War-torn bridge to be restored to commemorate international friendship

The 366-meter Tara River Bridge, built between 1937 and 1940, was Europe's largest concrete arch road bridge at that time and bore witness to the heroic resistance of Yugoslav partisans during World War II.

In the 1970s, the classic film The Bridge, based on the history of them  blowing up the structure, became popular in China, with its song O Bella Ciao being widely acclaimed. The name of the bridge was thus well known among the Chinese people.

In 2025, the year marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, renovation of this bridge began. Aided by the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the restoration would eliminate potential risks in its structure while retaining its original appearance, thereby ensuring the continuity of both its historical legacy and its transport function. It is China's first foreign assistance project in Montenegro and a landmark endeavor in the cooperation between the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The bridge is not only a transport hub in the eyes of Montenegrin people, but also an embodiment of their national spirit.

"This is the bridge in my childhood memory. I am grateful to my Chinese friends who repair it," said Konstantin Dragovic when he brought his family to visit the structure. He is a foreign employee participating in the repair work.

The bridge has left lasting memories in Chinese people's minds through the film, and now its restoration is embedding it with Chinese elements.

Many Chinese tourists visit the bridge nowadays. They present bouquets of flowers in tribute to the engineers who had passed away along with the old bridge.

The "crack" left by the war will be healed by true friendship. The bridge, marking the deep friendship between Chinese and Montenegrins, will shine with more vitality through the efforts of Chinese workers and engineers.