Picture of Cheonggyecheon taken from Ogansu Bridge in Dongdaemun.
Stream fountain with riverside stage to left and wall of culture to right.
Cheonggyecheon Plaza. 120,000 tons of water flow through everyday.
Cheonggyecheon has been getting a lot of coverage since Lee Myung-bak was elected as the next President of the Republic of Korea. If it is not for the extensive news report, I wouldn't have known that he is the brainchild behind the rejuvenation of a long-forgotten stream that once flow through the city of Hanyang. To rejuvenate a 5.8km-long Cheonggyecheon, it means demolishing long stretch of elevated highway and road that used to cover it, redirecting Seoul's busy traffic, relocating unhappy dwellers, rechannelling sewage flow and at the same time keeping disruption and pollution to the minimal. The end result is a clean and beautiful Cheonggyecheon that is a "must-visit" for every tourist to Seoul these days. Lee Myung-bak's Cheonggyecheon project has earned himself a place in history as well as many electoral votes. I am now looking forward to his plan to build a grand canal that will eventually connect Seoul to Busan via a river route. I can't wait for that day when I can take a river cruise all the way from Seoul to Busan. Perhaps it maybe an empty cheque issued during election to gain votes but I do hope he is like what he says about himself - a person who chooses the most difficult thing to do. I think we can believe him for now since he has already proven many critics wrong by giving a brand new life to Cheonggyecheon.
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