No, you’re not seeing double. The previous post focused on Cheonjiyeon Waterfall; this one is all about Cheonjeyeon Waterfall. See what changing a single letter can do?
Just like Cheonjiyeon, the land area where Cheonjeyeon is located is very large. Actually, it’s even larger. It’s so vast, it has its own amphitheater, and several separate gardens. I suppose that’s why it is called the “Cheonjeyeon Valley”.
“Cheonjeyeon” literally means “pond of God”. So that means there’s going to be a bridge of some sort. But again, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Clearly, the South Koreans love their legends – another similarity with Filipinos. Legend has it that, at night, seven nymphs from Heaven will come down to the pond and bathe in its waters, beneath the waterfall.
Entrance fee to the “valley” is 2500 KRW, or USD 2.5.
The highlight, however, is the three-tier waterfall. To get there, you have to go “deeper” into the Valley. Meaning, you’ll pass through a forest of sorts, with trees and lush vegetation.
Unfortunately, when we came, water is low. Basically, the main waterfall is no waterfall. Still, that did not stop us from making that considerable walk towards where the waterfall is supposed to be.
I did say there are three tiers, right? The third waterfall, which we didn’t go to but only caught a glimpse of, is the last tier, with the water eventually falling into the ocean. The pic above shows a glimpse of the second waterfall.
And then we’ve arrived at the first cascade, Cheonjeyeon itself.
The “pond of God”, where the cascade is supposed to fall.
Isn’t. It. Gorgeous. Yes, even without a cascade.
It’d be a crime not to frolic (well, as much as we could, given the cold weather), don’t you think?
Going back up, we took a walk to the Seonim Bridge or Seonimgyo, the arch bridge that is the representation of the legend of Cheonjeyeon.
A glimpse of the bridge. (Yes, I know, you need a wide camera-something, but I’m a point-and-shoot kinda girl. Sue me.)
You can’t clearly see it on the pic above, but the white carvings on the side of the bridge are the 7 nymphs.
Seonimgyo is also called Chilseonyeogyo, or the Bridge of the Seven Nymphs. According to my research, it has 100 guard rails and 34 stone lanterns.
The place was actually quite serene, despite the people moving out and about. The three of us sat down on the side, leaning against the rails and looked…. down. Waaaaay down.
Heading back, we hung out a bit at the outdoor amphitheater. I bet outdoor concerts and performances are epic when played here!
This wraps up our visit to the three famous waterfalls of Jeju Island. It would have been oodles better if Cheonjeyeon had a roaring cascade going on, but even without it, it was a sight to behold. Make sure you add these three waterfalls to your itinerary when you visit this beautiful island.
I’ll be taking a break from my South Korean posts and will start posting about my more recent Siem Reap adventure next! Will pick up my Jeju posts when I’m “templed out”. 🙂
See ya then!
