Cheonggye Stream, a new tourist attraction in Seoul

With its restoration work to be completed in early October, the Cheonggye Stream ( 淸溪川 ) is slowly emerging as a new tourist attraction in Seoul. It might be a good idea to learn about the entire restored stream itself as well as recommended locations for observatory tours in advance. New tourist attractions First of all, the Seoul City Hall will present outdoor art and cultural performances along the stream to support travel agencies, enabling them to offer new attractions in the local tourist market. The performances will be given at districts along the stream under themes such as history, culture and nature, as best suited to each district's unique characteristics. In the different districts, various artists such as street painters, mime actors, acoustic guitar players, and street performers will present cultural performances. The city government has also planned to introduce a walking tour program led by professional guides who can explain cultural heritage assets to foreign tourists in English, Chinese or Japanese. The walking tour program has two courses. The first course will take three hours (2.9 kilometers), beginning at Cheonggye Plaza, walking through Gwangtong Bridge ( 廣通橋 ), Samil Bridge ( 三一橋 ), Jongno Street, Insa-dong, Saebyok Bridge, and ending at Ogansu Bridge ( 五間水 橋 , near the East Gate Fashion Town). And the second course will take two and a half hours (2.6 kilometers), beginning at the Cheonggyecheon Culture Hall and ending at Ogansu Bridge. The existing city sights bus tour program will be run on a changed route that includes an added course along the Cheonggye Stream starting in October. The bus tour will take about an hour, running along Cheonggye Plaza, Mojeon Bridge ( 毛廛橋 ), Gwangtong Bridge, Gwanggyo ( 廣橋 ) area, Samil Bridge, Insa-dong, and major old palaces. The buses run at an interval of one hour. Cheonggye Plaza is a 2,310-square meter rest area built for the citizens near Taepyongro Street , where the Cheonggye Stream begins. At the plaza, visitors can enjoy the sight of a 60-meter-long miniature version, or a one-600th model, of the stream as well as rocks brought from eight provinces from across the country. Also standing inside the plaza are an electronically programmed fountain that spouts water columns of different heights and a wall wave fountain. Visitors can enjoy delicious food at elegant nearby restaurants if they have a full view of Cheonggye Plaza , where the stream begins. The next attraction is Gwangtong Bridge , which used to be the most prominent bridge in the capital city during the Joseon Dynasty. The bridge has been restored to its previous condition 95 years after it was buried beneath a road that was built over the stream in 1910. The newly restored Gwangtong Bridge is located 155 meters away from the original location in the direction of the upper stream. Alongside Supyo Bridge ( 水標橋 ), the original Gwangtong Bridge, which was built with gravestones taken from Jeongreung ( 貞陵 ), the tomb of Queen Sindeok ( 神德王后 )--the second wife of the Joseon Dynasty's founder King Taejo ( 太祖 ), was representative of the Cheonggye Stream. In this area, there is a bar where you can enjoy the variety of some 120 domestic and foreign beers and live music performances. From the bar's outdoor terrace furnished with exotic red-colored tables, you can get a great view of Gwangtong Bridge . From that vantage point, visitors may feel as if they were looking at a street in a foreign country. Walking past Jangtong Bridge ( 長通橋 ) towards Samil Bridge, visitors will find a place for rest and relaxation featuring cultural attractions such as mural paintings depicting old manners and customs. One of the murals is the world's largest ceramic tile mural replica of an old painting entitled "Jeongjo Daewang Neunghaeng Banchado" ( 正祖大王陵行班次圖 ), a picture of a procession of the Joseon Dynasty's 22nd King, Jeongjo, going to his father's tomb. It is a detailed portrayal of the procession in which the king escorts his queen mother, Queen Hong ( 惠慶宮洪氏 ), to the grave of his ill-fated father, "Sado Seja" ( 思悼世子 , Crown Prince Sado), located in the Walled City of Suwon--also known as "Hwaseong" ( 華城 )--in Gyeonggi Province. The king traveled there to celebrate the late Sado Seja's 60th birthday, which fell in the leap month of February in 1795 by the lunar calendar. The mural replica measures 192 meters long and 2.4 meters high, and is made with 5,120 30x30 centimeter tiles. Another attraction is "Maemdol Yeoul" (shallows created between rocks) in the Gwancheol-dong area. The architects created the shallows by placing various rocks in the stream that create whirls and eddies in the flowing water. Near Jangtong Bridge , there is " Piano Street ," which is linked to Jongno 2-ga Avenue. An oversized version of a piano keyboard is painted on this street so that visitors can imagine walking on a real keyboard. Located a five-minute walking distance away from this point are Jongno Street and Insa-dong. This area is also close to Jongmyo ( 宗廟 ) Royal Shrine, Changgyong Palace ( 昌慶宮 ), and traditional marketplaces such as Gwangjang Market and Bangsan Market. As such, this area gives visitors the chance to look back on the history of Seoul and enjoy the sights of its modern aspects at the same time. Samil ( 三一 , or 3.1) Bridge was built to commemorate the March 1, 1919 Independence Movement during Japanese colonial rule. The construction of this bridge was initiated by civilian donations to the restoration of the Cheonggye Stream. Enjoy films and a night view If you want to have a full view of the Cheonggye Stream, go to "Freyatown," a fashion mall in the East Gate area. Freyatown is currently under renovation, with its name to be changed to "Cheongdaemun." Currently, all the mall's shops have temporarily been put on the first basement floor of the building during the renovation. The cineplex on the 10th floor of the building is open 24 hours a day for visitors' convenience. With walls on one side made entirely of glass, the northern-side elevators in this building are a good place to enjoy a night view of the region after seeing a movie. The area offers a view of the entire neighborhood of the East Gate, including Narae Bridge and Malgeunnae Bridge over the Cheonggye Stream. The East Gate fashion town, including Freyatown, will host events such as 10 to 30 % discount sales and fashion shows from Oct. 1 through 8 in celebration of the restoration of the Cheonggye Stream. Another attraction in this neighborhood is the "Culture Wall," a mural painting installed on the wall near the stream between Beodeul Bridge and Ogansu Bridge . Five contemporary artists have collaborated to create the mural painting under five different themes. Standing between Ogansu Bridge and Malgeunnae Bridge is "Cheonggye Bballaeteo," the site of a laundry place during the Joseon Dynasty. A water fountain in front of the Pyonghwa Marketplace, which is equipped with LED's of various colors, can shoot water columns up to 10 meters high. Currently, new restaurants and cafes, from which visitors can enjoy the view of the Cheonggye Stream, are opening one after another along the stream, with several already in business on Taepyongro Street . The Cheonggye Stream area will soon become a famous tourist attraction that foreigners will never want to miss while in Seoul .