Photo:CFP

The Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts, a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the River Seine, is famous for “love locks”. Since late 2008, tourists have taken to attaching padlocks (love locks) with their first names written or engraved on them to the railing or the grate on the side of the bridge, then throwing the key into the Seine river below, as a romantic gesture. This gesture is said to represent a couple's committed love.

However, too many "love locks" have threatened the safety of bridge. In June 2014, part of the parapet on the bridge collapsed under the weight of all of the padlocks that had been attached to it.

In August 2014, the Paris Mayor's Office began to say publicly that they wanted to encourage tourists to take "selfies" instead of leaving love locks, when they launched the “Love without Locks” campaign and social media hashtag. The web site states that "our bridges can no longer withstand your gestures of love. Set them free by declaring your love with “Love without Locks."

But things did not improve. With the high tourist season in full swing, more than 50% of the panels on the Pont des Arts had to be boarded over with plywood because the weight of the locks (estimated by the city to be 700 kg per panel) was creating the risk of more panels collapsing.

On local time December 9, 2014, the Paris Mayor's Office finally made a decision to remove love locks hanging on the bridge. (Eastday/Jiang Wenran)