Giant and impressive, the dragon horse created by François Delarozière and the Nantes company La Machine, will return to Nantes this July, from 10 to 21, said the mayor of the city this Monday at midday. Long Ma “will wake up three times a day to encounter the Great Elephant” said Johanna Rolland. She added that the creature would also be visible at nightJuly 15, 20 and 21.
Long Ma was built in 2014 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between France and China. This dragon horse, which breathes fire and smoke, measures 12 meters high and five meters wide. He walks, he runs, he rears and can lie down. Made of wood and steel, it weighs 45 tons.
Popular success
In August 2015, before leaving for China where he was purchased by a patron, Long Ma delighted thousands of visitors on the Chantiers esplanade in Nantes. To avoid the crowds, its release times had not been communicated to the general public. According to the company La Machine, during the 10 days of representation, more than 300,000 people had come to admire the dragon horse. The creature returned to Nantes seven years later, in 2022, to a maintenance operation.
