The Long Bien Bridge was built in 1903 by the architects of Dayd?& Pill? a French company. Before North Vietnam's independence in 1954; it was called Doumer Bridge; named after Paul Doumer - The Governor-General of French Indochina and then French president. It was; at that time; one of the longest bridges in Asia with the length of 2;500 m. For the French colonial government; the construction was of strategic importance in securing control of northern Vietnam. From 1899 to 1902; more than 3;000 Vietnamese took part in the construction.

It was heavily bombarded during the Vietnam War due to its critical position (the only bridge at that time across the Red River and connecting Hanoi to the main port Haiphong). The first attack took place in 1967; and the center span of the bridge was felled in an attack by 20 USAF (United States Air Force) F-105 fighter-bombers. The defence of Long Bien Bridge continues to play a large role in Hanoi's self-image and is often extolled in poetry and song. It was rendered unusable for a year when; in May 1972; it fell victim to one of the first co-ordinated attacks using laser-guided 'smart bombs'.

The bridge now stands like a patched-up war veteran. Some parts of the original structure remain intact; while large sections have clearly been built later to repair the damaged sections. In this way the bridge offers a strong visual expression of North Vietnam's determined resistance to USAF attack. A project with the support of the French government is in progress to restore the bridge to its original appearance.