Manangyo Bridge, 만안교(萬安橋)

Manangyo Bridge

The bridge was specially built for the convenience of King Jeongjo(1776-1800) of the Joseon Dynasty and his procession for his annual trips to his father's tomb (his father, also called Sadose ja literally the ilI- Destined Crown Prince, was originally the Crown Prince, but was put to death locked in a wooden box by his own father King Yeongjo due to court intrigue). King Jeongjo is known to have missed his father very much and made a point of paying homage to his father and soothing his father's spirit through annual visits to his tomb, which was moved to Hwasan near Suwon from Yangju after King Jeongjo came to the throne. 

The normal route for the royal procession for the annual visit was to cross the Hangang(River) at Noryanglin and then go in the direction of Gwacheon through Dongjak. Many bridges and uphill passes along the route meant a great deal of trouble for the procession. Also, the grave of Kim Yak-No, a brother of Kim Sang-No's who was one of the prime schemers behind the intngue against Sadose ja in the path of the procession. These made King Jeongjo decide to take another route. The newly arranged Siheung -suwon route thus required the procession to cross Anyangcheon(Stream). The Manangyo(bridge) was thus built over the Stream by royal order in 1795 under the supervision of Seo Yu Bang the then Gyeonggi-do Governor, over a period of three months. Because of the amazing elaborateness in the style of construction the bridge is considered the best representation of rainbow shaped stone bridges built in the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty. It was restored to its original condition at its present location which is some distance from the original location due to expansion of the road in 1980. Standing on the southern side of the bridge is a small containing information (composed by the then Gyconggi-do Governor Seo Yu-Bang and written by Jo Yun Hyeng) on how the bridge was built. 

만안교(萬安橋)

경기도 유형문화재 제38호

소재지: 경기도 안양시 만안구 석수동 679

이 다리는 화성이 지극했던 조선 정조(正祖, 1776-1800 제위)가 아버지인 사도세자의 능을 참배하러 가고자 만들었다. 정조는 사도세자 무덤을 양주(楊州)에서 수원 화산으로 옮긴 후 자주 참배함으로써 아버지 윈혼을 위로했다다. 원래 서울에서 수원으로 가는 길은 용산에서 한강을 건너고 노량진과 동작을 거쳐 과천으로 통하는 길이 있다. 그러나 그 길에는 다리가 많고 고갯길이 있어서 행차하는 데 어려움이 많았다. 또한 과천에는 사도세자 처벌에 적극 참여한 김상로(金尙魯)의 형 김약로(金若鲁) 묘를 지나게 되므로 정조가 이를 불쾌히 여겨 시흥-수원 쪽으로 길을 바꾸면서 이곳 안양천을 지나게 되었다. 정조 19년(1795)에 당시 경기도 관찰사 서유방(徐有坊)이 왕명으로 3개월 공사 끝에 이 다리를 완성했다. 만안교는 전체로 보아 축조 양식이 매우 정교해 조선 후기 대표적인 홍예석교로 평가된다. 원래는 남쪽으로 약 460m 떨어진 석수로 교차 지점에 있었는데, 1980년 국도 확장 때 이곳으로 옮겨 복원했다. 다리 남쪽 측면에 축조 당시에 서유방이 글을 짓고 조윤형(曺允亨)이 쓴 만안교비(萬安橋碑)에 이 다리 연혁이 나와 있다.