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Banpo Bridge

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The Banpo Bridge is a famous landmark in Seoul, South Korea.

It crosses over the Han River in the center of the city. This bridge is very important for moving cars from one place to another. It connects Seobinggo-dong in the Yongsan District to Banpo-dong in the Seocho District. The bridge is quite wide and long. It is the first double-deck bridge built in South Korea.

Because it is so large, it helps reduce traffic on the Hangang Bridge.

The bridge has a special way it works with two levels. The top level carries cars across the river. Beneath it sits the Jamsu Bridge, which is for people to walk on.

The Jamsu Bridge is built very low to the water. This means it can submerge when the river rises during heavy rain. In 1986, the lower bridge was changed into an elevated arch shape. This change helps tourist cruise ships pass safely underneath it. The bridge also hosts markets with food trucks and live music.

Many people visit to see the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain.

This fountain is on the west side of the bridge. It uses 38 water pumps to move the water. There are also 380 nozzles to spray the water out. The fountain uses lights, speakers, and projectors to make a show. These projectors can even display images on the water. The shows happen five or six times a day from April to October. The water and light show only happens if the weather is good.

This fountain is very special and holds a world record. On November 7, 2008, it won a Guinness World Record. It is the longest fountain bridge in the whole world. The shows use many kinds of music. These include popular songs from South Korea and other countries. You can even find the list of songs online. Every Saturday, there is a special cultural weekend at the park. This event features music like jazz, popera, and even full orchestras.

Building this bridge took a lot of work and money. Construction for the Banpo Bridge began on August 11, 1980. Workers finished the bridge in November 1982. It cost 22 billion won to build, which is about 20 million US dollars. The Jamsu Bridge below it was finished earlier, in 1979. The bridges have had many repairs over the years. For example, repairs happened from 1994 to 1996. The bridge was also repaved between 2003 and 2005.

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