This narrow ledge was built to span the entire length of the pass below. Before its completion, those whose job it was to work on the dam, had to climb up and down the mountains and cross the river in order to get to where they needed to be. By using the path, they were able to save themselves time and quite a bit of energy.
When work on the dam was done, the King traversed the walkway in celebration of everything that had been accomplished. This walk is what led to the pathway being given its name.
Even for the King, there was little assurance of safety. There were rails attached to the side of the mountain, but one wrong move could send anyone right off the edge. It's easy to see the path from the ground below, even now, but stepping foot on it (in its present state) today is considerably more dangerous than it was long ago.
Despite the dangers, locals, and many tourists- continued to use the walkway. Several years ago, a tourist fell and was killed there. This led to the official closing of the path. However, many people disregard the warnings and continue to take their chances, even now.
Because the path still does the job of helping people get to and from the falls faster (and because people still use it despite official access being denied) regional and local governments have agreed to join together to restore the crumbling walkway. Restoration is estimated to be finished in three years, complete with a museum and plenty of parking for adventure seekers.
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