Children's Day at Cheonggyecheon

Actually, this post is really just a continuation of the post just below about Cinco de Mayo--they are the same day! Indeed, many Seoulites stopped off at the Cinco de Mayo fiesta on their way between Cheonggyecheon and the Jonggak subway station.

I did the same thing, in reverse.

Cheonggyecheon 청계천 is a man-made stream replicating an ancient natural stream that runs through the heart of Seoul city. This stream became an eyesore, and a source of disease and odor, as Seoul grew into a metropolis in the mid-twentieth century. It was paved over in the 1960s.

One of the projects of Lee Myung-bak, presently the controversial President of the Korean Republic, was the rejuvenation of Cheonggyecheon when he was Mayor of Seoul early in the decade. While its progenitor remains controversial, Seoulites flock to the waterway in throngs whenever the weather is nice. The weather was nice today.




Of course, it being Children's Day, there were numerous incentives to get out and about as a family, such as musical performances ...



... caricature drawing ...


... and hair-cutting ...


Just kidding! Actually, the festivities included a series of stations which were out-and-out photo ops for the friends and family, recalling especially the "way things used to be"--like old-time barbers, rather than, say, the "Well-Being Hair Salon" I go to.



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