Cheonggye Plaza marks the western starting point of Cheonggyecheon, the stream restored through central Seoul in the early 2000s. The plaza’s sculpture and water features introduce a much longer urban story: a natural watercourse repeatedly reshaped to serve the growing capital.
Guide preview
The stream begins here as a designed public space, but its history is much older than the plaza. Cheonggyecheon was a natural watercourse before becoming a focus of drainage and infrastructure in the Joseon capital. Over time it was covered by roads and elevated structures as Seoul modernized.
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Quick facts
- The restoration project ran from July 2003 to September 2005.
- The project reopened 5.84 kilometres of the stream corridor.
- The plaza features Spring, a sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.
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