Gwanghwamun Market

The Hidden Charms of Cheonggye Plaza Cheonggye Plaza is a popular relaxation spot frequently visited by both Korean and foreign tourists, as well as office workers from the nearby office buildings. Upon entering the plaza, your attention is immediately drawn to a tall red and blue sculpture that looks like a conical shell. This artwork is known as 'The Spring,’ created by American pop artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The artists have explained that their inspiration for this piece came from the unique beauty of Korean ceramics, traditional clothing, and the full moon. If you look inside ‘The Spring,’ you will notice a gentle stream of water trickling from the top of the sculpture to the bottom, before flowing into a curved groove that leads into the Cheonggyecheon Stream. The groove serves as a 1/100 scale model of the actual stream. As you face the Cheonggyecheon Stream from the plaza, you'll see a staircase on the left that descends to the stream. Would you like to go downstairs for a closer look at the Cheonggyecheon Stream?

Walking Downstairs from Cheonggye Plaza The Cheonggyecheon Stream is a man-made waterway. It was constructed around the time of the founding of the Joseon Dynasty to function as a drainage system for the city. However, during the Japanese Occupation of Korea, the Japanese government attempted to remove the stream by filling it with concrete due to concerns about its water quality. The stream was completely filled with concrete in the 1970s, several decades after Korea’s liberation from Japan, as part of the construction of the Cheonggye Overpass. In 2003, the Seoul Metropolitan Government embarked on a project to restore the stream to its present state. When you walk downstairs from the Cheonggye Plaza, you will see a two-tiered waterfall, which marks the starting point of the stream. Directly below the waterfall, you’ll notice eight substantial stone slabs brought in from various regions of the country. Each of these slabs represents a former province of Korea before the division into North and South, symbolizing a hope for unification. All the slabs are made from rocks that are indigenous to the particular provinces they represent, with the exception of those representing provinces in North Korea. Stonemasons took great care to select slabs that best resembled those from North Korea. There is no doubt that most people, recognizing the significance of these stones, hope that these existing slabs will one day be replaced with genuine ones from North Korea after unification. The rocks are collectively known as ‘Palseokdam’, which simply means ‘a pond of eight rocks’ in Korean. A few meters downstream from these stones, you will come across a saucer-shaped granite sculpture with a hole in the middle. This serves as a wishing well where people can toss coins into the central hole to make wishes. Don't worry if you miss the target; all the coins in the well are collected and donated to those in need. Throughout the year, various festivals are held at Cheonggye Plaza and Cheonggyecheon Stream, making it a highly recommended destination if you are interested in learning about Korea’s history and having unique experience.

The Most Important Bridge of the Joseon Dynasty Gwangtonggyo Bridge, constructed around 600 years ago, lay buried for over a century until its recent restoration. Originally, Gwangtonggyo Bridge was located at the site where Gwanggyo Bridge stands today, but it was later relocated to its current location to protect the old Gwanggyo Bridge. The relocation altered the water flow from left to right. Upon closer inspection of the stone blocks, you’ll notice some of them are much darker than the others. Beneath the bridge, you’ll also find several stone blocks engraved with an image of a divine guardian surrounded by patches of cloud, reminiscent of characteristics found in the tombs of kings and queens. Remarkably, these stones were collected from there. One might ponder how such valuable artistic pieces found their way into a bridge's construction. The answer lies in a feud between members of the royal family during the early Joseon Dynasty. Queen Sindeok, the stepmother of Yi Bang-won, denied his rightful rank of crown prince to appoint her own son, Yi Bang-seok, to be the crown prince. Yi Bang-won despised the queen for depriving him of his title, and never forgave her, even after her death. When he finally assumed the throne as King Taejong, the third king of Joseon, he relocated the queen’s grave and used the stones from her tomb to construct the bridge. Despite originating from a foundation of animosity, the bridge became an essential passageway for royal processions and foreign envoy visits. In addition, various folk festivals were held on the bridge, particularly on the first full moon day of the month. People flew kites on the bridge and played stepping stones game at night. During these events, individuals from different social classes mingled, strolling back and forth across the bridge all night long. This was a notable occasion as it was a time when people were officially permitted to walk outside at night. The belief that traversing the bridge would safeguard legs from injury or disease was prevalent. People also believed that eating seasoned vegetables, peanuts, chestnuts, and other types of nuts on that day could drive away evil spirits who assumed ghosts and evil spirits hated the sound of cracking a nut. Would you be interested in strolling across the bridge, just as people did centuries ago?