Bridge over the river Kwai in Kanchanaburi

Description and is it worth a visit

Bridge over the River Kwai (Bridge Over River Kwai or Death Railway Bridge) is a central historical landmark of the city of Kanchanaburi and the entire province, thanks to which the initial flow of tourists poured here. The bridge was built during World War II by soldiers of the Western anti-Hitler coalition captured by the Japanese as part of a strategically important railway to Burma. The construction of the entire railway and bridge was carried out in inhumane conditions, and it is believed that about 16,000 prisoners of war and 90,000 Asians used as slaves died. The tragic events that took place in the POW camp during construction were later reflected in the novel and filmed in the movie "Bridge over the River Kwai" in 1957.

From our point of view, the bridge is one of the tourist traps. This place is historically really important, but there is not much for tourists to do here. You can take a picture of the bridge, cross it to the other side of the river (it is operational, trains run along it from Bangkok), wait for the train to pass, take photos from the observation decks on it, and that's it. In addition, the structure was significantly destroyed during the bombing by Western forces, and then restored, and there is little left of the original bridge here.

Next to the bridge there is a square with food stalls and souvenirs, as well as a large souvenir market, known not only for the sale of traditional souvenirs, but also a large number of jewelry and precious and semiprecious stones from Myanmar (Burma).