Sammakcheon Manan Bridge is a rainbow shaped stone bridge built in the later Joseon dynasty.

[edit] History

The bridge was built to provide visitors easier access to Sadoseja, the father of King Jeongjo (1776-1800). Sadoseja was killed violently, and King Jeongjo was extremely filial to his parents. King Jeongjo transferred Sadoseja's grave from Yangju to Hwasan and frequently visited the tomb to console his dead father.

Initially the procession of visitors to the tomb was supposed to go from the palace and pass Noryangjin, Namtaeryeong, Gwacheon, and Suwon. Yet the procession was detoured toward Siheung and passed through Anyangcheon (Anyang River) because the tomb of one of the people involved in Sadoseja's death was on the path.

On Jeongjo's seventh visit to his father's tomb, he passed on the wooden Manan Bridge. Gyeonggi-do governors tried to improve and reconstruct the bridge but failed. In 1795, Gyeonggi governor Yu Bang Seo reconstructed the bridge using granite and stone. The construction was precise and accurate and is considered a typical rainbow-shaped bridge of the late Joseon dynasty.

Its original location was on Anyangcheon, 200 meters southward. Yet due to expantion of the national highway, it was transferred to Sammakcheon (Sammak River) at Seoksu 2-dong, Manan-gu in August 1980.

A memorial in front of the bridge contains a poem written by Yu Bang Seo regarding the bridge's history.

[edit] Tradition

It is said that trampling on the bridge will bring abundant crops and prevent leg and waist pain during the farming season. From lunar January fifth to fifteenth, people walked around Gyedong and Manan Bridge and enjoy ddeokguk (rice cake soup) at the homes of wealthy residents.

[edit] Transportation

• Subway - Gwanak Station line 1
• Green Bus - Nos. 5530,5531, 5623, 5624, 5625, 5626, and 5713 from Gwanak Station
• By car - Pass through Anyang Bridge and come straight toward Seoul following the Manan Bridge. It is at Sammakcheon on the left side of the road before Seoksu Church.