① Warning from the Grand Canyon National Park
Recently, the Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. posted a notice on its official social media, along with the picture above and a title saying, “Love is Strong, But it is Not as Strong as Our Bolt Cutters.”
They removed hundreds of thousands of “love padlocks” hanging on the wire fences of the Grand Canyon. Love padlocks are locks that couples engrave with their names or initials and lock onto a fence.
As the Grand Canyon is one of the most beloved national parks in the U.S., visitors often want to pledge eternal love through a love padlock with their significant other who shared this special moment.
However, to the park administrators, these locks are nothing more than trash to be removed. The reason they announced they would remove locks without warning in the future is that the locks and keys harm wildlife.
Especially in the Grand Canyon, the endangered California Condor is often found swallowing keys of the padlocks.
Condors, like curious children, are fond of shiny metals. However, condors cannot digest the metallic substances they swallow out of curiosity, which can be fatal if they consume many keys or coins.
To this end, the Grand Canyon National Park is making various efforts to protect nature and wildlife.
These include the ‘Leave No Trace’ campaign and improving visitor attitudes through social media.
They also shared the results of X-ray images of the inside of a condor’s stomach to raise awareness about the dangers of littering. The condor’s stomach in the picture was filled with keys and coins thrown by tourists.
② Removal of Padlocks on the Seine in Paris
The Grand Canyon is not the only place to find ‘love padlocks.’ The Pont des Arts bridge crossing the Seine River in Paris was once a famous spot for love padlocks.
The tradition on the Seine, which began in 2008 along with the superstition that it would sustain eternal love, was discontinued in 2014.
At that time, the 155-meter-long bridge’s railings were filled with padlocks. The weight of the locks on the Pont des Arts was about 65 tons.
Eventually, in 2014, a section of the fence collapsed under the enormous weight.
There had been concerns before about the locks damaging the bridge.
Before the incident, over 7,400 people had already signed a petition to remove the locks. However, the Paris authorities were reluctant to remove the locks, fearing it would hurt the tourism industry.
Eventually, amid controversy, a section of the fence collapsed. Fortunately, there were no injuries due to the railing collapse injuries, which heightened the negative public opinion about love padlocks.
Afterward, the removal of the locks on the Pont des Arts began, and the Paris authorities collected a million locks over a year and a half.
There were differing opinions on how to dispose of the removed locks. In the end, the city of Paris decided to sell the locks to citizens who wanted to preserve the memory of Paris.
You might wonder who would buy these locks, but the locks and parts of the railings put up for auction were sold for about 367.5 million won (approximately $311,000). Some of the old locks were even transformed into artworks and exhibited.
③ Namsan Tower Padlocks
The ‘Namsan Park’ in Korea is also a notable place for ‘love padlocks’. The outdoor observation deck railings of N Seo.’ Towers are filled with various kinds of numerous padlocks.
While the tradition of love padlocks has been banned in Paris due to safety issues, the tradition of love padlocks in Namsan Park seems to continue.
At N Seoul Tower, there are not only railings where you can hang locks. There is also a ‘Love Tree’ in the ‘Tower Garden Zone’ where you can hang locks.
The Love Tree, filled with colorful locks, looks like a Christmas tree. It is undoubtedly beautiful, but can the railings and the tree withstand the weight of the locks?
According to a safety inspection conducted in 2018, the estimated weight of the locks hung on 200 meters of railings and five trees was about 82 tons.
Can the railings, deck, and stairs withstand the enormous weight of the locks? In response, CJ Foodville, which operates N Seoul Tower under contract, stated, “We regularly commission professional agencies for structural safety inspections and carry out reinforcement work based on the results.”
Currently, around N Seoul Tower, there is a notice stating, “The ‘love padlocks’ hung on the safety railings installed at Seoul Tower may be removed to secure the view for tourists.”
Along with the notice, it is written to hang love padlocks on the ‘Love Tree’ in the ‘Tower Garden Zone.’ This means that the ‘love padlocks’ installed on the railing be removed.
Unless removal work is carried out, the weight of the locks on Namsan will continue to increase. For safety and to secure the view for tourists, it is necessary to travel without violating the notices and instructions at each travel destination.
By. Han Mia
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