Cheonggyecheon Stream Restoration (Seoul)
Seoul removed an ageing road and elevated motorway that covered the Cheonggyecheon stream and restored it along a 5.84 km corridor through the city centre (Cheonggyecheon Museum).
Image: NASA (iss072e757318, Seoul at night, March 5, 2025).
Last reviewed: 2 sources cited
Seoul tore down a motorway to let a buried stream see daylight again.
In the month after it reopened on Oct. 1, 2005, about 6.27 million people visited the restored stream (Encyclopedia of Korean Culture).
Source: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (Academy of Korean Studies), Cheonggyecheon restoration project
Explain Like I'm 10
- A stream in the middle of Seoul was covered with concrete and a highway was built on top.
- The city took the highway down and opened the stream up again.
- Now people walk beside the water in the heart of the city.
The Five W's of Cheonggyecheon
What
The Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project, which demolished the old road and elevated motorway and brought the stream back.
When
From July 2003 to Oct. 1, 2005, two years and three months.
Where
A 5.84 km corridor through central Seoul, South Korea.
Why
The road and motorway were badly ageing, and many argued the stream should be restored rather than spending more on maintenance (Cheonggyecheon Museum).
Connected Solutions
- Elwha River Restoration Two Elwha River dams came down between 2011 and 2014.
Impact Statement
Government solution · active
The museum says the project changed the face of the city forever, as ecology and heritage became goals ahead of growth and development (Cheonggyecheon Museum).
Source: Seoul Museum of History, Cheonggyecheon Museum
For Further Information: Seoul Museum of History, Cheonggyecheon Museum
The Cheonggye elevated motorway was fully demolished by Aug. 3, 2003, about a month after work began (Encyclopedia of Korean Culture).
How This Saves People & the Planet
For People
Its museum, with exhibition halls and an auditorium for cultural events, tells visitors the story of the restoration (Cheonggyecheon Museum).
Source: Seoul Museum of History, Cheonggyecheon Museum
For Nature
The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture describes the project as more than a stream restoration: a restoration of history, culture and life (Encyclopedia of Korean Culture).
Source: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (Academy of Korean Studies), Cheonggyecheon restoration project
Learn More About Cheonggyecheon
Want to go deeper? The Cheonggyecheon Museum tells the restoration story.
For Further InformationRelated Solutions
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