The central city of Da Nang has erected a 200-ton statue of a carp which was legendarily believed to turn into a dragon near the city’s signature bridge in the past.

The statue, which weighs almost 200 tons, has become a new addition to the east bank of the Han River, local media reported.

The resplendent work is also located near the Rong (Dragon) Bridge, the newest bridge which spans the river.

The statue is part of a project implemented by DHC-Marina, a member of Da Nang-based DHC Group, to build a wharf and aquatic sport clubs, newswire Vietnamplus said.

The white statue, which faces the Han River, ingeniously depicts a carp with the head of a dragon.

As legend has it, a carp with a pearl in its mouth beat many other animals to cross all three huge waves and grow into a dragon, one of Asia’s imposing mythological creatures.

The reincarnation is symbolic of success, auspiciousness, and intrepidity.

The new carp statue stands 7.5 meters tall on a 4.3-meter-high platform and was cast from five slabs of natural white marble with gorgeous veins.  

Its head can emit water just as the legendary carp-turned-dragon is capable of producing rain from its snout to relieve the raging drought.

The statue’s head is modeled after the dragon from the Ly Dynasty (1009-1225), one of the Southeast Asian country’s culturally thriving reigns, Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper said.

Its tail is the stylized sculpture of two hands placed symmetrically, which sends a message of peace, prosperity, and solidarity.

Nguyen Hung, a noted artisan from the nationally-recognized Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village, located in the city’s Ngu Hanh Son District, told Vietnamplus that the massive sculpture is a result of the collective effort by 30 veteran craftsmen in around three months.

Along with the Rong Bridge, the carp statue is expected to become one of the city’s new tourism icons.

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