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| Manan Bridge and its stele house in February 2023 Robert Neff Collection |
By Robert Neff
In the late 19th century, there were not that many permanent bridges outside of Seoul and its immediate vicinity. Most of the larger rivers and streams were either crossed by small ferries or by temporary bridges ― the smaller bridges were made from pine branches and earth while the larger bridges were made from timber, trunks and branches from trees.
During the rainy seasons, residents in the area would often dismantle the bridges to prevent them from being swept away by floods. James S. Gale, a missionary from Canada, explained that during "the 6th moon (of the lunar year) the (temporary bridges were) pulled up by official order, and (were) only replaced at about the beginning of the 9th moon."
Once the bridges were pulled up, travel in the interior became much more difficult as the travelers and their ponies were forced to wade through the water, which often resulted in an unwanted bath due to a misplaced step or slippery rock.
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| Pedestrians and bicyclists share the single lane passing under the bridge in February. Robert Neff Collection |
Even if the bridge was present, travelers sometimes elected to cross the stream or river. Isabella Bird Bishop, an intrepid travel writer, claimed "the bridges are specially (sic) infamous; in fact, they were so rotten that the 'mapu' (horse grooms), would not trust their ponies upon them, and we forded all the steams."
Somewhat surprisingly, there are accounts of missionaries and travelers crossing rivers upon the shoulders of their Korean servants and bearers. Apparently, they trusted their servant's footing more than their own or they were reluctant to get wet ― ironic considering many of these early travelers wrongfully stereotyped Korean laborers as being afraid of water, especially when it had soap in it.
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| The stele-house and the bridge in February. Pedestrians and bicyclists still use the bridge to cross the stream. Robert Neff Collection |
While it may be true that there were not many permanent bridges outside of Seoul, they did exist. One beautiful stone bridge still in use in Anyang is known as Manan Bridge.
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| A single pedestrian/bicycle lane passes beneath the bridge, February. Robert Neff Collection |
Considering April 5 is Arbor Day, it seems fitting to note this anecdote. According to Homer Hulbert, it was about this time that King Jeongjo had an enormous tree in Hamhung protected with a wall. This tree was "so large that ten men holding each other's hands could but just encircle it. The shadow which it cast was 'a hundred furrows wide.'" However, it was not the size of the tree that caused the king to protect it ― it was the tree's history. It was beneath its great boughs that King Taejo (the first king of the Joseon Dynasty) had practiced his archery.
As to the bridge, in 1793, when King Jeongjo and his great party traveled to Suwon, they found the bridge to be rather inconvenient so it was rebuilt using stone in 1795 ― a feat that took only three months.
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| The bridge, over two centuries old, is surrounded by modern apartment buildings but on the smaller streets around the stream are small restaurants that remind one of Korea a couple of decades ago. Robert Neff Collection |
For centuries, the bridge stood but even stone cannot defy Mother Nature and the course of the stream changed. By the early part of the 20th century, the bridge fell into disuse and was partially buried. In 1980 it was recovered and reconstructed.
It continues to serve its community as a convenient means of crossing the stream and as a popular place for cyclists to stop and take selfies.
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| Despite being surrounded by high-rise apartments and a nearby train station, the area is tranquil and thriving with waterfowl and pedestrians. Robert Neff Collection |
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
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