An ancient bridge in South Korea will be reborn in an art installation, under a project initiated by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO).

The Namseok Bridge was built in Cheongju, 137km south of Seoul, sometime in the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392). At 80 metres, it is the longest stone bridge ever built.

The bridge was buried in the 1920s during the course of road-building projects, but this summer it will re-emerge as an art installation called “Light Canvas”.

“We’ll spend KRW200 million (approx. US$180,000) to complete ‘Light Canvas’ by August in order to revive the meaning of the bridge,” explained Kim Eung-sang, head of the KTO’s bridge taskforce.

The project will consist of 18 canvases featuring images of the sky images, “making people feel like they are walking on a bridge under the sky”, Kim said. An octagonal display at the centre will demonstrate the four seasons.