9 November 2022
Besides being located in the southern part of Jeju Island, what do Cheonjeyeon Waterfall and Jusangjeolli Cliff have in common?
Answer will be given later in this post.
I had first visited both of these places back in 2011 but included them in my itinerary for this day since there were first time visitors to Jeju in my travel group and I think that these two natural attractions are worth seeing.
After our lunch at the Galchi Wang, we went to the waterfall.
Cheonjeyeon Waterfall is located near the Jungmun Tourist Complex where there are many attractions such as the Teddy Bear Museum and the Yeomiji Botanical Garden. For avoidance of confusion, there is another waterfall in Jeju called the Cheonjiyeon Waterfall located in Seogwipo City.
Entrance fee to Cheonjeyeon Waterfall is 2500 KWR per person.
We went to view the colourful Cheonjeru Pavilion first. There are signs describing Cheonjeyeon Waterfall and its legend.
Cheonjeru Pavilion
Cheonjeyeon means “God’s pool”. The legend says that 7 nymphs or the maids of the heavenly god descended from the heaven at night to take a bath in the pond of the waterfall. It is believed that if you bathe in the water of the pond, you will be healthy and sound.
In my previous visit, my wife and I climbed up to the second floor of the Cheonjeru Pavilion where we could see scenes of the legend painted on the ceiling structure.
Next to the Cheonjeru Pavilion, there is a viewpoint where a waterfall could be seen.
Cheonjeyeon Waterfall is a 3-tier waterfall. The first waterfall runs from the floor of the mountain on the upper part of Jungmun-dong. It then falls 22 meters. The water then falls again two more times to form the second and third tier waterfalls. From there, the stream tributes to the sea. Most visitors would see only the first 2 waterfalls as the third-tier waterfall is quite far away.
Another view of the Cheonjeu Pavilion.
There is an interesting wishing fountain at the square next to the flight of steps leading up to the Cheonjeru Pavilion.
According to the description on the plaque, “This fountain symbolizes the five blessings of longevity (tortoise), wealth (boar), honor (dragon), love (mandarin duck), and sons (carp).”
This Fountain of 5 Blessing has 5 animals spouting water in 5 directions. The animal symbols have the following meanings:
- Dragon – Honour
- Tortoise – Longevity
- Mandarin Duck – Love
- Carp – Sons
- Boar – Wealth.
To receive the blessing associated with the animal, we are to stand in front of that animal and throw a coin into the lucky bag at the centre of the fountain. If the coin lands inside the bag, we will receive the blessings associated with the animal. At the end of the year, the coins gathered here will be put into good use by helping Korea’s underprivileged.
All the 4 guys in my group went to toss a coin to get the blessing of our choice. Was it a co-incident that all chose the wild boar!
After some fun at the wishing fountain, we crossed the Seonim-gyo Bridge which is an arch bridge over the Cheonjeyeon valley below. Seonim-gyo Bridge is also called Chilseonyeo-gyo, meaning "seven nymphs bridge”.
The Seonim-gyo bridge has 7 nymphs from the legend carved on each side.
Interesting heart shaped shadows formed by the railings of the bridge.
The bridge offers views of the valley below with a stream that flows to the third waterfall before reaching the sea. We could also see the sea in the distance.
Looking at lots of ducks in the valley below.
The valley is actually quite deep. This photo was taken with some zooming from my Canon G5X.
After crossing the bridge, we turned left and followed signage that leads to the first and second tier waterfalls.
To get up close to the second section waterfall, we would have to go down a steep flight of stairs. My travelling group decided to skip viewing the second tier waterfall (with the excuse that they have already seen it from the Cheonjeru Pavilion) and just go to the first tier waterfall. After our hike at Hallasan, we seem to have developed a phobia of stairs.
This is what they missed. Picture of the second tier waterfall from my previous visit to Cheongjeyeon Waterfall.
After a short hike through a flat and shady forest path, we arrived at the viewing platform for the first tier waterfall.
There is no waterfall to be seen! The waterfall is only seen when it rains and there had been little rainfall in autumn.
What we saw instead is a greenish pond and a strange and funny sign warning people that “you will die of heart attack if you swim in the pond”. I guess the sign is to discourage those who believe in the Cheongjeyeon legend from taking a dip in the “God’s pool” in order to be healthy and sound.
I guess people who do not heed the warning will receive a hefty fine, and die of heart attack when they see the amount they have to pay.
The pond is actually quite scenic with hexagonal shaped basalt columns forming the backdrop. It is amazing that these were not the work of skilled stone masons. Instead, these columnar joints with hexagonal pillars were created naturally by cooling lava flows long long time ago.
These basalt columns are common throughout Jeju but nicely formed hexagonal columns are only found in a few places, including Cheonjeyeon Waterfall.
Nicely formed hexagonal columns are only found in a few places in Jeju like Andeok Valley, Sanbangsan and Cheonjeyeon. So, what do Cheonjeyeon Waterfall and Jusangjeolli Cliff have in common?
Answer: These hexagonal shaped basalt columns.
They are also found at Jusangjeolli Cliff, our next destination.
This signboard was actually located in Jusanjeolli Cliff, explaining how the hexagonal pillars were formed and where they could be seen in Jeju.
After taking a coffee break in a cafe at the exit near the first tier waterfall, we took a short drive to the Jungmun coast. Compared to Cheonjeyeon Waterfall, there were more visitors at Jusangjeolli Cliff.Entrance to the Jusangjeolli Cliff was 2000 KWR per person.
From the entrance, a path leads to the cliff where impressive columnar joints with hexagonal pillars could be seen. A boardwalk with viewing platforms allowed visitors to view the interesting and unique rock formations from various viewpoints along the Jungmun coast.
Overview of the 2 km long coastline with columnar joints.
There are rock pillars shaped like cubes or hexagons of various sizes, similar to those seen at Cheonyejeon Waterfall but were much more impressive.
Jusangjeolli Cliff was formed when the lava from Hallasan’s eruptions flowed into the sea at Jungmun.
Closer view of the hexagonal cross-sections.
There are interpretative signs explaining how the columns were formed.
Sign explaining how the polygonal columns were formed by cracks as a result of contraction during the cooling of the lava.
Another sign read:
“The two kilometer long band of columnar joints formed along the coast of Jungmun and Daepo, Seogwipo consists of polygonal columnar–jointed volcanic rocks that were formed by the cooling and contracting of molten basalt. The basaltic joints feature polygonal columnar shapes joined together so they look much like the shell of a turtle or a dried pond bed. Such joints tend to be larger and have more clearly defined columnar shapes when they dry slowly, while those that dry quickly tend to have slimmer stems and more irregular shapes.
The columnar joints of Jungmun and Daepo have been collectively inscribed in the List of Natural Monuments in recognition of their scenic beauty; their large, clearly defined forms are often compared with the northwestern wall of the summit of Hallasan Mountain, Yeongsilgiam Cliff, and Sanbangsan Mountain.”
I remembered the last time I visited, huge waves were crashing into the columns and rocks along the Jungmun coast. This time, the sea was much calmer and it was less exciting. Nevertheless, this place never fails to amaze me. It is not often that we get to see such marvels created by nature.
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