Seoul Snapshots: Yangjaecheon, Cheonggyecheon and Hangang

Hello everyone :) I wanted to tell you that this is the last blog post for EcoHeal. In a few weeks, I will be flying to University of California, Berkeley for my higher education. Realizing that it would not be possible to regularly update a blog dedicated to Seoul from the United States, I made the decision to conclude it with a rather "special" post themed around the waters of the city. You will find below pictures of Yangjaecheon, Cheonggyecheon and the Han River (Hangang) along with my reflections on natural and built environments of the water bodies.  Those of you who have been following EcoHeal would know that Yangjaecheon has been a hugely important focus of my blog; I felt that updates on the stream would be a necessary element for this blog's finale. :) As for Cheonggyecheon and the Han River, I had the chance to visit both in recent months and wished to share what I felt with you. I truly appreciate your encouragement during the last two years, and I hope you enjoy the photos below. Thank you <3 

 Across Hangang. You can see the 63 Building with its sepia glow.

A drive between Gangnam and Gangbuk captures this scene. Hangang is vast: as you can see from the map below, the river runs through the entire city. In fact, as the fourth longest in the country, it flows through Gangwon, Chungbuk and Gyeonggi regions as well. 

The Han River flows from the mountains out to the Yellow Sea.
As the fourth longest in the country it runs through the entire city. 

 The on-going construction of Lotte World Tower
- something I personally don't feel certain about (End of April '15)

What I love about the river is its series of twenty-seven bridges that span throughout within the city limits. I've heard some say that having such a river dividing Seoul into north (Gangbuk) and south (Gangnam) engenders conflicting disparities in the city. In my perhaps naive and inexperienced eyes, however, this landscape is an element that truly belongs. Seoul has gone through incredible changes during the past decades - from the deconstruction of city walls under the Japanese occupation to the development of foreign architects' futuristic designs of public spaces among traditional markets (read a previous post on the Dongdaemun Design Plaza here). As a natural landmark, Hangang has remained. It has been the foundation of cultural development from the Neolithic Age and the center of politics and economy ever since the capital city was set in the area. A unique architectural panorama of different bridges was a natural reaction to foster the communication and transportation between the two parts of Seoul. This view holds a special place inside me; it was during a drive at dawn along Hangang against the city skyline that I realized I had come to truly love my city.

 You can find yourself under the bridges when you head out from the Seoul Forest on your bicycle :)

 Both Yangjaecheon and Cheonggyecheon are sub-tributaries of the Han River. The former leads from Tancheon and the latter form Jungnangcheon. Yangjaecheon and Cheonggyecheon are both regarded as successful environmental recoveries. As I explained in a post last year, the former was recovered to its current state through a restoration project. Whenever I stroll along the wild grasses by the stream, I am filled with utter gratitude. The ecological park of Yangjaecheon feels natural and free. Instead of manicured lawns and kitschy benches with a glossy veneer, we have chest-high porcupine grass and wooden fences with an age-worn familiarity. 

 The familiar scene of Yangjaecheon

 The sky shimmered that day.

Cheonggyecheon, on the other hand, usually gives very different vibes. Located in one of the busiest areas of Seoul, it is surrounded by commercial offices and rows of little shops. It is a busy destination popular with couples and tourists, but a late afternoon walk on a weekday can be very peaceful. 

 Late afternoons on weekdays
- my favorite time to visit Cheonggyecheon

Leading to the Pyounghwa Market

Just like Yangjaecheon, a significant part of flora and fauna returned to Cheonggyecheon after the recovery project and I couldn't be happier about this. Still, it bothers me that the restoration process was much too hurried; it was initiated in 2003 and opened to the public in 2005. Although indiscernible under an unknowing gaze, the water flow is not natural but pumped artificially from below the concrete base, requiring an incredible amount of energy. It remains that Cheonggyecheon has not been truly "recovered". I hope to be able to find a solution for this problem with the wisdom I will grow from studying engineering and environmental design at Berkeley.



