Cheonggyecheon Stream청계천

About this place

Cheonggyecheon Stream is an 8.12-kilometer urban waterway that runs east–west through the heart of downtown Seoul. Once a natural stream of the Joseon era, it was buried under concrete and an elevated expressway during Seoul's rapid urbanization between the late 1950s and the 1970s. A restoration project running from July 2003 to September 2005 reopened the 5.84-kilometer stretch from Cheonggye Plaza to the Sindap Railway Bridge, spanned by 22 bridges from Mojeongyo to Gosanjagyo. A walkway follows the water past public artworks and historical remains, and each December through January the Seoul Lantern Festival fills the Cheonggye Plaza–Samilgyo section with thousands of hand-crafted lanterns.

Good to know

Address

1 Taepyeongno 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul (Cheonggye Plaza)

Hours

Always open

Open 24 hours year-round. Water levels rise sharply during rain and can flood the walkway, so visitors must leave via the nearest exit when announcements are made. In winter the Seoul Lantern Festival (December–January) lights the Cheonggye Plaza–Samilgyo section at night.

Sources

Confirmed 2 October 2026

• sisul.or.kr

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