Dragon bridge that breathes fire opens in Da Nang, Vietnam (VIDEO)
The dragon dance is performed during the Chinese lunar new year celebrations in the Liberdade district in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 2, 2013.
A fire-breathing dragon bridge has opened in Da Nang, Vietnam to commemorate the 38th anniversary of North Vietnamese troops capturing the city during the war with the United States.
The bridge, which spans the Han River, features 166 meters of undulating steel in the shape of a fire-breathing dragon. It's the world's largest dragon-shaped steel bridge, according to VietNamNet Bridge — though it's hard to imagine there's much competition for the honor.
For special occasions, the dragon's mouth is equipped to emit real fire or jets of water. The flashy project, lit at night by over 2,500 LED bulbs, cost a cool $85 million to construct.
Read more from GlobalPost: Vietnam convicts 14 activists of "anti-state" crimes
The New Jersey based Louis Berger Group built the bridge, which has been under construction since 2009, according to WTKR.com.
"This achievement is the result of the determination of Da Nang’s leaders and the consensus of the local people,” Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at the bridge's unveiling ceremony, VietNamNet Bridge reported.
"The government always supports Da Nang to become the center of economic, cultural, and economic development in the central and Central Highlands region as well as the country," he added.
The story you just read is available for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll get us one step closer to our goal of raising $25,000 by June 14. We need your help now more than ever!