Ipo Weir
Ipo Weir (Ipo-bo; 이포보; map) in Yeoju City (여주시; map) is the northernmost Four Rivers Restoration Project watergate and Third Scenic View of the South Han River. Engineers created the weir to regulate the flow of water on the river.
Let’s tour the facility!
The Project
Ipo Weir is the first of ten watergates on the Cross-Country Route’s South Han River and Nakdong River.
Workers built the weir as part of the Four Rivers Restoration Project, which sought to control flow of South Korea’s major rivers — South Han, Nakdong, Geum, and Yeongsan. The weirs can trap water during droughts and release it downriver during heavy rains.
Each weir incorporates a cultural element from the city or county where it lives. Ipo Weir’s artistic flourish are the seven giant oblong eggs on its top deck (road view).
What do they represent?… Eggs. Specifically, the eggs on the wings of an egret, the official bird of Yeoju City. Each year, these migratory birds make a pit stop along the South Han River.
The Facilities
Ipo Weir measures 591-meters long, with water gates totalling 295 meters. Those seven giant oblong eggs on top of the weir conceal hoists that raise and lower the water gates.
A bridge on top of the weir holds walking and cycling paths, allowing visitors to cross the South Han and visit facilities on the east and west ends of the watergate.
- The west side offers a 7-Eleven with a patio (road view).
- The east side holds Ipo Weir Observatory (이포보전망대; map), sail-ship-shaped building open from 10 AM to 9 PM (road view).
- First floor: cultural plaza displaying local art.
- Second floor: exhibition hall about Ipo Weir
- Third floor: a small library and a cafe selling coffee and ice cream.
- Roof: a viewing deck overlooking the weir and South Han River.
Below Ipo Weir, three small hydro generators snatch enough electricity from the river to power 4,000 households annually.
Ipo-bo Certification Center (이포보 인증센터: map; road view) stands on cycling path on the east end of the weir. Don’t forget to stamp your Bike Passport!
Namesake
Ipo Port (이포나루터; map) was an ancient port that sat on the banks of the South Han River near Ipo Weir. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392~1897), it supported the local economy by sending goods downriver to ports in Hanseong (Seoul), the kingdom’s capital.
While long gone, the port provides the namesake for Ipo Weir.
