Why The Dragon Breathes Fire

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9pm, the bridge in the middle of the city does what its name promises. The steel dragon lifts its head over the Han River and breathes real fire. Nine bursts of it. Then it turns and sprays water on the crowd below. The whole thing lasts about fifteen minutes, and people line both banks an hour early to get a spot.

The dragon is not a decoration on the bridge. The dragon is the bridge. It is 666 metres of yellow steel bent into the shape of a dragon from the old Ly dynasty, with six lanes of traffic running through its body. It is the longest dragon shaped bridge in Vietnam.

It opened on March 29, 2013, the day Da Nang marks its liberation. Building it took almost four years and 85 million dollars. An American firm drew the shape and the city paid for it. Back then Da Nang was turning from a quiet coastal town into the city you see now, and the dragon was how it said so out loud.

If you want the best view, stand on the east bank near the dragon's head for the fire. Not too close on a windy night, the heat reaches you. The water comes after the fire, three sprays, and the front row gets soaked. The locals always know the moment to step back.

So on a weekend night, when the crowd goes quiet and then gasps all at once, that is the dragon. Fifteen minutes, free, every Friday to Sunday. The best show in Da Nang, and nobody charges you for it.