By day it is a bizarre 666-meter long, 37.5-meter wide bridge, with three lanes in each direction, connecting the two banks of the Han River, in the Vietnamese city of Dan Nang. In the evening, it transforms into a fire-breathing dragon. Yes, exactly, and even without overindulging on rice vodka.
The idea and design is by the American firm, international leader in bridge construction, Ammann & Whitney Consulting Engineers. The initial challenge: to create a piece of engineering capable of being a tourist attraction.
The bridge inspired by the Ly Dynasty dragon opened to the public on the 38th anniversary of the liberation of the city of Da Nang, March 29, 2013. With an investment of 88 million dollars, the dragon "breathes" fire or shoots powerful jets of water in the sky every weekend at 9 pm and on special occasions.
Lit by 2500 LEDs, the "living" Dragon attracts large crowds of onlookers, although, admittedly, the attraction's charm dangerously borders on kitsch.
The best view of the show is from the Da Nang Riverside Hotel tea room or the small riverside cafés. However, many tourists choose to embark on the makeshift boats that throng the Han River in the evening to get as close as they can to this unusual show.