Golden Bridge – 5 years looking back at Vietnam’s tourism phenomenon

The tornado named "Golden Bridge"

Five years ago, in June 2018, the Golden Bridge at Sun World Ba Na Hills opened to visitors. The only bridge in Da Nang that does not cross any river, and is even located on a high mountain, suddenly became a "whirlwind", with media effects beyond imagination.

The special bridge in the “city of bridges - Da Nang” is located at an altitude of 1,414m above sea level, with an impressive design evoking the image of the hands of the gods pulling a golden thread from the mountain. Like its name, the Golden Bridge has a sparkling golden color and stands out among the cool green nature. The soft shape like a golden silk strip is supported by giant stone hands, creating a path between the magical layers of space in the misty scenery of Ba Na mountain. The idea, design and scenery are in perfect harmony with each other, helping the bridge when launched to be considered an “unprecedented” project of Vietnam and the world .

Five years have passed, but the Golden Bridge has not only maintained its appeal but also become a tourist icon.

International media also immediately focused their attention on Vietnam. That summer, Da Nang became the “star” of the world tourism industry. At that time, a Google search for the keyword “Golden Bridge Ba Na Hills” produced nearly 90 million results in just 0.7 seconds; the Vietnamese keyword “Golden Bridge” also produced 152 million results in 0.63 seconds. Even more impressive, 419,000 videos about the Golden Bridge were posted on tens of thousands of news sites, websites, forums, and social networks around the world, including dozens of prestigious newspapers such as AFP, Reuters, BBC, CNN, Time, The Guardian, etc.

The Golden Bridge is also at the top of the list of "100 most wonderful destinations in the world in 2018" after only two months of its launch. The famous British daily, the Guardian, honored the Golden Bridge in the "Top 10 bridges with the most unique and beautiful architecture in the world". The American news site Huffington Post affirmed that this is "The most interesting bridge ever seen", while the Independent said that the Golden Bridge is "one of the 10 most unique and unbelievable bridges in the world". Meanwhile, the Daily Mail voted the Golden Bridge as one of the 10 new wonders of the world in March 2021.

“The fire keeper” for Vietnamese tourism

Since its formation halfway up Chua Mountain, Golden Bridge has surpassed its mission of a bridge leading tourists to a fairyland, to become a new symbol of Vietnam's tourism industry.

A representative of Sun World Ba Na Hills tourist area said that Sun World Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge have welcomed visitors from 54 countries and territories around the world. This great support and love has confirmed that the Golden Bridge is not a "lucky move" of Vietnamese tourism.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, the attraction of Golden Bridge still shows no signs of cooling down. Photo: NAG Tran Tuan Viet

According to statistics, in just three months after the Golden Bridge phenomenon appeared, Da Nang had 4 new international flight routes. According to some major travel agencies in Da Nang, thanks to the Golden Bridge effect, in 2018-2019, for every three international tourists registering for a tour, 2 would request to check-in at Ba Na Hills' Golden Bridge. The number of international flights to Da Nang in 2018 and 2019 skyrocketed. The number of international visitors to Da Nang in 2019 also increased by 22.5% over the same period in 2018, reaching more than 3.522 million.

Sun World Ba Na Hills alone has seen a surge in visitors since its “brand face” Golden Bridge. In 2016 and 2017, before the Golden Bridge opened, the tourist area recorded more than two million visitors. In 2018, the number jumped to nearly four million, recording a 31% increase in visitors. In 2019, the growth rate was stable at 22%, with around five million visitors. These telling numbers demonstrate the undeniable appeal of Golden Bridge.

International tourists are “crazy” about the Golden Bridge. Among them, Koreans visit the Golden Bridge the most, accounting for more than 30% of the total number of international visitors to Ba Na in 2018 and 2019. Next are tourists from Thailand, China, Taiwan, India, Southeast Asian countries and European tourists.

Adrian Scholer from Italy, who visited the Golden Bridge with his girlfriend in August 2018, shared: “Although there are many wonderful architectural works in my country, the Golden Bridge still leaves me with very special and impressive emotions. When I first saw the image of the bridge on YouTube, I was really shocked because I thought this scene could only appear in carefully edited mythical films. But look, this scene is real, right before our eyes, and it is so wonderful!”

In 2023, after the Covid-19 pandemic, the attraction of the Golden Bridge still shows no signs of cooling down. The bridge is regularly on the list of works that make the world admire, attracting tourists every time they come to Vietnam. In July 2023, the Indian magazine Luxebook praised the Golden Bridge as one of the world's iconic bridges, ranking with famous bridges in the US, France, and Australia.

The Golden Bridge, along with its high-class tourism ecosystem and a series of vibrant cultural festival events in Da Nang, have kept the city afloat even during difficult economic times and when the global tourism industry showed signs of recession. In the first 6 months of 2023, the total number of visitors to Da Nang is estimated at more than 3.5 million, an increase of 116.6% over the same period in 2022. Of which, international visitors accounted for 930,000, 11.3 times higher than the same period last year.

With 5 years of continuous media praise, the Golden Bridge has created an endless source of inspiration for the creativity of tourism workers, affirming the appeal of tourism products created by humans, in addition to the beauty and natural appeal bestowed on each destination.