Cheonggyecheon, a waterway running through downtown Seoul, is where city folks eat, drink and play in the evenings. Wu Yiyao / China Daily

If you are looking for romance in Seoul, there is only one place to go - Cheonggyecheon. At night, the creek is a showcase of digital laser shows, gurgling streams, waterfalls and fountains, and the perfect place for visitors looking for pleasant surprises.

This little stream of water runs right through downtown Seoul for a little more than 8 kilometers, and its bank is the site of a massive urban renewal project that is popular with locals and tourists.

On the evening I visited, there were huge crowds on both banks of the slender stream, and camera flashes sparkled in the night.

Young people, mostly schoolgirls, were on tiptoes craning their necks for a closer look at the outdoor shoot of a Korean television drama.

I was loaded down with two huge bags full of souvenirs - wooden handicrafts, ceramic tableware and silk embroidery from the nearby Insadong area.

I finally found a spot next to two young friendly Seoul natives, who took pains to interpret the dialogue between the actor and actress into English. The leads were model-turned actress Jo Yoon-hee and Kang Ji-hwan, both very popular at the moment.

The two celebrities attracted thousands of people that chilly evening and as I leaned forward to get a closer look, I almost fell into the water.

Before 2005, Cheonggyecheon would not have been safe to fall into. It was neglected and polluted and hidden under an elevated highway until it was restored in a million-dollar project.

An elderly tourist from the Philippines told me this was her third time watching drama shooting at Cheonggyecheon in just two days in Seoul.

"Isn't it amazing? These experiences make me feel that I am part of the city," she said.

I could not agree more. It is the little activities that make the visitor feel at home.

A day ago, in Cheonggyecheon Plaza, I took part in a Frisbee game for the first time in a promotional event for Pyeongchang's bid for 2014 Winter Olympics. That same evening, as I was tossing coins into a make-a-wish fountain, a photographer asked me to pose for a picture.

There are many ways to enjoy the area, the stone steps and the bridges above the stream. Food stalls, restaurants, cafes and teahouses beckon on both banks.

My favorite outlets are at Jong Gak, on the north bank of Cheonggycheon, especially those selling deep-fried chicken wings (totally different from those in fast-food chains), grilled squids and fish pancakes. Prices all start from 5,000 won ($4.60). The salty, oily smells and the sizzling sound of frying food at midnight is another memory for visitors to take home.

There are all kinds of beers available at the stalls, and you can sit and relax at the plastic tables and chairs near the stalls. To quote one stall owner, "Beer plus fried chicken a day, keep the doctor away", and there is no more delicious match after an exhausting day at work.

That's what the locals do and you can see men and women in formal suits gathered around tables and beer bottles, or bowls of makgeolli, the traditional rice wine that is sweet and milky.

I joined a table of five men and two women - I had never met them before but they welcomed me anyway.

After too much to drink, nothing is more sobering than a large bowl of congee made from ginkgo nuts, sliced rice cake and creamy boiled red bean. And it was just 5,000 won.

Traveling alone in a country where I do not speak a word of the language was a challenge, but in Seoul, pleasant surprises, the openness and the hospitality made me feel very much at home. And it was all by the creek that runs right through it.

You can contact the writer at wuyiyao@chinadaily.com.cn

China Daily

(China Daily 08/14/2011 page16)