Gwangyang City Confirms Name of Baealdo Marine Pedestrian Bridge, Opening on the 16th

Naming of the 1st Bridge 'Baealdo Star-Counting Bridge' and the 2nd Bridge 'Baealdo Sunrise Bridge'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do, announced on the 7th the names of two Baealdo sea footbridges being constructed as part of the project to develop Mangdeok Port on the Seomjin River and the Baekdudaegan terminus into tourist attractions.

The city revealed that through a public contest, the names of the Mangdeok Port~Baealdo Sea Footbridge 1 and Baealdo~Neighborhood Park Sea Footbridge 2 were respectively designated as ‘Baealdo Byeol Heneun Bridge’ and ‘Baealdo Haemaji Bridge’.

The first bridge, ‘Baealdo Byeol Heneun Bridge,’ draws inspiration from the poem “Counting the Stars at Night” included in Yun Dong-ju’s poetry collection Sky, Wind, Stars, and Poems, preserved at the Jeong Byeong-wook House in Mangdeok Port, embodying the sentiment of starlight.

The second bridge, ‘Baealdo Haemaji Bridge,’ symbolizes both the sun representing the infinite development potential of Gwangyang, the city of light and sunshine, and the location’s renowned spectacular sunrise views.

Earlier, ahead of the completion of Sea Footbridge 1, part of the core campaign project during the 7th local government term to develop Mangdeok Port on the Seomjin River and the Baekdudaegan terminus into tourist attractions, the city held a naming contest to enhance citizen interest and branding.

As a result of the contest, 78 and 80 submissions were received for the first and second bridges respectively. After internal screening, five excellent entries for each bridge were selected, followed by a final decision based on a combination of citizen preference surveys and evaluations by a selection committee.

Meanwhile, following the opening of Sea Footbridge 2 in July 2019, the city will fully open the first bridge, ‘Baealdo Byeol Heneun Bridge,’ connecting Mangdeok Port and Baealdo, on the 16th.

With the opening of ‘Baealdo Byeol Heneun Bridge,’ a romantic sea route connecting Mangdeok Port, Baealdo, and Neighborhood Park centered on Baealdo is expected to unfold.

Park Soon-gi, Director of the Tourism Division, expressed gratitude for the strong interest and participation from citizens in the naming contest, saying, “Please remember and visit often the ‘Baealdo Byeol Heneun Bridge,’ named to capture the poignant romance of Yun Dong-ju’s poetry, and the ‘Baealdo Haemaji Bridge,’ reflecting Gwangyang’s infinite potential.”

He added, “The city will continue to enhance the value and status of Gwangyang tourism centered on the beautiful Baealdo Island Garden and Mangdeok Port.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.