Fauzi and Natasha Honeymoon Series: I
Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천).
Thank God for our hotel's strategic location, most big cities like Myeongdong, Nandeamun and Dongdaemun are easily accessed by subway. They are within walking distance too, provided you are mighty enough to walk between these cities during chilled winter, then be your guest. Hehe.
I have studied every inch and corner of Seoul map for the past three months and had even planned an overly-detailed itinerary for our reference. Haha. So, I pretty much know where, why, when to go and what to do.
Armed with itinerary in my brain, map in one hand, and Fauzi's hand in the other, I dragged him to the famous stream, Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천), which is located few blocks away from our hotel.
As you can see from the above map, our hotel is located right in front of Euljiro 3 (sam)-ga Station and Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천) is only a couple blocks away. It does not seem too much of a walk, does it?
Well, we were in for a surprise. Haha.
It was actually more like ten blocks down! And the temperature was decreasing every minute from 2º Celcius to 0º Celcius. As much as I wanted to regret our decision, the view and the hustle and bustle the city of Seoul offered that night, made our walk worth the experience.
Behind us is Nandaemun and its iconic tower. Wherever you go in Seoul, be it Myeongdong, Namsan, Dongdaemun, Bukchon and Insa-dong, you will definitely able to see this iconic tower. If you cannot see it, chances are you are lost. Haha. Unless you are in Itaewon. Or Gangnam. Or cities other than what I have listed.
After braving the windy winter air for ten minutes, we finally made it! Located 4.6 metre below street level, this famous stream is a picturesque and Instagram-worthy view at every angle. A walk along the stream is almost as good as a spa for clearing one's mind.
Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천) is a 7 mile long stream that runs through Seoul and there are 22 bridges built over it. It is open all year for everyone to come and view during the day and night. It had undergone a major restoration in 2005, where previously it existed only as a neglected waterway hidden by an overpass. The mayor at that time, initiated a green project to restore Cheonggyecheon and in 2005, it was open to public.
Above is the picture of Gwangtonggyo, a bridge where the pillars are shaped similar to the tomb of Queen Shindeok, the second wife of Joseon Dynasty. That is the biggest bridge among the other 21 bridges and also the main road of the city where envoys pass and traditional events like flying kites on the 15th day of the New Year (Lunar calendar) is held.
Street look of Gwangtonggyo. I wanted to take a bird's eye view of this bridge, but there were a couple of Japanese guitarists serenading to this pretty Korean girl, and they took forever to finish their songs, so I gave up.
😪
Despite being famous as a "couple dating" spot (pst pst, we saw a couple shamelessly making out under that bridge, hehe) and the criticism associated with the cost of construction, everyone agrees that this urban infrastructure is a great result of technology and modernity and it has made Seoul an even better city to live in.
Cheonggyecheon Stream is also famous for its Seoul Lantern Festival, which is generally held in fall of each year. The festival is an amazing display of arts, lights and ingenuity. Even tough winter came a little earlier this year, Seoul Lantern Festival was still held on the intended date.
Too bad, Fauzi and I arrived in Seoul a day after the event was held. Otherwise, I would have spoiled this entry with loads of photos from the festival.
👻
This 8.4 kilometre creek flows west to east through downton Seoul and is surrounded by various attractions. It passes close to these places:
⤅ Deoksugung Palace
⤅ Seoul Plaza
⤅ Sejong Centre
⤅ Insa-dong Street
⤅ Dongdaemun Market
⤅ Changdeokgung Palace
⤅ Changgyeonggung Palace
Therefore, allowing tourists to easily visit major tourist sites after a leisurely stroll along the stream.
There are 8 prominent landmarks that you can find along the stream. Though, we only found three since it was a tad bit dark. And it was cold. You can refer on the map above for the position of these landmarks:
⤅ Cheonggye Plaza ('The Spring' and two-tiered water fall that carries 65,000 tons of water)
⤅ Jeongjobanchado (tile painting)
⤅ Ongnyucheon (symbolises pond of Changdeokgung)
⤅ Fashion Square (Wall of Culture)
⤅ Historic Laundry Site (women used to do their laundry here)
⤅ Wall of Hope (there are over 20,000 tiles)
⤅ Rhythm Wall Fountain (something like KLCC)
⤅ Tunnel Fountain (colourful overhead fountain)
If you are not into walking and want to make use of your T-Money card, you can always take one of these subways to reach Cheonggyecheon Stream:
⤅ City Hall Station (Line 1, Exit 4); though, it is a tad far, but the stream actually starts at Cheonggye Plaza in City Hall vicinity, which is about 10-20 minutes walk from the Exit 4.
⤅ Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5, Exit 5); tad bit far too, but you will reach the head-start of the stream at Cheonggye Plaza in 10-20 minutes on foot.
⤅ Jonggak Station (Line 1, Exit 5)
⤅ Euljiro 1 (il)-ga Station (Line 2, Exit 2 and 3)
⤅ Euljiro 3 (sam)-ga Station (Line 2, Exit 1 and 3 or Line 3, Exit 4 and 5); Exit 4 and 5 are closer, depending on which line you are on.
⤅ Jongno 3 (sam)-ga Station (Line 1, Exit 13 and 14); but Exit 14 is more direct.
⤅ Euljiro 4 (sa)-ga Station (Line 2, Exit 2, 5 or Line 5, Exit 3, 4); Exits 3 and 4 are nearer, depending on which line you are on.
⤅ Jongno 5 (o)-ga Station (Line 1, Exit 6 and 7)
⤅ Dongdaemun Station (Line 4, Exit 8), the nearest exit amongst all the others.
⤅ Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Line 2, Exit 14)
⤅ Sindang Station (Line 6, Exit 10 or Line 2, Exit 2), but I do not recommend Line 2 as it is very far from the stream.
⤅ Dongmyo Station (Line 6, Exit 5 and 6 or Line 1, Exit 3 and 6), though Line 6, Exit 5 and 6 are recommended, Line 1 is very far from the stream.
⤅ Sinseol-dong Station (Line 1, Exit 8, 9 and 10), but if you want to visit Seoul Folk Market and go to the stream in one day, then I recommend taking Exit 10 instead.
⤅ Sangwangshipri Station (Line 2, Exit 2), though this station is very far from the stream, I do not recommend stopping here.
I must say that Cheonggyecheon Stream is a special dugout for everyone. The location, literally, drowns out the sound of the city. It gives the Seoul people who work in those high-rise buildings behind us, a peaceful lunch break by taking a walk down the stream and having the time to clear their mind off. It becomes a great place for parents with small kids to bring their children downtown and have a picnic by the stream, or simply for anyone to just chill out and relax after a long day at work or school.
On the other side of the stream, there were lines of coffee shops at the Avenue of Youth. Since it was getting colder by every minute, we decided to grab some coffee and take advantage of the shop's heater. Haha. But, we were unsure if the coffee in those shops were Halal, so we decided to walk a little further down the stream and headed to Starbucks.
After a warm cup of hot chocolate, I felt tremendously better and was ready for another adventure! That was. . . to walk back to our hotel with the current weather at -3º Celcius. . . . .
❄️⛄️😩
xo,
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(
Atom
)
Post a Comment