"About four decades ago, the Cheonggyecheon was paved over, and a two-story expressway was built above it. Gritty residential neighborhoods and shops grew in the expressway's shadows. But Seoul's mayor, Lee Myung Bak, decided two years ago to bring back the river that a whole generation of South Koreans had never seen.
A 3.7-mile stretch of the expressway was demolished, revealing a stream of relatively clear water cascading over rocks and gravel. There are 22 bridges, some with foundation stones from as early as 1412, and elevated sidewalks that make their way among high rises. "
