Đà Đà Đà Nẵ(ng) 😝

OK, whisper it, but: I rather like Đã Nẵng, from the tiny part of it I’ve seen today. As Vietnam’s third city, it’s waaaaay third. A port city, divided almost in two by a channel from the bay to the north, it’s rapidly growing and – by some accounts – Vietnam’s most liveable city.

And I can see why. The traffic is… manageable, and the drivers mostly obey the signals. The pavements are clearly marked for pedestrians and scooter parking, and the drivers mostly obey the markings. It’s on the up, but still cheap (especially compared to Hội An), it’s got (at least) four cool bridges, and a small-but-growing taproom culture.

Bridge Over Troubled Cry Me A River Water

The first bridge is the Thuận Phước Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Vietnam. Then comes the Hàn River Bridge, a cable-stayed swing bridge that rotates about its centre to allow ships to pass. Naturally it is illuminated by masses of LEDs.

Perhaps most famous is the Dragon Bridge, exactly 666 metres long and models the shape of a dragon from head to tail along its length. And as if the usual LEDs weren’t enough, at 9pm it breathes fire and “smoke” (water).

Now, I don’t mean to detract from its fire-breathing abilities but the Arcadia spider does it better 🙂

The fourth bridge is the Trần Thị Lý Bridge, and again is lit up brightly at night.

Come to think of it, a lot of Đã Nẵng is lit up at night.