest, the eastern & western side of Budapest, opened in Nov 1849, the bridge was blown up by the retreating Germans in Jan 1945 & rebuilt & reopened in 1949 ! Beside the Szechenyi Chain Bridge, there are 7 other bridges which span the Danube river in Budapest, in my 2nd visit to Budapest in June 2017, I joined a river cruise & had the opportunity to view in panorama the Chain Bridge, Liberty Bridge, Margaret Bridge & Petofi Bridge from the ferry, the views were spectacular in the evening !
8) Bosnia-Herzegovina - The Old Bridge (UNESCO) of Mostar (package tour with my wife & sister to Balkans in March 2019) - a rebuilt 16th century Ottoman bridge that crosses the river Neralva & connects the 2 parts of the city
9) Macedonia - The Stone Bridge, Skopje (my solo visit to Balkans in May 2014 & a package tour with my wife & sister in March 2019) - a bridge across the Vardar River in Skopje, also known as Dusan Bridge after Stephen Dusan, Emperor of Serbia, connects Macedonia Square to the Old Bazaar, built on Roman foundations under the patronage of Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror between 1451 & 1469
10) Spain - The Roman Bridge of Cordoba (my solo visit to Spain in May 2014) - a bridge in the Historic Centre of Cordoba, Andalusia, originally built in the early 1st century BC across the Guadalquivir river, also known as Old Bridge
11) Laos - Lao Thai Friendship Bridge 1 (my solo visit to Laos in Jan 2011 & with my Klang travel buddies in Feb 2017) - officially opened in 1991, this 1st Friendship Bridge over the Mekong river between both countries connecting Nong Khai Province & the city of Nong Khai in Thailand with Vientiane Prefecture in Laos; Vientiane, national capital of Laos is approx 20km from the bridge, it was built with cooperation from 3 countries ie Australia, Thailand & Laos
12) China - Luguo Bridge, Fengtai District, Beijing (my 1st package tour visit with my colleague to Northern China in Sept 1997) - also known as Marco Polo Bridge, a historic structure that crosses the Yongding River, the oldest multi-arched stone bridge, first built in Jin Dynasty in 1189 & was destroyed by flood during the Qing Dynasty & rebuilt in 1698, each pillar has a stone lion carving, most of them were made during the Ming & Qing dynasty, the scene of the incident of 7th July 1937 that sparked WW2 between Japan & China !
13) Malaysia - Victoria Bridge, Kuala Kangsar (my free & easy family group visit to Perak in Sept 2020) - constructed between 1897 & 1900, it is one of the oldest railway bridges in Malaysia & remained in service till 2002, designed by a British Engineer & built by the state government of Perak.
14) Vietnam - Truong Tien Bridge, Hue (my visit with my travel buddy, Choy to Vietnam in 201) - the most well known bridge in the city of Hue, Central Vietnam with a long history & an unique architecture, built across the Perfume River, the bridge has been an inspiration for scores of novels & poems that are recited nationwide, the bridge was designed & built by Eiffel (known for the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1897), Truong Tien bridge was completed in 1899, the 1st bridge that connects two Huong riverbanks, 402m in length, 5.4m wide & the structure has 6 half moon girders made of steel
15) Malaysia - Saloma Link Bridge, Kuala Lumpur (visited 3 times in 2020) - a 69 meters combined pedestrian & bicyclist bridge across the Klang River in Kuala Lumpur, directed north west to south east it joins the districts of Kampung Baru & Kuala City Center, officially opened in Feb 2020 !
16) Malaysia - Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge, Kuala Lumpur City Center (visited in 2018) - the Petronas Twin Towers are 2 twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004, situated at an astonishing height of 170m (558ft), the Petronas Twin Towers' double decker skybridge is the highest 2 storey bridge in the world.
17) Czech Republic - Charles Bridge, Prague (package tour with my wife to Eastern Europe in May 2017 & my 1st solo visit to Europe in May 2009) - a medieval stone arch bridge that crosses the Vitara river in Prague, construction started in 1357 under the King Charles IV & completed in the early 15th century, graced by 30 statutes dating back to the 18th century.
18) Sweden - Djurgardsbron Bridge, Stockholm (my solo visit to Scandinavian countries in May 2011) - a bridge in central Stockholm, designed by Carl Fraenell & built for the Stockholm World's Fair in 1897, the present bridge forms a southern extension to the boulevard Narvavagen thus connecting mainland Ostermalm to the island Djurgarden
19) Austria- Makartsteg Bridge, Salzburg (package tour with my wife to Eastern Europe in June 2017) - a pedestrian bridge across the Salzach river, named after the 19th century Historicist painter Hans Makart, a panoramic view of Salzburg across to the Old Town, both side of the bridge had strings of hanging love padlocks that makes it a tourist attraction
20) Turkey - Galata Bridge, Istanbul (my solo visit to Turkey, Syria, Jordan & Egypt in Sept 2008 & a package tour with my wife & brother-in-law + wife to Turkey in Nov 2018) - a bridge that spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul, from the end of the 19th century in particular, the bridge has featured in Turkish literature, theater, poetry & novels, the term "Galata Bridge" is actually a collective reference to a successive series of bridges linking Eminonu & Beyoglu since the early 19th century, the current bridge was built in 1994
21) Turkey - Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul (package tour with my wife & brother-in-law + wife to Turkey in Nov 2018) - known officially as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge & unofficially as the First Bridge is one of the 3 suspension bridges spanning the Bosphorus Strait connecting Europe & Asia, the bridge extends between Ortakoy (in Europe) & Beylerbeyi (in Asia); took a river cruise & viewed the Bosphorus Bridge & the coastline from the boat - very scenic & spectacular !
22) France - The Pont des Arts (Love Bridge), Paris (my solo visit to Europe in May 2011 & with my wife & brother-in-law + wife in May 2012) - a pedestrian bridge (also the most famous love lock bridge) in Paris which crosses the River Seine, it links the Institui de France & the center square of the Palais du Louvre, there are now 37 bridges (only 5 are pedestrian bridges) crossing the Seine River within the city limits of Paris
China - Glass Footpath, Zhangjiajie, Hunan (my wife & son's packaged tour to China in Dec 2016) - a skywalk bridge in Zhangjiajie, Hunan above the Wulingyuan area, built as an attraction for tourists, is glass-bottomed & is transparent, reported one of the longest & tallest glass bridge in the world, very scenic & spectacular, one of the most visited Grand Canyon in China !
