The birth of a greener, grander Seoul

September 30th marked the beginning of a new greener, more environmentally friendly Seoul. The mayor of Seoul promissed in 2002 that he would restore Chonggyecheon, a stream that used to run through Seoul but fell victim to the break-neck urbanization and industrialization. The stream that was once clean and housed all kinds of flora and fauna became an open sewage, a stinky source of desease and an embarassing witness to Korean carelessness regarding public property. The government found a quick solution to the problem, simply trapping the stream under tons of concrete and asphalt that served as a road. Eventually a large number of little shops and stores sprang along this road and an expressway was built above the road to ease the traffic congestion in Seoul.

As Seoul grew so did the Seoulites' realization that they need to make their city greener if they want it to be considered a great world-class center. The new mayor took it upon himself in 2002 to restore the stream. All of the small shops and stores along the stream trapped under the road had to be closed and many people lost their businesses. The project was very costly. The water from the Han river was used to create a whole new stream; a lot of expensive landscaping had to be done and 21 new bridges (each of a unique design) were built. In the past there were 86 bridges spanning this little stream. This area is redesigned as an oasis of green and peace in the midst of the urban jungle. I dare say that the restored stream runs through possibly ugliest parts of Seoul and that its banks are lined with decrepit smelly stores.

Debbie and I went for a walk there. I completely forgot about the opening ceremony that was to start yesterday and continue until October 3rd. When I got to the City Hall subway station, seeing all those people milling about, I realized what was going on. Heedless of rain, thousands came out to walk the length of the stream (6km, starting at City Hall and ending very close to Home Plus, Jaegi-dong area). We didn't want to cancel our walk, we just joined the crowds. And what crowds they were! I have to say that I really liked it: the water in the stream is the natural green colour, it smells fresh, the bridges are very interesting, the flora looks natural (complete with pumpkin vines creeping their way down the concrete banks), there are numerous stepping stones with white water gushing among them, creating the natural look... Today was very crowded, but hopefully when all the opening madness calms down it could be a nice place to go for a walk. I am glad to observe that Seoul is getting more serious about the way it looks. It takes more than modern highways and tall glass building to make a good city: green, not gray is what makes a city grand.

The official opening of the Chonggyechon walkway. The weekend of October 1st, 2nd is the weekend of special opening ceremony complete with concerts, street art, folk dances, and the like. Masses of people, heedless of rain and miserable murky weather came out to participate in the festivities.  

Smelly feet, smelly feet... Just as Debbie said:" I wonder how long the water will remain clean", we spotted this ajoshi who was about to dip his smelly feet into the water and make it a bit less pure. I guess, Debbie got her answer.  

Rain drops keep falling on her head, but she doesn't care. Debbie walking by the Chonggyechon.  

Debbie on the bridge she really liked.  

Although it was a rainy day, thousands of people came out to witness the historical opening of the 'oasis of peace' Chonggyechon. 

People seemed to take great pleasure in crossing the stream hopping on stepping stones. This being Korea, nobody was bothered by quite a dense traffic on these little slippery 'bridges'  

A little girl on the stepping stones, crossing the 'raging stream'  

An ajoshi in action. A bit less graceful than the little girl, he runs quickly not to get his shoes soaking wet.  

The concrete banks of the stream are beautified by street art. Even a rainy day looks more cheerful with such a colourful backdrop.  

Debbie is amused by mural that is actuallly a mosaic made of tiny ceramic tiles with drawings and paintings on them. One can spend a whole day admiring individual tiles in this piece of street art.  

Colours of Korea on the mural.  

It's important to dream. A detail from the mural.  

A detail from the mural: in the middle, hiking or rock climbing, an important aspect of recreational life in Korea.  

A water fountain that shoots columns of water very high up.  

Two prim little girls don't seem to mind a bit of water splashed on their neat clothes and hair. They bravely come closer to the edge to have a better look.  

Mother to come to rescue with her big umbrella  

A little boy wondering at the height of the water pillar in front of him. The old people behind him couldn't care less.  

A see-through bottom of one of the bridges will be made opaque. Some women already lodged complaints against men lurking under the bridge, waiting for 'skirts' to walk above.

Protected from the rain, some old people enjoy the view of the crowds below.  

Seeking shelter from the rain, many people linger under the bridge.  

A couple under a bfidge.  

Chonggyechon is to be 'an oasis of peace' in the midst of the bustling city. This man seems to believe it.  

Nearing the end of the 6km long walk along the stream, one finds remnants of the torn-down highway. It's left here on purpose, I suppose to remind Seoulites of how ugly it used to be, in case they forgot.  

People on one of the 21 bridges crossing Chonggyechon 

Hansung's Sports Festival Week

This past week there was a sports festival going on at my university. All of the campus was covered in red and blue festive lanterns that looked very pretty at night.
It was a cheerful, charged , and inevitably very loud event. Students were competing in soccer, basketball, baseball, running, etc. Each day ended in a singing and dancing competition; the crowning event at the end of the festival was a concert of a 'famous band' Paechicki (The Stomach Rub Band). This happened on Thursday night.
I knew that there was a festival going on but I didn't know about the concert, so on Thursday night I almost had a heart attack when I heard impossibly loud screaming coming from the little soccer field in the midst of the campus. Curious to see what was happening, I walked over to find quite a number of students, most of them girls, enraptured, standing on plastic chair for a better view of the "handsome boys" from the band. I have to say that they sounded very good: the two singers with powerful voices and great moves, the rest of them enthusiastically banging at their instruments and producing powerful but ultimately good music. I ran home to get my 'dica' and catch some of the action on camera. My students were only too happy to see me there, clapping and swaying in the rhytm of the music.