“Seven hundred souls,” I whisper, as we stand before Cầu Bến Nọc. “Can you feel their presence?” Cầu Bến Nọc isn’t just a bridge. It’s a scar. A chilling reminder of a brutal massacre orchestrated by French colonial forces. This bridge, spanning the murky waters of Suối Cái, witnessed unspeakable horrors during the French occupation from 1946 to 1947. Our story begins at the Bót Dây Thép, a French outpost originally intended as a communications center, which was transformed into a prison and torture chamber. The French, fearful of the burgeoning resistance movement, imprisoned and tortured countless Vietnamese patriots and civilians suspected of aiding them. At Cầu Bến Nọc, their cruelty reached its apex. Prisoners from Bót Dây Thép were brought here, tortured, and then murdered. Their bodies were dumped into the river, staining the waters red. Imagine the scene. The terrified faces of the prisoners. The stoic determination of the Vietnamese people who risked their lives to resist. The French employed horrific methods of execution. Some victims were tied together with barbed wire, their hands pierced through with spikes, and then shot. Others were simply bludgeoned or burned alive, their broken bodies cast into the river below Cầu Bến Nọc. One can only imagine the terror these individuals faced as they were led across this bridge to their deaths. The French commander, Pirolet, ruled with an iron fist. He implemented a chilling policy of collective punishment. For every French officer killed, twenty civilians were executed. For every soldier, ten. Even a damaged plank on Cầu Bến Nọc resulted in the deaths of three innocent people. By the end of 1947, over 700 lives had been extinguished. The river beneath Cầu Bến Nọc became a watery grave. Their sacrifice, however, fueled the flames of resistance. The atrocities committed here galvanized the Vietnamese people’s fight for independence. Today, Cầu Bến Nọc stands as a memorial to those lost souls. The Bót Dây Thép has been preserved as a historical site. The stories of their courage and sacrifice live on.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to