Cheonggyecheon

I have been to the retored Cheonggyecheon River (Stream?) several times since it opened in October last year. I really like it, but I'm always a little torn when trying to decide if the mayor of Seoul did a selfless thing to improve the lives of Seoulites or if he just did something high profile as a stepping stone to the Blue House. At any rate, he did good.

I have walked along parts of the stream several times, but I decided today to walk the whole length of the Cheonggyecheon (about 8.2km). It's still a bit crowded in the downtown area and didn't feel much different from a normal Seoul street; however, the second half of the stream is quieter. The water runs slower, and there are fewer people. I can see the downstream half of the stream supporting fish and fowl. I even saw several pairs of mallard ducks (male and female). They seemed to be scoping the area for nesting spots. That would be really cool, but I dread to think about what the average inhabitant of Seoul would do to nesting ducks (throwing stones and garbage just to see what the ducks do comes most readily to mind). However, I do hope that everyone learns to live together and that the stream brings back some of the nature that is missing from Seoul.







I'm really looking forward to seeing what the stream looks like in the spring when the trees and grasses have grown. I saw one fish jump. Perhaps more will come.

As for my plan to walk the entire stream, perhaps next time. I got about 6km along and decided to take a taxi home. Still, it was a very nice day - somewhat fresh air, a bit of exercise, a touch of nature, and very nice temperature (about 5C).