{"id":259,"date":"2025-02-01T16:02:43","date_gmt":"2025-02-01T15:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travel.thatmanmatt.com\/?p=259"},"modified":"2025-02-01T16:02:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-01T15:02:43","slug":"day-13-when-beethoven-went-to-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travel.thatmanmatt.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/01\/day-13-when-beethoven-went-to-vietnam\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 13: When Beethoven went to Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u0110\u00e0 \u0110\u00e0 \u0110\u00e0 N\u1eb5(ng) \ud83d\ude1d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

OK, whisper it, but: I rather like \u0110\u00e3 N\u1eb5ng, from the tiny part of it I\u2019ve seen today. As Vietnam\u2019s third city, it\u2019s waaaaay third. A port city, divided almost in two by a channel from the bay to the north, it\u2019s rapidly growing and \u2013 by some accounts \u2013 Vietnam\u2019s most liveable city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I can see why. The traffic is\u2026 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\u2019s on the up, but still cheap (especially compared to H\u1ed9i An), it\u2019s got (at least) four<\/em> cool bridges, and a small-but-growing taproom culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bridge Over Troubled Cry Me A River Water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first bridge is the Thu\u1eadn Ph\u01b0\u1edbc Bridge<\/em>, the longest suspension bridge in Vietnam. Then comes the H\u00e0n River Bridge<\/em>, a cable-stayed swing bridge that rotates about its centre to allow ships to pass. Naturally it is illuminated by masses of LEDs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t enough, at 9pm it breathes fire and \u201csmoke\u201d (water).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, I don\u2019t mean to detract from its fire-breathing abilities but the Arcadia spider does it better \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fourth bridge is the Tr\u1ea7n Th\u1ecb L\u00fd Bridge<\/em>, and again is lit up brightly at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come to think of it, a lot of \u0110\u00e3 N\u1eb5ng is lit up at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Dragon Bridge at night. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The dragon breathing fire. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The dragon, uh, spitting water?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Boats on the H\u00e0n River. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The dragon in blue. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Brightly coloured boats on the river. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The suspension bridge in the distance. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Cables on the H\u00e0n River bridge. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The Dragon Bridge in daytime. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The Tr\u1ea7n Th\u1ecb L\u00fd Bridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
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\u0110\u00e0 \u0110\u00e0 \u0110\u00e0 N\u1eb5(ng) \ud83d\ude1d OK, whisper it, but: I rather like \u0110\u00e3 N\u1eb5ng, from the tiny part of it I\u2019ve seen today. As Vietnam\u2019s third city, it\u2019s waaaaay third. A port city, divided almost in two by a channel from the bay to the north, it\u2019s rapidly growing and \u2013 by some accounts \u2013 […]<\/p>\n

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