Seoul's Banpo Fountain Bridge: Rainbow No More

                 (The bridge, the bank and the bulbs)

Years ago, when it was finally completed, the Banpo Fountain Bridge attracted thousands every night. The nozzles on the bridge's sides would spray water out into the river and when the darkness falls, the colored lights next to the nozzles bathed the water with different colors that fascinated the crowds standing on the Han River bank.

On one of my visits to the Banpo Park, I took a photograph and submitted it to a local magazine and earned me a prize. I still have the magazine copy; I already ate the prize. Ha-ha-ha! It was a restaurant coupon.

                (From afar, it's only yellow and white lights)

               (I no longer see the reds, blues and purples)

But last week, when I went on my night walks along the Han River from my Hannam-dong neighborhood with the goal of reaching the Banpo Bridge, I noticed that, from afar, the colored lights didn't look colorful anymore. 

Years ago, when my friend Alfa and I traversed the distance from the Hannam Bridge to the Banpo Bridge, we could see from hundreds of meters away the fountain changing its colors from yellow to red, to blue and purple, and other hues in between.

                           (Up close and electrical)

                 (A tourist ferry about to go 
                   under the Jamsu Bridge)

But now, the fountains seemed to have lost its other colors, or I have turned colorblind? Or, perhaps the fountain lights need repairing. Did they change the other colored bulbs into yellow and white?

As I wanted to make sure whether the other colors were indeed missing from the bridge's spectrum, I crossed the lower Jamsu Bridge and observed the water spouts up close.

     (Crossing Jamsu Bridge with my frappucino) 

So with my frappucino, I stood on the bridge and took photos of the waters streaming from the fountain, which from the lower deck, looked like they were coming from a platoon of ajussis above urinating in unison and with the motion of the pee following the cadenza of the K-pop music playing on the background. Ha-ha-ha!

Although there were faint blue and red lights, these were not the strong colors I used to see years ago. Something definitely happened; Banpo's fountain bridge is no longer a rainbow fountain bridge.

I later joined the crowd on the Banpo side of the bridge, and just like me, they also seemed to have been disappointed with the lackluster spectacle. 

Years ago, you would hear people exclaiming "waah"  when the fountain changed colors from yellow to red, to blue and purple in sync with its flow trajectory. Tonight, people were just busy chatting and the sight of the fountain was just ordinary.

If you're at the Banpo Park next time, do observe and compare the colors of the fountain bridge with the ones you remember years ago. And let me know if I am just colorblind, or the bulbs really need changing. 

Banpo Park's Floating Island And Its Colorful Personalities

On these humid summer nights, hundreds of Seoulites and international tourists line up by the bank of the Han River at Banpo Park. Why? The reason is popular. And colorful.

Night after night, the Banpo Fountain Bridge never fails to attract admirers to watch it dance, change color and mesmerize. And especially during the weekend, families, couples and photographers all over Seoul gather at the Banpo Park to enjoy and capture its performance.

      (Couples enjoy the fountain from Jamsu Bridge) 

But if there is a colorful dancing fountain on one side of the Banpo Bridge, there is also the Floating Island the other side that competes with the fountain's display of the color spectrum. 

Seoul's Floating Island is actually composed of three islets: Viva, Vista and Terra. While during the day, the Floating Island looks like a mere venue for a cafe, a restaurant and other events by the Han River, at night, right after dusk, the Island's LED lights turn the floating structures into another attraction at Banpo Park.  

And on the weekend when I ventured into the Banpo Park to watch some friends sweat and dance at their monthly Zumba party and picnic, I stayed behind to capture the changing colors of the Island.  

I have already seen and took photographs of the Banpo Fountain Bridge several times before (and even won a prize for its photo). This time, I just let the thousands of other people get mesmerized by the fountain as I stood on the other side of the bridge, also by the bank, and joined a smaller crowd of kids and their parents also gazing at the Floating Island as it slowly put on different colors.

