The Dragon Bridge performs a popular fire and water exhibition on weekend nights.

The Dragon Bridge is my favorite bridge that I have seen in my travels. The bridge crosses over the Han River in Da Nang, Vietnam and is the longest bridge in Vietnam which measures 666 meters (2185 feet). The bridge is a six-lane bridge that provides easy access from Da Nang to My Khe Beach.

The bridge was opened in 2013 and the dragon is a symbol of power and good fortune. The tail of the dragon is on the city side of the river and the head on the side nearest the beach. There are parks next to the bridge on both sides of the river which are very popular especially at night.

Daytime views

The best time to see the details of the bridge are during the day and the photos below show the daytime view of the bridge from several different locations.

Under the bridge

The bridge allows pedestrian crossing on both directions of traffic and crossing from one side of the bridge to the other can be done on each side of the river by going under the bridge. The pedestrian access to the bridge on the beach side has been painted in an ocean themed and are shown in the photos below.

Sunset views

As the sun begins to set, the bridge starts to come to life. The orange glow of the sunset signals the awakening of the nighttime show for the dragon bridge. During the night, the dragon bridge exhibits a dazzling display of colored lights.

Colors change at night

The color of the dragon changes between white, gold, green, turquoise, and blue. These color changes are shown in the following photos.

Full view of the bridge at night

The full view of the bridge showing how it looks at night when the colors change are seen in the next set of photos.

Closer view at night

A more detailed view of just the dragon head and the first section of the body are seen in the next set of photos.

Crowds arrive before the show starts

On weekends there is an added attraction where the dragon head shoots flames of fire from its mouth followed by spraying water. The show starts at 9 PM but don’t wait until the last minute to get there because it is very popular and people start arriving early as seen by the two photos below.

Fire breathing Dragon

There really is no bad place to watch the show when the flames start but it will be more crowded the closer you are to the dragon’s head. The photos below are from two different locations, the first is from a distance and the second is closer. On the bridge itself, the traffic is stopped before the show starts and is allowed to resume right after it is over.

Tour boats move in close

There are several boat tours of the Han River that will also bring the boat very close to the dragon’s head during the show. These boats can be seen in several of the previous photos but the photo below lets you see how many boats line up for the show.

Bursts of water ends the show

The dragon will blow several bursts of flames followed by several bursts of water. The water shoots out a good distance and getting wet is almost guaranteed if you are close to the dragon’s head. Of course, the wind direction makes a difference and staying up wind might help you to stay dry. The photos below will give you an idea of how far the water blasts go and where the safe area might be.

The Dust on My Shoes

The Dragon Bridge is interesting during the daytime but it is a true attraction at night. Every night the dragon portion of the bridge is lit with changing color lights that make the dragon change from one color to another. It is an attraction that brings people to the river for a pleasant evening stroll along the river.

Going to watch the fire breathing dragon followed by the blasts of water is similar to going to watch a fireworks show. People arrive early to get the best spot and when the show begins everyone is completely mesmerized.

Going to the fire show at the Dragon Bridge is a must see when visiting Da Nang. There are lots of restaurants and coffee shops near the bridge so have a nice dinner before the show and go to a coffee shop to just hang out and enjoy watching the dragon change colors after the event.

The Dragon Bridge is the only bridge that I know of with a scheduled show time.

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