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Total Articles 72
| Category : | Travel |
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Guess where in Seoul an ugly monster with a lotus flower-shaped mouth finds shelter after hunting human prey?
It's under Wonhyo Bridge, where the ugly monster takes a rest in a damp, dark spot after killing and eating men by the Han River in the movie "The Host," a Korean blockbusters directed by Bong Jun-ho.
Banpo Bridge at night (Photo: Yonhap News)
In other movies, bridges on the Han River used to be portrayed as dark, isolated places, a secret hideout for evildoers or a place for desperate people to make a final, tragic exit from this life, certainly not locations for ordinary people to hang out.All that is set to change. In flagrant contradiction to past preconceptions, a total of 23 bridges on the river are going through makeovers these days under the Seoul Metropolitan Government's so-called "Han River Renaissance Project," aiming at transforming the riverside into a good place for people to enjoy recreation.The most notable changes can be seen on Banpo Bridge. Every night at 8 pm, water nozzles attached to both sides of the span spray water into the river, creating a beautiful rainbow under the moonlight. Each of the two 580 meter-long series of fountains spout water at selected hours – at 12:30 pm, 3 pm, 8 pm from Monday to Thursday and 9:20 pm and also at 10 pm from Friday to Sunday. It is a beautiful sight, as the geysers of water are illuminated by 200 colorful lights at night, offering a great view for couples and families, as well as drivers crossing the bridge. This bridge has been listed as the world's longest bridge fountain by the Guinness Book of Records in December 2008, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Café Rainbow (Photo: Yonhap News)If you are looking for an ideal location for your date near Hannam Bridge, try visiting Café Rainbow on the south bank of the river, where visitors can see a bird-eye view of the Han River while enjoying a tasty cuppa at low prices inside the café's lounge with a cozy interior. The city of Seoul opened this four-story coffee house in July this year, built a new bus stop under it and installed an elevator and stairs to make it more convenient for visitors to get to.
Seoul Color Park (Photo: Yonhap News)
Most recently, Seoul city opened Seoul Color Park near the south side of Mapo Bridge in late August this year to promote the colors symbolizing Seoul's traditional and modern characteristics, and to bring them closer to the people. The park is decorated with benches and various sculptures painted in colors that represent Seoul, including red that symbolizes the color of "dancheong," the traditional patterns and colors used in Korean wooden buildings, green that symbolizes Namsan (Mount Nam) and dark gray that symbolizes the color of "giwa," the traditional tiled roofs, transforming the dark space under the bridge into a unique, colorful resting place for citizens so that they can take a rest or spend time with their friends or family members. Other colors that represent the city include yellow and white for ginkgo leaves and the water of the Han River, respectively.The Seoul Metropolitan Government further plans to redesign the riverside and bridges of the Han River for the benefit of citizens, by creating more public facilities and resting places, riverside walks and outdoor performance stages.For more information about the Han River, visit here. To know more about the Seoul Metropolitan Government, click here. For more general travel information, call Korea Travel Phone (02-1330, English, Chinese and Japanese are available around the clock).By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
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