And each time the LED lights gradually switched from one color to the next starting from the ground floor going up, the structure seemed to also change personality and character. 

While the popular fountains on the other side are playful with their synchronized dancing and music, the Floating Island is charming, serious, romantic and vogue, depending on its color. 

Just like the fountains, the best time to enjoy gazing at the Floating Island as it changes colors is after dusk, when the LED colors come alive and are very lucent. You can just sit there by the park and admire it from afar just like the rest of the crowd.

Here are the photographs I took. It does change its personality depending on the color, doesn't it?

To get to the Floating Island and the Banpo Fountain Bridge at Banpo Park, you can take the Blue Bus 740 from Exit 4 of Noksapyeong Station (Subway Line 6). The same bus goes back to the Itaewon area.

Let The Sun Shine!

                     (Let the sun shine! Let the sun shine! 
                                   The sun shine in!)

I wasn't about to break out into that chorus from a Fifth Dimension song, Aquarius, now that the sun was out and the temperatures had gone warmer. I just hummed it and quietly got out of my apartment in Hannam-dong and followed the path towards the jogging path thankful that my walk along the Han River wouldn't be cloudy anymore.

During winter, it was difficult to get some sunlight on your face. It was very cold to stay outdoors when the sun was out, and when you could, you'd get frostbite along with Vitamin D. Ha-ha-ha! 

When I got to the jogging path along the Han River, everything looked bright and sunny this time. The river was no longer gray; it was blue. And so was the sky. With the a day as bright as this, staying outdoors to get some fresh air and lose a few calories is easier and more enjoyable.

                                                              (The Han River is blue)

                          (Cold benches no more)

Today, there were more joggers and bikers jogging, and everyone seemed to have been more energized. I guess the sun's energy was contagious. Even from 93 million miles away.

And during these spring weekends, as long as there's no threat of yellow dust from China, everyone else will be heading outdoors and spend time under the sun. Well, not after everyone has splashed a liter of sunblock on their faces, I guess, or has covered oneself from sunlight from head to toe. That is what baffles me. Why is it everyone in Korea afraid to get dark? During the walk, I observed a few women wearing a visor, long-sleeved shirts, long pants and a pair of gloves. Literally covered from head to foot. But isn't sunlight supposed to be good?

Oh, well. For me, I just wanted to bask under the sun and get a dose of free Vitamin D. After all, those pigeons resting near the Han River access seemed to be enjoying their day under the sun as well.

So this weekend, let the sun shine again!

                  (Even the pigeons love to stay out in the sun)

                          (Birds of a feather...bask together)

A Cold Day. A Short Walk. A Gray River.

My Hannam-dong neighborhood in the Yongsan District sits near the Han River. It's right next to the Hannam Bridge, which is crowded during the rush hour in the morning and early evening. This bridge, which was named after this neighborhood, links the Gangnam District with the Yongsan District and is the shortest route from Gangnam to Myeong-dong, and vice-versa.

                                        (A selfie)

                               (Writing on a thin snow)

(A lonely duck)

But on one cold winter day, I wasn't about to cross the Han River. I intended to just walk along it.

Thanks to the Seoul City Government for creating parks along the Han River. There are biking and jogging paths for everyone who needs some exercise but doesn't want to stay indoors in the gym.

                                   (Hannam Bridge)

These parks along the Han River are accessible to the residential areas next to it. And for me, I just simply needed to walk towards the area near the Hannam Station, where there's an access to the river. 

                                      (Banpo Bridge)

Though freezing temperatures may not be the most enjoyable companion while taking a stroll next to a cold river, one just has to entertainment oneself to make it so. Luckily, there were a few bikers, joggers and a few pigeons who were also braving the cold weekend outdoors.

Hopefully, the days will get warmer and the skies will get brighter. In the meantime, I had to make do with the cold days, the short walks and a gray river.

                                     (Cold benches)