With heat arriving earlier than in previous years, more people are looking for places to pause for a moment while listening to the cool sound of water. There is no need to travel far. Even within Seoul, you can enjoy various forms of ‘water-gazing’, from an artificial waterfall in the city center to a valley reachable by subway and media art that uses waterways.

A refreshing waterfall in the heart of the city

The first spot that draws attention is Hongje Falls on the Hongje Stream in Seodaemun District. As you walk along the trail, a massive artificial waterfall measuring 25 m in height and 60 m in width comes into view. Thanks to the spray created where the flow hits the rocks, even the surrounding air feels noticeably cooler.

Created in 2011, Hongje Falls has been loved by residents for its scenery that harmonizes with the natural terrain. Recently, it has been reborn as a waterside cultural space, adding more to see. In 2023, ‘Cafe Pokpo’ and the ‘Waterfall Bookshop Areum Library’, both remodeled from a warehouse facing the falls, opened, and this year the Hongje Falls Complex Cultural Center was newly established.

The complex cultural center houses a media exhibition hall that captures Hongje Falls across the four seasons, a goods shop, and an observation cafe. Word of mouth has spread among international visitors via social media, and it has established itself as a representative waterside attraction of Seoul. The waterfall operates from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

If you want to see the most grandly scaled artificial waterfall in Seoul, head to Yongma Falls Park in Jungnang District. The park was created by converting the slope of Mount Yongma, once a quarry, and the waterfall was built by making use of the rock formation. Upon entering the park, the 51.4 m-high Yongma Falls is the first to catch the eye. To the left, the 21 m Cheongnyong Falls, and to the right, the 21.4 m Baengma Falls flow together to form a spectacular sight. The landscape formed by the massive rock wall and the densely green forest is also impressive.

Yongma Falls normally runs twice a day (11:30 a.m.~1 p.m., 2 p.m.~3 p.m.). During summer, from June 29 to August 31, an additional 5 p.m.~6 p.m. operating period is added, so you can see the falls three times a day. An artificial rock-climbing wall and a loess trail are also set up in the park, making it a pleasant place for a stroll.

A valley retreat accessible on foot from the subway

If you are looking for a valley where you can cool your feet, try Byeokun Valley on Mount Surak in Nowon District. It is within walking distance from Suraksan Station on Subway Line 7, so accessibility is excellent. Named after the inscription ‘Byeokundongcheon’ carved into a rock, it is considered a place where you can relatively easily enjoy valley water play in the urban center of Seoul.

The farther upstream you go, the louder the sound of the water and the deeper the shade formed by the forest. The downstream section is shallow, making it a good play area for young children, and Seonnyeo-tang near Sinseon-gyo Bridge is popular with adults as well. At the entrance to the valley is the Byeokundongcheon spring, and nearby you will also find a healing and meditation forest and raised platforms.

Jingwansa Valley on the slope of Bukhansan offers another kind of charm. After passing Eunpyeong Hanok Village and entering the forest path, a landscape unfolds where a temple, a valley, and the woods blend together. Jingwansa Valley is known for maintaining clear water quality because it lies within a national park protection zone. If you walk along the valley, it naturally leads into the Jingwansa temple precincts. Jingwansa is also known as the place where, during repairs to the Chilseonggak shrine, a Taegeukgi used during the March 1 Independence Movement and some twenty other artifacts related to the independence movement were discovered.

To protect the environment, entry into the valley is restricted, but at the Mashil-gil Neighborhood Park in the downstream area you can dip your feet or let children enjoy water play. Every year from late February to June, access is controlled to protect the spawning and breeding of amphibians, and full-scale water play is possible from July onward.

Media art that spans the waterway

There is also a ‘water-gazing’ spot that is more alluring at night than by day: ‘Cheonggye Soul Ocean’, created under Gwanggyo Bridge on Cheonggyecheon. It is a media-art space that projects light and images into a dark waterside area to create a landscape as if waves are flowing.

Currently, a piece themed ‘Spring Blooming’ is being shown. Videos featuring forsythia, cherry blossoms, azaleas, willow trees, and more blend with the surface of Cheonggyecheon to create a distinctive night view. From the second week of June, content titled ‘Taste of Joseon’ created in collaboration with Kansong Art Museum is also scheduled to be presented. Operating hours are from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. from June through August.

If you would like to enjoy quiet contemplation, Seosomun Shrine History Museum is also worth a visit. Built on a Catholic martyrdom site from the late Joseon period, this museum is a place where you can experience history, architecture, and media art together. Its signature space, Sky Plaza, is characterized by a vertical opening that runs from the third basement level up to the ground-level park. Because a square of sky unfolds like a frame between the red walls, it is also famous as a photo spot.

At the end of Sky Plaza, the media-art space ‘Sky Road’ continues. Along the rampway enclosed by red walls, gentle images flow, creating an atmosphere as if you are walking inside waves. It is a place that makes you momentarily forget you are in the middle of the city.