Ottawa is a city used to fire breathing politicians wandering the streets.

But tens of thousands of people in the nation含羞草研究社檚 capital were treated this week to the awakening of a beast of a different sort.

Long Ma, a giant smoke billowing, fire breathing mechanical dragon from France, gracefully wandered the city含羞草研究社檚 streets after being 含羞草研究社渁woken含羞草研究社� in a ceremony at Ottawa city hall.

The dragon was part of an elaborate 含羞草研究社渟treet theatre含羞草研究社� performance brought to Ottawa for the city含羞草研究社檚 celebrations of Canada含羞草研究社檚 150th birthday, along with a 5.7-metre-high mechanical spider called Kumo.

Guy LaFlamme, executive director of Ottawa 2017, first saw the dragon while in France, where it was created for a philanthropist in Beijing.

LaFlamme says he immediately thought of bringing it to Ottawa, since Beijing is the sister city to Canada含羞草研究社檚 capital.

含羞草研究社淪o I felt this is a perfect fit, having the dragon Long Ma and the spider, which is becoming more and more a symbol of Ottawa, home to Maman,含羞草研究社� the iconic Louise Bourgois spider sculpture located outside the National Gallery of Canada.

City streets were awash with people, including hundreds of families with young children, to witness Long Ma含羞草研究社檚 awakening and oscillating movements.

The Canadian Press