Again, thank you for following EcoHeal during the last two years. I feel blessed to have been able to share with you some snapshots from my highschool years in Seoul. If I begin a new blog - perhaps about my new environment in Berkeley - I will make sure to leave a short post here to inform you. Love, Jaewon

Quick Updates: The Late Spring Scene at Yangjaecheon

Hello everyone! I just wanted to give you some updates on our beloved stream.  :) The pearly glow of cherry blossoms is gone now and the quiet, misty green has settled again. Lately, I have been doing some runs along Yangjaecheon as the first activity of the day, so the pictures below were all taken in the early morning. Hope you enjoy :)

A rustic calmness that is the beauty of Yangjaecheon -
a remarkable gem beside the sprawling towers of Gangnam

This layout reminds me of the adorable trolls from Frozen! ;) 

Believe it or not, it was the first time I saw a snail at Yangjaecheon.

After the rain at dawn

Cherry Blossoms of Yangjaecheon

Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom at Yangjaecheon.  It's almost as though I've never seen the stream before. Their scattered petals flutter together in the air, traveling along the water. Perhaps a little strangely, I'm reminded of the ending scene of a childhood favorite - leaves of coral orange and magenta rippling to John Smith from Pocahontas. A truly magical quality in the air. 

A popcorn yellow :)

When the lamp lights shine sepia

"Spring is Here!" from Yangjaecheon...with its own Emerald City? :)

I've taken to running along the stream lately. I figured it was time for some more serious aerobic exercise. ;) I have to admit that the lingering frosty wind sometimes slaps my hair across my face (quite fiercely), but I don't mind when I have the spring sunshine bouncing off my shoulders! Here are some pictures I've taken over the past few days. Hope you enjoy :D

Wizard of Oz, anyone?
The blue of the glass on the building surfaces sometimes flash shades of green
 - dark turquoise, chartreuse, lime. We even have our own yellow brick road! 
I guess we have a view of another Emerald City ;)

Shimmering ripples on the concrete

Fuzzy lilliputian puffs of porcupine grass!

A diagram of the water purification system of Yangjaecheon

Some general history of Yangjaecheon - a focus on Gangnam-gu's efforts
 for its recovery to the ecological park it is today

Yangjaecheon in Late December - Early February

Spring isn't quite here yet. There are icy puddles on the concrete, brittle branches trembling when birds flutter past, off-white leaves of feathery bristlegrass billowing in the wind, the sting on the tip of my nose. 

I've been taking walks along my beloved Yangjaecheon lately. I wanted to share my pictures with you. Some are blurry, some are grainy. I hope they capture the still serenity that I love about the stream - the gem that can only be observed in late winter mornings. 

The familiar scene seen from afar 

Reflected across the small ripples

Mallard ducks - shades of dusty brown, cream, sepia, dark velvet green, and a hint of sandy yellow

Can you guess? Is the sun setting or rising?

Like ice cracking across the surface

Silhouetted against the skies

The First Snow in Seoul

This morning, I saw tiny specks of ice scatter outside my window. Naturally, I was really excited.  The first snowfall of the year made it feel like Christmas was coming soon. More importantly, though, it brought me relief. 

After my blog post in November, the weather became surprisingly warm...almost to the extent that my friends and I joked that Spring was already here. The temperature stayed in the range of 11.3℃ to 8.3℃. It was worrying, because it actually seemed like the rest of nature had also skipped Winter. Flowers - famous for coloring February through April in shades of saffron and lavender pink - appeared in the middle of November. In small numbers, Forsythia and Azalea bloomed. It was surreal to see tiny flowers and buds beside snowflakes. Now, it finally feels like the winter holiday season has arrived. With the thermometer pointing below 0℃, I'm hopeful that the seasons will go back to normal. 

Here are some pictures I took today. The photos in the beginning don't show any snow but scroll down for the ones that do!

If I had seen this a few months later I would have been really happy...
instead of worrying about what would happen to it

Clumps of green and yellow

Can you see the buds up there?

"Caster Sugar", remember?

The next pictures were taken at Yangjaecheon.

Quite deserted

Try comparing the depth of water shown in other pictures
of the skipping stones in previous Yangjaecheon posts!

For those who have been waiting for my posts on climate skepticism ("Skeptics and Deniers"), I'm sorry for the delay. I will be uploading a post this week - an analysis on the book 'Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years" and the science related to some of the content in the book.