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Kwangtonggyo Bridge

Kwangtonggyo Bridge in cheonggyecheon in Kwangtonggyo Bridge Kwangtonggyo Bridge was named after ‘Kwangtongbang’, one of Hanyang’s administrative districts

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Kwangtonggyo Bridge Kwangtonggyo Bridge was named after ‘Kwangtongbang’, one of Hanyang’s administrative districts. ‘Kwangtong’ means ‘widely used’, and in keeping with its name, Kwangtonggyo was the most bustling bridge in Joseon. It was buried under concretes during the Japanese Colonial Era, and was unearthed in 2005. Kwangtonggyo Bridge was originally located 155 meters below its present location where now the Gwanggyo Bridge stands. Kwangtonggyo is the only bridge among all bridges located at Cheonggyecheon Stream that has its original forms partially recovered. The grudge of King Taejong toward Queen Shinduk Kwangtonggyo was a bridge made out of mud during the construction of Hayang Fortress. In 1410, the tenth ruling year of King Taejong, people were killed due to flood. The parliamentary government informed the king, “Kwangtonggyo Bridge collapses whenever it rains because it is built with mud, so build a stone bridge by utilizing the stones from the Jeongneung Royal Tomb.” King Taejong followed their advice, and the construction of Kwangtonggyo Stone Bridge reached completion in 1412. Jeongneung is the royal tomb of Queen Shinduk, who was the second wife of Yi Seong-gye(King Taejo) and the stepmother of Yi Bang-won(King Taejong). The first wife of Yi Seong-gye and the real mother of Yi Bang-won died an year before Yi Seong-gye became the king. In 1392, Yi Seong-gye established Joseon, so Queen Shinduk became the first queen of Joseon Dynasty. Yi Seong-gye proclaimed Queen Shinduk’s 11 year old biological son, Yi Bang-seok as the crown prince. The courtiers who had Yi Bang-won in their minds as the crown prince emphasized the chaotic state of newly founded Joseon and recommended, “Legal wife’s eldest son should be crowned during the peaceful times, but one with a feat should be taken priority during chaotic times.” However, when Queen Shinduk eavesdropped this, she wailed and this overturned the situation. Thus, she succeeded in sentencing Yi Bang-suk as the crown prince, and Yi Bang-won beared a deep grudge. When Queen Shinduk passed away from an illness in 1396, Yi Seong-gye built the Jeongneung Royal Tomb at where now the U.S. ambassador of South Korea’s official residence, the Habib House is located. A bridge made of Jeongneung Royal Tomb’s stone King Taejong(Yi Bang-won) was enthroned in 1398, two years later murdering the crown prince Yi Bang-suk. He ignored his father Yi Seong-gye’s testament to bury him at the Jeongneung Royal Tomb with Queen Shinduk and held the funeral at Kunwon Royal Tomb in Guri, Gyeonggi Province. Also, he moved the Jeongneung Royal Tomb from Jeong-dong to Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, and permitted the use of stone balustrades and stone screens to rebuild the Kwangtonggyo Bridge that collapsed due to flood. Using Jeongneung Royal Tomb’s stones for the reconstruction of the Kwangtonggyo Bridge significantly reduced the amount of taxation and toil for citizens. Ironically, the tragedy of Jeongneung Royal Tomb restored the Kwangtong Bridge.

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