A beloved bridge over the Tara River in Montenegro, which was blown up in World War ll, is to be repaired with the help of up to $8.4 million donated by China.
Located in the breathtaking scenery of the Tara gorge in the north of the Balkan country, the bridge was constructed 83 years ago in 1940, a year before the region was hit by war. Yugoslav partisans, who fought against occupying Nazi German and Fascist Italian forces, blew it up in 1942 with the help of a bridge engineer.
Soon after Italian soldiers executed that engineer on the site of the destroyed bridge. That event was immortalized on film in a Yugoslavian war epic The Bridge.
The film was released back in 1969, featuring the bridge's magnificent structure and the Italian partisan song O Bella Ciao. It has gained huge popularity in China, according to the country's Montenegro ambassador Fan Kun.
"The influence of this movie and the song is still ever so strong in China," Fan told CGTN. "I've seen many Chinese tourists here witnessing the traditional friendship between China and Montenegro, across time and distance. At the same time, the Chinese language and culture are quietly becoming popular among the people of Montenegro."
Combining those historic relations with more fresh business opportunities may have prompted China's decision to help revitalize the iconic landmark. The last bridge repair work was carried out around 40 years ago, and the structure urgently needs fresh work.
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China stepped in with help, said Miroslav Masic from the Directorate For Road Infrastructure of Montenegro's Ministry Of Capital Investments.
"This donation by the People's Republic of China is very important for Montenegro," Mašić said. "We are grateful to their embassy here, which has been committed to this project from day one. We think that this donation is a good example of the friendship between the two countries."
It will take up to 18 months for all the work to be completed – but after that, tourists will have more access to it and other nearby attractions. Tourists like Salim, who came with his family from Clermont-Ferrand in France, and told CGTN: "I came here because they have everything that I need for a vacation. All the activities, hiking, climbing, and water activities. It is this region's main advantage. And the people are very friendly!"
After the reconstruction, this bridge will be able to continue to serve not just as a tourist attraction but also as a vital transportation corridor linking the north and south of the country.
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