Dragon Bridge Brings Tourists To Da Nang
Many locals and tourists are familiar with the Dragon Bridge in Vietnam. This bridge is only 666 meter long, but can accommodate six lanes of traffic. The bridge was opened in 2013 on the anniversary of Da Nang Cityâ??s 38th anniversary. It took around 3 ½ years to complete and it appears that it was well worth the wait. What makes this bridge unique isnâ??t the size or the $88 million that it cost to build it, but itâ??s the appearance.
The Dragon By Day
The bridge looks like a giant sculpture of a dragon. Its head, tail and body snakes over the bridge. The long yellow spine and large arches are quite the site for travelers on the bridge. As interesting as the bridge is to see during the day, it becomes even more alluring when the sun goes down.
A Fire Breather By Night
At night is when the bridge comes to life and itâ??s considered a must see for those that are in Da Nang. When the evening hits the Dragon Bridge it is lit up with 900 LED lights and the dragon appears to be flying. The most thrilling sight occurs on the weekends when the mouth of the dragon opens and it breathes real fire from its mouth at 9 p.m. The gas powered flames can be seen shooting into the sky. The show lasts about 3 minutes and the dragon alternates from shooting water to fire. In the middle of the night the deck of the bridge swings 180 degrees. This allows for large ships to move upriver in the middle of the night.
Itâ??s not surprising that around 3 million tourists visit the city each year just to see it. The Dragon Bridge has helped Da Nangâ??s economy tremendously. Before the bridge was built, this city wasnâ??t that popular among tourists. Now visitors try to squeeze in their sightseeing during the day so that they can make it to the bridge at night to see the flying dragon breath fire into the sky. The Dragon Bridge crosses over the Han River and its makes Da Nang International Airport even more accessible. In addition to the bridge there is also a riverfront place that is situated along the banks of the Han River. As Da Nang is growing, new shops, restaurants and resorts are popping up in order to accommodate all of the needs of the growing tourist population.