Freedom to travel to Civilian Control Line – ‘Dokgaedari Sky Walk’ opens in December
Createdd 2016-11-14 Hit 442
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Tourist destination ‘The Whistle from Tomorrow’ in Imjingak
Pavilion opens on November 3
On November 7, Gyeonggi
Province announced that the Dokgaedari Sky Walk, also known as ‘The Whistle from Tomorrow’, will open
in December. The Sky Walk will enable visitors to freely enjoy views of the Imjingang
River inside the Civilian Control Line without any additional security
screenings. ⓒ Gyeonggi G News
On
November 7, Gyeonggi Province announced that the Dokgaedari Sky Walk, also
known as ‘The Whistle from Tomorrow’, will open in December. The Sky Walk will enable
visitors to freely enjoy views of the Imjingang River inside the Civilian
Control Line (CCL) without any additional security screenings.
‘The Whistle from Tomorrow’ is a restoration of
Dokgaedari Bridge, which represents the history of Korea’s division into two separate
states. It was designed as a 105-meter-long, 5-meter-wide bridge to add to the attractions
of the Imjingak Pavilion, which
brings in more than six million visitors a year.
Reborn
as ‘The Whistle
from Tomorrow’, Dokgaedari Bridge was originally part of the Gyeongeui Line connecting
Uncheon-ri in Munsan-eup and Nosang-ri in Jangdan-myeon, both in Paju City. It
was destroyed by bombs during the Korean War.
When
the ceasefire agreement was signed in 1953, the bridge was temporarily repaired
to bring back 12,733 prisoners of war. Also, given that it was the only gateway
connecting areas north of the CCL and Panmunjeom until Unification Bridge was
built in 1998, it remained as a symbol of Korea’s painful past.
Gyeonggi
Province honed in on the symbolic significance of the bridge and undertook this
project to help visitors to Imjingak Pavilion
overcome the scars they may have suffered from the war
while also creating a place for people to pray for a reunited Korea.
Gyeonggi
Province has continuously worked with the Korean central government and related
organizations since 2014 to evaluate the safety of Dokgaedari Bridge and obtained
approval for use of the river area. Finally, it began repair work on the bridge
in May that was completed on November 3. In terms of resources, Gyeonggi
Province has invested a total of KRW 2 billion – KRW 1 billion from national funding
and KRW 1 billion from the provincial budget.
‘The Whistle from Tomorrow’ is unique in that it uses
five original piers to replicate the structure of the railroad bridge before
the Korean War. Visitors will be able to walk along the bridge, which will be
divided into ‘past’, ‘present’, and ‘future’ segments, to experience a historic site that bore witness to the
suffering of the Korean War.
The ‘past’ section will resemble the
interior of a steam locomotive that serviced the Gyeongeui Line to help
visitors feel like they are on board a train in the early 20th
century. Visitors will also be able to look at photos of the Gyeongeui Line
prior to the Korean War. The ‘present’ section will recreate the railways and sleepers of the Gyeongeui
Line. Using ‘magic glass’ installed in the floor, visitors can see natural eco-ponds of the Imjingang
River as well as bullet holes left in the piers from the Korean War.
The ‘future’ section is divided into two
floors. The 1st floor will be an open observation area, featuring
tempered glass at one end to help visitors view lower sections of the bridge
and Imjingang River. The 2nd floor will have a resting area that
offers visitors a panoramic view of the Imjingang River ecosystem. More
importantly, this section will have a railway that suggests that the line can
be reconnected once Korea is reunified, therefore adding significance to this
site where people can really hope for Korea to become whole once more.
In
particular, ‘The Whistle from Tomorrow’ is noteworthy because it’s the only tourist facility at
which people can enjoy the history and nature of the area beyond the CCL
without any additional security checks or a limit to the number of visitors.
To
ensure accessibility, Gyeonggi Province is working with military authorities on
projects including the ‘reinforcement of military patrol lines’ and the ‘Gyeonggi Province-Military Operational
Agreement’. Once all procedures are complete in December, the bridge will open to
the public.
Gyeonggi
Province Balanced Development Planning Assistant Governor Park Jeong-ran said, “The Whistle from Tomorrow offers
integrated tourism content that combines history, culture, and the environment
in the DMZ area.” Park added, “We hope that the bridge will not only stimulate tourism in northern
Gyeonggi but also become the most iconic site for people to visit and pray for
reunification.”
Kim
Jin-kyoung jinkyoungkim@kg21.net
