It was about a year ago I was in Seoul. My accommodation was located right next to The Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천) and not far from The Spring Sculpture, where the stream begins. This 10-kilometer stream starts near Gwanghwamun Square heading east then joining Jungnangcheon Stream (중랑천) and flows into the Han River (한강).
As I walked along this stream, I thought of the history behind it. During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), homemakers did their laundry while their children played nearby. At this time it was known as Gaecheon (개천), meaning “open stream”. After the Korean War (1950-1953), the stream was covered in concrete and made into an elevated highway. Later, it was reconstructed into a beautiful stream that flourishes in downtown Seoul. On October 1, 2005, after about two years, the restoration was completed into what it is known to be today.
Several thousand pedestrians visit this stream each day. My curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to know why. I was able to muster up enough courage to ask random people why they were taking a walk along the stream at that very moment. I discovered new things and met friendly people who were interested in hearing my story and I was interested in hearing their stories.
I met several business executives who told me they liked walking along the stream to get away from the busy traffic on the streets above. A family of four liked walking along the stream because their small children enjoyed watching the fish and the birds. A young couple enjoyed their evening walks and reminisced about the time he proposed to her at one of the stream’s 22 bridges. Some foreigners were there to visit their favorite scene from a movie or drama while others were there to see its beauty. It is also a good place to take a run. However, I was not able to catch up to any of the runners because they were too fast!
Despite the conflicts this stream endured during the early years, it has turned out to be a manmade wonder. Several businesses alongside the stream are thankful for the crowds that walk there every single day. I was able to speak to one of the owners who was there before and during the reconstruction. He told me that at first, he was against the rebuilding of the stream because he thought it would ruin his business. Now he thinks that it was something good because his business has done well.
Though it may not be in its natural formation, The Cheonggyecheon Stream has so many things to offer no matter what type of person you are. For me it was a place of rediscovery and where I found my inner peace.
Here is a short video of my visits to The Cheonggyechoen Stream.
Sources:
https://www.sisul.or.kr/global/main/en/sub/cheonggyecheon.jsp
https://www.theseoulguide.com/cheonggye-plaza/
https://english.visitseoul.net/nature/CheonggyecheonStream/ENP000034
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