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

But tens of thousands of people in the nationsa国际传媒檚 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 citysa国际传媒檚 streets after being sa国际传媒渁wokensa国际传媒� in a ceremony at Ottawa city hall.

The dragon was part of an elaborate sa国际传媒渟treet theatresa国际传媒� performance brought to Ottawa for the citysa国际传媒檚 celebrations of Canadasa国际传媒檚 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 Canadasa国际传媒檚 capital.

sa国际传媒淪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,sa国际传媒� 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 Masa国际传媒檚 awakening and oscillating movements.

The Canadian Press