Discover Da Nang’s Most Beautiful Bridges

A wonderful saying by the American entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn goes: “Whatever good things we build end up building us”. From an architectural point of view, this is especially true. There are countless instances of constructions so visually powerful that they come to represent the city which erected them. After all, who can imagine a Paris without the magnificent Eiffel tower, a Dubai without its marvelous Burj Khalifa or a New York without the iconic Liberty Statue? As for the coastal city of Đà Nẵng, few can think of it short of the spectacular bridges that go beyond their utilitarian nature to symbolize the sprawling municipality, as will be presented in the video and all photos below. They are the most beautiful bridges in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Cầu Rồng (Dragon Bridge)

On March 29th, 2013, citizens of Đà Nẵng greeted a valuable addition to the city’s collection of bridges, one that bears the shape of a dragon, glows during night time and occasionally breathes fire – the Dragon Bridge. Boasting a length of 666 meters, the bridge serves as a faster route from Đà Nẵng Airport to the heart of the city, providing numerous vehicles with a passage across Hàn river on its six impressively wide lanes (total width is 37.5 meters). What makes this bridge stand out is, of course, its extraordinary architecture. As mentioned, the bridge’s arches form a large-scale model of a dragon from the Lý dynasty. The gold dragon flies in the direction of the sea, symbolizing growth and prosperity, and after sunset, it is lit inside-out with multi colored lights. That, coupled with the frequent ‘fire breaths’, makes for an extravagant display which few would want to miss.

Trần Thị Lý Bridge

Built back in 1950 during the French Colonial Period as the only bridge across Hàn river, the bridge went through many names, first known as De Lattre bridge, then Trịnh Minh Thế bridge and finally Trần Thị Lý bridge when it was rebuilt around the same time as the Dragon Bridge. It is 731 meters long and 34.5 meters wide and though lacking in splendor when compared to its dragon-like counterpart, Trần Thị Lý bridge still sports some of the most stunning architectural features, with its single support pylon built not upright but a little leaned to the side so that when viewed along with the cables, the whole structure would resemble sail gliding towards the sea, as an emblem of the city’s desire to thrive. Similar to the Dragon Bridge, this bridge treats its onlooker to a feast of eye candy with its splendid light performances every night.

Address: Cầu Trần Thị Lý, Hòa Cường Bắc, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng

Hàn River Bridge

Aah, the swing bridges, feats of engineering, unearthly sights to the eyes and marks of human’s resourcefulness, all in Da Nang. This makes it feel a little bit privileged for Đà Nẵng to have the only such bridge in Vietnam in its own traffic system – the Hàn River bridge.

Following 5 years of construction, the Hàn River bridge had its inauguration on March 29th, 2003. A major route across Hàn river, the bridge stands as a source of pride for Vietnam’s construction industry, having been thoroughly designed and built by Vietnamese architects and engineers despite being the first of its kind. With its opening, Đà Nẵng entered a new era of growth to become the lively and flourishing city that came to be known as ‘the new Singapore’.

Hàn River Bridge is approximately 487 meters long and 13 meters wide – a no match for the above-mentioned bridges in terms of size or grandeur, yet many still regard it as the most interesting bridge in Đà Nẵng. Why? Because its main attraction only comes at midnight (yes, midnight!) – the ‘swinging’ action: at anytime from 11 p.m to 2 a.m everyday (exact time fluctuates) and for a span of just over an hour, the middle section of the bridge turns 90 degrees sideways to make room for large coming vessels to pass through and then revert to its original state. Indeed, this makes for a curiously mesmerizing sight, at least for those new to swing bridges, and a good many of such are to be found on the riverside or even the bridge spectating with awed eyes.  

If you have ample time to discover Đà Nẵng, be sure not to miss out on this wondrous moment. After all, who doesn’t want to be chilling by the banks with cool breezes blowing from the river while watching such a massive structure morph itself.

Address: Cầu Sông Hàn, Hải Châu 1, Hải Châu, Đà Nẵng

Thuận Phước Bridge

Some would disagree, but I like to call Đà Nẵng the city of the extremes – it has some of the best holiday resorts, it is regarded as the best place to live in Vietnam, TripAdvisor puts it in the top 10 new destinations, and on July 19th, 2009, with the inauguration of Thuận Phước bridge, the city officially became known for having the longest suspension bridge in all of Vietnam. Unlike the somewhat traditional-looking Dragon bridge, this 1856-meter-long bridge has a modern aura to itself, and the fact that it’s located right on the waterfront only helps to further its attractiveness. During daytime, the bridge’s white-washed supports help to polish the already gleaming cityscape; at night, its technicolor lighting adds a touch of enigma to the ever so captivating view over Hàn river. Yet, spectacle aside, the significance of Thuận Phước bridge lies in its functionality as a way of connecting major routes to form a continuous traffic system from Hải Vân to Sơn Trà peninsula, thereby expanding travel and business opportunities. Indeed, if the completion of Hàn River bridge marked a new period of development for Đà Nẵng, then the erection of Thuận Phước bridge would be the sweet result.

There’s a story behind every nickname, and behind Đà Nẵng – ‘The city of bridges’ lies the story of a burgeoning city striving every day towards a better future for its citizens. Surely, some may see Đà Nẵng’s bridges as no more than concrete and metal, but like every great architectural landmark, it is still what makes them stand out.

Address: Cầu Thuận Phước, Thanh Khê, Sơn Trà, Đà Nẵng

To see more photos, check Photo Album Flickr

Come to Đà Nẵng, and come visit the bridges, you won’t regret it!

Words by Content writer Duy Nguyen
Photos taken and video shot by Contributor Lan Nguyen