Jongno (Seoul) 1. Cheonggye Plaza 2. Gwangtonggyo Bridge 3. Jeongjo Daewang Neunghaeng Banchado 4. Supyogyo Bridge Site 5. Ogansugyo Bridge 6. Bosingak Bell Pavilion 7. Yukuijeon 8. Tapgol Park 9. Insa-dong 10. Jogyesa Temple 11. Postal Memorial Hall 12. Seoul City Hall 13. Gwanghwamun Plaza 14. National Museum of Korean Contemporary History 15.Seoul Museum of History 16. Jeongdong-gil - 1 - 1. Cheonggye Plaza The Hidden Charms of Cheonggye Plaza Cheonggye Plaza is a place of relaxation frequented by Korean and foreign tourists as well as those who work in the many office buildings nearby. The first thing you’ll notice as you walk into the plaza is a tall, red and blue sculpture that looks like a conical shell. It's 'The Spring’, an artwork by two American pop artists, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. The artists say that they were inspired by Korea’s uniquely beautiful ceramics, traditional clothes, and full moon. If you look inside ‘The Spring’, you’ll see a trickle of water falling from the top of the sculpture to the bottom, before flowing along a curved groove that leads into the Cheonggyecheon Stream. The groove is a 1/100 scale model of the stream. The Cheonggyecheon Stream is actually a man-made waterway. It was built around the time the Joseon Dynasty was founded to serve as a drainage system for the city. After the fall of the Joseon Dynasty and during the Japanese Occupation of Korea, the occupying Japanese government attempted to fill the stream with concrete because they thought the water was dirty. The stream was completely covered by with concrete in the 1970’s, a few decades after Korea’s independence from Japan, for the construction of Cheonggye Overpass. In 2003, the Seoul Metropolitan Government restored the stream to what you see today. If you walk down the steps from the plaza, you’ll see a two-tier waterfall that marks the beginning of the stream. Right underneath the waterfall, you’ll notice eight thick, stone slabs, which were brought here from all over the country. Each of the eight slabs represents one of the eight provinces of Korea before the country was divided into north and - 2 - south. Today, they represent a hope for unification. All the slabs are made of rock indigenous to the particular provinces they represent, except for those that represent provinces in North Korea. Stonemasons did their best to find the slabs of stone that best resemble the ones in North Korea. There is no doubt that most people who understand the significance of these rocks wish that someday, the existing slabs will be replaced by the genuine article 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 down from these rocks, you’ll come across a saucer-shaped granite sculpture with a hole in the middle. It serves as a wishing well into which to toss coins. Throw a coin into the hole to make a wish. It doesn’t matter if you fail; all the coins collected are donated to the needy. A festival is held each season at Cheonggye Plaza. It is a great place to visit if you would like to learn about the history of Korea and the experience is unique. - 3 - 2. Gwangtonggyo The Most Important Bridge of the Joseon Bridge Dynasty Gwangtonggyo Bridge was built around 600 years ago but it had been buried under the ground for over 100 years before it was recently restored. If you look carefully at the stone blocks, you’ll see that some of them are much darker than the rest. Right below the low bridge, you’ll also find a number of stone blocks engraved with an image of divine guardian surrounded by patches of cloud. These stones were brought from the tombs of kings and queens. How did these valuable pieces of art end up being used in the construction of a bridge? It was as a result of a feud between members of the royal family at the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty. Yi Bang-won was denied his rightful rank of crown prince by his step-mother, Queen Sindeok, who favored her own son Yi Bang-seok and ensured that he became 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 and became King Taejong, the third king of Joseon, he ordered the queen’s grave be relocated and the stones from her tomb be used to construct this bridge. The construction of the bridge was motivated by hatred, but it served a very important purpose. All subsequent royal parades passed over the bridge, along with each of the foreign envoys that came to visit the palace. In addition, various folk festivals were held on the bridge, particularly on the day of the first full moon of the year. People flew kites from the bridge during the day, and played a game similar to stepping stones at night. In those days, people, both men and women, were only officially permitted to walk around outside at night during this particular festival. People from different social classes - 4 - came together to stroll back and forth across the bridge all night long. The activity was very popular due to the belief that walking across the bridge would ensure the health of one’s legs and protect them from any injury or disease! People also believed that eating seasoned vegetables, peanuts, chestnuts, and other types of nuts on the day of the first full moon could drive away evil spirits. They thought that ghosts and evil spirits hated the sound of a nut being cracked. So, are you ready to take a walk on the bridge just like the people of Joseon did centuries ago? - 5 - 3. Jeongjo Daewang Jeongjo Banchado, the Royal Procession to Neunghaeng Banchado Suwon This large mural is titled ‘Jeongjo Daewang Neunghaeng Banchado’. Composed of 4960 tiles, it’s the world's largest ceramic mural and is 192 meters in length. The mural depicts King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of Joseon, on his way to Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, where he would visit his father’s grave and host his mother’s 60th birthday party. The mural depicts a grand procession of 1,779 people and 779 horses, but historical records show that there were over 6,000 people following the procession. The detailed mural is depicted from the side and slightly behind, making it easier to notice the rank and position of the attendees. Take a closer look at the artwork. You'll see that the Governor of Gyeonggi-do is leading the way, followed by a band of soldiers and court ladies. Right behind them is the king's mother, Queen Hyegyeonggung. The king’s mother is followed by a horse on which King Jeongjo rode. However, the king is nowhere to be seen in this mural. This is because artists were forbidden to represent their king during the Joseon period, except when they were commissioned to paint a portrait. Portraits of the king were revealed only after his death. This mural is generally considered an important work of art depicting the people of Joseon and King Jeongjo's familial love for his father, Crown Prince Sado. - 6 - Supyogyo Bridge with a Water Marker to 4. Supyogyo Bridge Measure the Water Level of Site Cheonggyecheon Stream This is Supyogyo Bridge. The bridge was originally made of stone, but wood was used to restore the original shape. It was named ‘Supyogyo’ when a water marker, or ‘supyo’ in Korean, was erected by it to measure the depth of the Cheonggyecheon Stream. Along with a rain gauge invented by Jang Yeong-sil, a prominent scientist and astronomer during the Joseon Dynasty under the reign of King Sejong the Great, the water marker is the world’s first hydrological instrument. Thanks to this ingenious invention, local people could prepare for possible flooding of the stream. The bridge is also famous for being the place where King Sukjong and Royal Lady Jang met for the first time. One day, when King Sukjong was on his way back to the palace after attending a royal ancestral rite, he happened to see a commoner named Jang Ok-jeong near this bridge. The king proceeded to return to the palace, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the beautiful girl. He ordered her to work at the palace as a lady of the court. His love for her only grew stronger, so he later made her his queen. Cross the bridge and walk along the stream, and you’ll see a water fountain laser show. The show enhances the beauty of the view of Seoul at night, a city of skyscrapers. Combined with an interesting history, the light show makes Supyogyo Bridge one of the perfect places to visit in Seoul. - 7 - The site of the largest dredge ever built and 5. Ogansugyo Bridge maintained during the Joseon Dynasty This is Ogansugyo Bridge. However, during the Joseon Dynasty, it was not a bridge but a set of sluice gates through which the Cheonggyecheon Stream flowed. At the time, Seoul was a walled city, and the gates were part of the fortress wall. They were named ‘Ogansumun' because there were five sluice gates in total, and the word literally means “five sluice gates” in Korean. It was through these five sluice gates that waste water flowed out of the city.