Concerning to the fore-runners ahead in construction time table, the prominent nominee is the Sangju Weir (Osang-ri, Jungdongmyeon, Sangju City, Northern Gyeongsang Province). Its movable sector with two floodgates ranges to 105m, static sector of 230m and little bridge for management only stretches to 540m. The basic concept of the Sangju Weir is the Five Amusements.
The first amusement is the nationwide renowned bicycle culture of the city. The second is the significance of beautiful waterway that the 700-ri (Korean traditional distance unit. 1 ri is equivalent to 0.393km) Nakdong River starts from. The third is the fact that it is the multipurpose weir preventing inundation. The fourth is the five blessings and luck. And the final fifth one is the amusement out of bountifulness in lifestyle after completion of the weir. Making the best of the traits of five amusements, the design for winch’s roof is to be a shape of spirally overlapped metals.
Around the Sangju Weir, there are many excellent scenic spots. The Gyeongcheondae Observatory is located on the cliff where overlooking the Nakdong River so that is renowned as national tourists attraction. After ‘Second Manchu invasion of Korea (in 1636)’, this place was established by CHAE Deuk-Gi (who were a royal family doctor and accompanied with Bonglim Prince when the prince was taken to Manchuria as hostage). Out of reason that here looked like heavenly scenery with beautiful river, pine tree forest and rugged precipices with bizarre rocks, people named also it as ‘Jacheondae’ (Scenery that heaven created own). Beneath of it, there lies Gyeongcheon Forest. It was farmland previously; however, newly created pine tree forest will take place.
Sangju is famous as a bicycle city. It has a Bicycle Museum and recently hosted the 3rd Bicycle Festival. President LEE Myung-Bak who took part in the opening ceremony of the Bicycle Festival said, “After completion of the Project, all the river basins are connected with bike paths network. By the 2011 autumn, peoples can see the genuine color of the four major rivers.” Mr. JEONG Jong-Hwan, the Minister of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs also asserted that bicycle trails affiliated with nationwide network will boost local revitalization in economical and touristic ways as well as green growth. Though its scale is rather small, the Sangju Weir is waiting for the day abreast of existing local scenic spots.
