Love Lock Bridge Place guide

The Han River Bridge or Cầu Sông Hàn in Vietnamese became known as the Love Lock Bridge because of the couples who have come and left their padlocks as a sign of their commitment to each other. It’s more popular as a night spot due to the colorful, changing lights that go on after dark. (Pro tip: Catch the light show from Novotel’s Sky36 bar (west), Azura Hotel (east), or from the Dragon Bridge across. You can also try Memory Lounge Cafe in Bach Dang Street.)

History: The Han River Bridge began construction in 1998, 19 months after Da Nang became a government-managed city. Before then, to connect the banks of the Han River, there were only two bridges – one for the road and another for the railway. To commute across, locals had to use ferries as public transport from one river bank to the other. 

In the 1990s, the west side of the bridge was wealthier due to trade and tourism; the east was less so and relied on fishing for livelihood. US$5 million was then donated by the Da Nang folk to build the Han River Bridge, which took two years to erect. It was then opened on March 29, 2000 during the 25th anniversary of when North Vietnam took control of Da Nang during the Vietnam War.

Although entangled in a big corruption case, the bridge is still a source of pride for the local folk, as well as an inspiration for photographers, and romantic site for couples. The bridge is Vietnam’s first swing bridge designed and built by Vietnamese laborers. The 11-beam structure stretches 487.7 meters, and is about 13 meters wide. It connects Le Duan Street on the west and Pham Van Dong Street on the east. 

The Han River Bridge rotates approximately 90 degrees so that large boats can easily pass the river at night, while road traffic is stopped. On weekdays, it will rotate from 1am to 2am, or 4am for larger vessels. Since tourism boomed in the 2010s, the bridge changed its schedule to rotate from 11pm to midnight on weekends.

Try to time your visit on a weekend when you can see the Dragon Bridge ‘blowing water and fire.’ Many also choose to dine at one of the waterside restaurants to see the whole spectacle. You can also book a riverboat or dinner cruise and go under the bridge if you’re looking for something special.

The place is also sometimes called “Lover’s Bridge” as many couples come here to hang out in the evenings. You will see them playing the guitar, dancing and chilling out. If you want to leave your padlock, you can buy one onsite and get your names engraved on it before locking it onto the Bridge’s rails.