Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
Cheonjiyeon, meaning “God’s pond,” Why do people call it that? There is a local fairytale about seven fairies serving the King of Heaven who descended to earth one fine day on stairs of cloud and bathed in Cheonjiyeon pond. Nowadays, the clear and deep water of Cheonjiyeon Falls is designated as Natural Monument No. 27.
Unfortunately, swimming and soaking in the pond are not permitted. You must be asking why… The reason is that Cheonjiyeon pond is renowned as a habitat for Mutae (무ν) eels which is active at night and will “dance” to the night illumination (Natural Monument No. 258). Well, a valid reason. “Cheon” literally means sky and “Ji” means land, the name Cheonjiyeon suggests that this waterfall connects the earth and heaven, what a beautiful name.
Talking about name, a lot of people tend to get it confused with Cheonjeyeon and I don’t blame them. The only difference in the name is just “i” and “e” with very similar pronunciation but the fact is Cheonjeyeon is a three-tier waterfall and it’s park covers much more attraction. read it here.
No Eat No Game
Before entering the park, there is one more important thing to do. We had spent some energy exploring JeongBang waterfalls and it’s time to recharge. Along with the carpark, there were tons of restaurants that serve traditional Jeju cuisine, spoiling us with choices. Finally, we chose the one with red signs, because, well to put it plainly, Chinese loves red, and I am Chinese af.
At the restaurant, we actually had no idea so we asked the waiter for recommendations.
“Abalone Porridge” is our traditional food here, have you tried?
Honestly, I was a bit taken aback when I heard Abalone. My IOS: Sis, can’t you see we are 2 broke kids? I don’t want to wash plates for the restaurant for not able to pay the bill later. However, I was proven wrong when I was handed the menu with clearly written price— 12000 Krw (RM42.13/ 10 USD).Well, ok, let's try the Jeonbokjuk (Abalone Porridge), since it is a local delicacy.
The waiter who found out that we are tourists linger around our table to chat, which is much welcome! According to her Abalones are harvested by Hainyeo, the local women deep sea divers and these people are actually “endanger” because less and fewer youngsters are taking up the traditional career.
I have to compliment the chef of this humble restaurant for the job well done because the mackerel was crispy at the outside but so juicy and tender in the inside.
In The Park, Finally
From the ticket center, you will need to walk along a one-kilometer well path landscape trail with tons of photo opportunities… at the very beginning of the trail lies a traditional Korean raft also known as t'e-u (ν μ°), symbolizing the Korean culture.
...and finally, Cheonjiyeon waterfall, the 22 meters (72 feet) high, 12 meters (39 feet) wide waterfalls will appear at the end of the path (about 5-10 minutes walk) along with the thunderous sound of the waterfall. There is an artificial 20 m deep pond under the falls, created to contain the water during rainy seasons. Two small dams help keep the water at a safe level
There is a large volcanic rock right in front of the waterfalls for tourists to take Instagram photos. So that was what I did too. lol
Estimated time to spend at Cheonjiyeon Waterfalls:
45 minutes as there are more things to do around the area.There are some smaller falls around the park that can serve as some cool photo spots. You could try on Hanbok and have your photo taken in front of the waterfalls.
If you are interested in flora and fauna, you’ll be excited to find a huge variety of rare plants such as the wild Dampalsu trees, designated as Natural Monument No. 163, brambles, Songyeopnan as well as Gusiljappam trees, Sanyuja trees (Chinese lemon trees), and camellias, which all make up a magical forest known as Natural Monument No. 379.
Getting to Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
I walked to the Cheonjiyeon Waterfall after paying Jeongbang waterfalls a visit. Yes, it was quite easy as the road signs are quite clear. If you are not confident still, I recommend downloading the Naver Map. This app does wonder by preventing a lot of unnecessary leg work out. Unless you love to have leg day everyday… then don’t. Don’t download the Naver map.If you are road tripping like a boss, insert the phone number 7331528 into the Korean GPS and drive to Cheonjiyeon waterfall. Again, onsite Parking is FREE.
If you want to call a Kakao Taxi, this is the address:
Address: 666-7, Cheonji-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do 666-7
Korean Address: μ μ£Ό μκ·ν¬μ μ²μ§λ 666-7
By public transport, you can reach Cheonjiyeon waterfalls:
* From Jeju Airport,
The limousine bus will send you to the Paradise Hotel and Jeongbangpokpo will be only 5 minutes away.
* From Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal,
Take any intercity bus bound for Seogwipo-si and get off at Jeju world cup stadium or Dongmun rotary. From there, you can either walk or take a Kakao Taxi.
Take bus 1 bound for Cheonjiyeon and get off at the last stop.
Admission Fees
Adults 2,000 won ( Approx RM7 / USD 1.70 )
Opening Hours
07:00∼23:00 (Last entry: 22:10)Visit Cheonjiyeon Waterfall at night for the daily illumination.
At night, the "Hidden Face," a formation of rocks, may be visible with the night lights. Recently, a picture that captured this hidden face ( actually a reflection of a rock) had gone viral. It was said that if the reflection is seen from the left, it looks like an adult’s face, but when viewed from the right side, it looks like the face of a baby. You may see the face in the afternoon too as the sun starts sinking in the west.
Where to stay
If you wish to stay near JeongBang Waterfalls and walk to all the nearby attractions like what I did, I highly recommend JeongMun Resort (click to check booking.com reviews). Not only that the popular sites like JeongBang (as near as 0.3km! ), Cheonjiyeon and Odgaldae rock (furthest) are within walking distance, it has family rooms to choose from which is great for travelers with kids.
Other than that, I saw Artstay Seogwipo Harbor (click to check booking.com review) on my way and thought it could be a cool stay too. It is just within a 10-minute walk from JeongBang, Seogwipo Maeil Olle Market and Lee Jung-Seop Culture Street. Making it an ideal base for travelers interested in waterfalls and local snacks. Plus, each rooms has excellent view of the harbor and you could have the time of your life watching sunset while dipping in your personal bath!
Have you been to JeongBang waterfalls? Share your thoughts with me!
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Thank You for Reading! This post is based solely on my honest opinion or personal experience. If you have a different opinion, feel free to share your thoughts with me by commenting below!
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