The local Golden Bridge could be both necessary and cringe at the same time
Have you been to the Golden Bridge in Ba Na Hills in Da Nang, Vietnam? You know, the one whose official name is the Golden Bridge—though it’s better known as the bridge in the mountains with the two giant stone hands.
If you haven’t gone there and seen it, or don’t want (or can’t) shell out the money to fly to Da Nang, you can get a hotel, hire a driver to take you on an hour-long drive to the mountain park, and pay the entrance to see a similar attraction they’re building, albeit tinier, in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Yes, that’s the latest controversy in the land of Filipino social media. Somebody posted a picture of the current construction, clearly showing the two hands already installed—and while you may still be able to say, “Let it all play out!” or “That’s AI!,” the inspiration is very, very obvious. And it’s mostly because the Golden Bridge and its two hands have grown to become a Southeast Asian regional landmark.
Many Filipinos were quick to decry the construction, disappointed that we’ve copied yet another popular thing from somewhere else in the world. Some are even angrier that they’ve decided to plop it down in the generally pristine mountainside of La Trinidad, arguing that the environment doesn’t need (and may not handle) a tourist development, especially with the overcrowding that’s happening in Baguio.
My own feelings on the issue are a little bit complicated, but I’ve pretty much come to be able to hold two truths in my head at the same time.
The cringe default
The first truth is that it’s cringe. That’s it.
It’s not that I want to gatekeep the experience of spending money to fly to Vietnam and actually seeing the hands up close. Far from it—I think it’s just the basic knee-jerk reaction to seeing something that’s clearly trending upwards immediately being copied to make a quick buck, mostly from domestic tourists.
I don’t think I need to repeat the argument against resorting to something that’s intellectually and creatively lazy just because it’s a proven draw elsewhere. I suppose it’s the problem of decision-makers who aren’t deterred by shame, which is ironic considering we’re a culture that lets the social concept of hiya govern most of our public movements, humiliating and ostracizing those who do not comply with “the vibes.”
I also don’t think I need to remind people that copying a trending idea in this large scale just ends up looking corny and opening all of us to ridicule because we let the people in charge get away with this. Picasso did say that great artists steal, but I don’t believe his legendary nugget of wisdom was referring to blatantly plagiarizing in the name of marketing and tourism.
However, it is another fact that a lot of people also like corny—which brings me to the other truth.
The valid need to Filipinize things
The second truth is that, well, without equal upward mobility for everyone, there is a point in making things accessible to the locals.
All the steps I outlined earlier—the whole booking flights and a hotel, the ride, the entrance—those are still privileges for a lot of people, even if flying to Vietnam is relatively cheaper compared to flying to other countries. But taking a bus to Baguio and a jeep to La Trinidad can be done for a fraction of that cost, and you can get it done within a day, even without finding accommodation.
So why not capitalize on the lucrative opportunity of domestic tourism, especially if you’ll be able to make a lot of Filipinos happy by giving them at least an Instagram-worthy, aesthetic landmark they might flock to? Despite the execution, this was the thinking behind legendary projects like the Dolomite Beach, the huge silver sculptures around Pasig, and Jed’s Island Resort.
Kitsch is kitschy for a reason.
We still deserve nice things
Jokes aside, in this hellish worst timeline, my motto is always that people still deserve nice things that can make them happy. It’s why I cannot fully put this project down despite my own personal taste and convictions that we should do better creatively.
When this is finished, people will come to it, they will take pictures and shoot video content for their TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and they will leave happy for having been able to witness something so interesting and out of the ordinary up close—even if the walkway pales in size to the actual majestic architectural marvel that is the actual bridge.
And regardless of whether the intentions of building this scenic walkway in La Trinidad are noble, that will be the sentiment that will drive people to make the trip.
But maybe there’s still a way to push for the same feeling without having to lower our own standards. I just feel that we’ll have to raise our standards for local leaders and decision-makers first, though, before we come to that point. And that’s where the real work has to be done.
