Battle Over Fate of Landmark Taipei Pedestrian Bridge

The Taipei City Government faces local opposition to the planned demolition of a landmark pedestrian bridge.

Transcript

00:00Amid a gray drizzle, residents of this Taipei neighborhood have taken up spots on a piece

00:04of local history they're afraid they'll soon lose.

00:07The Heping Xinsheng Pedestrian Bridge in downtown doesn't appear in most guides to the city,

00:12but across Taiwan, even those who don't know its name recognize it.

00:16It's appeared in several classic Taiwanese films and been a centerpiece in music videos

00:27by big-name bands such as Mayday.

00:30A protest movement backed by a 1,500-signature petition stopped a plan to demolish the bridge

00:35on Monday, but some locals worried about how long they can delay the project have been

00:39up here since early Tuesday to make sure it's protected.

00:43Popular culture is only one layer to the structure's significance, as the array of protest banners,

00:47graffiti, and other signs of love from local residents shows.

00:51One activist who's camped out here says the bridge is a survivor, one of the few pedestrian

00:55bridges that once defined Taipei's urban landscape, and he says it has historic importance, too.

01:26The city government says the plan to demolish the bridge is guided by safety concerns.

01:31It says the bridge is 42 years old and ready for retirement, and that similar intersections

01:36with bridges had far fewer accidents after they were torn down.

01:39But Ms. Le, who's lived here since before the bridge was built, says demolishing it

01:57won't make the intersection safer.

01:59She thinks the government should just repair the bridge to extend its life.

02:09At least one other bridge slated for destruction is already being taken down.

02:31But thanks to grassroots activism, Mayor Jiang Wan'an has hit the pause button for talks

02:35with locals who feel they weren't consulted.

02:38From the outpouring of love on display here, it's clear this bridge has cemented its place

02:42in the urban fabric and in people's hearts and memories.

02:46But given the government says its safety concerns are unresolved, it's hard to say whether all

02:50this love will be enough to save this bridge from demolition.

02:53Klein Wong and John Van Triest in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.