Sikkim’s Ru-Soam Bridge Set for UNESCO Collaboration, Cultural Recognition

Constructed entirely from wild cane and bamboo, the Ru-Soam bridges are a remarkable example of sustainable, handmade infrastructure.

In a positive development for cultural preservation, UNESCO is set to partner with the Government of Sikkim to document and recognise the traditional Lepcha cane bridge, locally known as Ru-Soam. This indigenous bridge-building practice, still alive in the remote Dzongu Tribal Reserve within the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, represents a blend of eco-sensitive engineering and oral tradition.

A high-level meeting held at the Tashiling Secretariat in Gangtok marked the start of the initiative. Chaired by Forest Minister Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, the session was organised by the Intellectual Property Rights Section of the Department of Science and Technology. It brought together Lepcha artisans, cultural leaders, experts, and scholars from the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.

Constructed entirely from wild cane and bamboo, the Ru-Soam bridges are a remarkable example of sustainable, handmade infrastructure. Beyond their cultural value, these structures are particularly significant in disaster-prone areas, such as North Sikkim, where they proved invaluable during the 2023 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF).

UNESCO’s Chief of Natural Sciences, Dr Benno Boer, is scheduled to visit Sikkim in May 2025 to further the collaboration and explore avenues to inscribe the Ru-Soam tradition under the Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Speaking to Northeast Live, Dr Sandeep Tambe, Secretary of the Science and Technology Department, emphasised that this partnership reflects a strong commitment to safeguarding Sikkim’s rich intangible heritage.

Sandeep Tambe said “Ru-Soam bridge needs to be documented scientifically, the knowledge has to be recorded and it has to be given some global recognition so that people feel proud about this beautiful engineering structure and the traditional knowledge that is associated with it. So that is the whole vision that we have been given that we need to do scientific documentation.”

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