The Cheong Gye Cheon

Location: Seoul, Korea

Subway Stop: Various

 

Here are the words written on a plaque at the Cheong Gye Cheon:

"The Cheong Gye Cheon is a stream running through central Seoul from west to east.

During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), housewives gathered at the stream to do laundry, while their children played together.  Around 1760, major renovations were carried out along the stream.  Thus, the Cheong Gye Cheon developed the appearance that we see today.

From the 1900's until after the Korean War (1950-1953), people who left their homes in rural areas to find jobs or a better living in Seoul built one makeshift house after another alongside the stream, making the area a shantytown.

In 1958, efforts to improve the poor aesthetic condition of the Cheong Gye Cheon began by covering the stream with concrete and this work continued for the ensuing 20 years.  In 1976, an elevated highway was built over top.  Consequently, the Cheong Gye Cheon, which was once regarded as a symbol of the nation's development and growth, had vanished.

A few decades later, the citizens of Seoul were faced with such grave issues as the decreased aesthetic value of the city coupled with concerns for safety and security.  As a result the citizens of Seoul who were more sensitive to environmental-friendly ways of thinking agreed that it should be restored as a clean stream.

Finally, the Seoul Metropolitan Government made a decision to restore the stream with the objective of forming a human-centered, ecological-friendly urban area in a city that has been the nation's capital for 600 years.

On October 1, 2005, the restoration work of the Cheong Gye Cheon was successfully completed after the historical commencement on July 1, 2003.  Storeowners and street vendors that operated small businesses along the stream initially objected to the project.  However, they finally understood that the improvements would help create prosperity and make Seoul a nice place to live.  With the completion of this historical project designed to restore cleanliness, culture and tradition to the stream, Seoul is finally reborn as an international city that values its environment and human life."

 

The Cheong Gye Cheon is a refreshing getaway from the city crowds, especially during the hot, humid summer.  Take a book and read, dip your feet in the cool water, bring a kimbap to snack on... an afternoon or evening here is quite delightful.