On a first walk beside Cheonggyecheon, it is easy to notice the illuminated water, stepping-stones, and Gwangjang Market's mung-bean pancakes before anything else. Yet this corridor was once both a drainage channel and a stream of everyday life for the Joseon capital. Shacks crowded its banks after the Korean War, and later a covered road and elevated expressway carried the speed of industrial Seoul above it. A 120-minute, 2.5-kilometer walk from Gwangtonggyo through the Supyogyo site and the machine-tool alleys of Gwansu-dong and Jangsa-dong to Gwangjang Market reveals these layers in sequence: waterway, road, industry, and market.
Minutes 0–30: Begin at Gwangtonggyo by questioning what “restoration” means
Just east of Cheonggye Plaza, Gwangtonggyo was a major stone bridge connecting the center of the Joseon capital. The present bridge incorporates excavated historical stonework but was reconstructed slightly away from its original position. Do not assume that a complete Joseon bridge survives exactly where it first stood. Use the interpretive signs to distinguish the original location, excavated remains, reused stones, and relocated reconstruction.
Minutes 30–60: Read the height of the water at the Supyogyo site
Continue east along the stream and you will encounter markers for Supyogyo Bridge and the nearby water gauge. The gauge, or *supyo*, was used to measure the stream's level and assess flood danger. The original stones of Supyogyo are now in Jangchungdan Park, so what you see beside Cheonggyecheon is not the entire historic bridge. Shift your attention from water as scenery to the administrative work once required to monitor it.
Minutes 60–90: Listen to the sound of urban manufacturing in Gwansu-dong and Jangsa-dong
In the lanes south of Jongno and north of Cheonggyecheon, shops selling tools, metal, machine parts, and electrical supplies stand beside small workshops. This is not a mall displaying finished products. It is a production network in which ordering, machining, repair, and delivery are linked across different businesses. Observe the density of this industrial district from main streets and permitted passages without blocking workshop doors or stacked materials.
Minutes 90–120: At Gwangjang Market, look at the market's structure before its food
When you enter Gwangjang Market, first locate the ground-floor fabric, hanbok, and wedding-goods shops and the second-floor used-clothing market instead of heading directly to the food arcade. The stalls are an important part of the market today, but they do not represent its full history or function. Notice how textile wholesaling and production, retail trade, and tourist consumption operate beneath one roof on different schedules.