![A rose garden and walking path along the riverside flats near Gocheok Bridge on Anyangcheon. [Guro-gu]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/12/news-p.v1.20260812.fa9063ea4ca44a9ba1cec4da19330c09_P1.png)
Seoul's Guro-gu district announced Wednesday that it has transformed stretches of Anyangcheon, Dorimcheon and Mokgamcheon into ecological and cultural waterways.
The district invested 4.73 billion won ($3.34 million) in Seoul Metropolitan Government funds to carry out the "premium ecological and cultural waterway project" from January, covering roughly 30,000 square meters across the three streams. The project aimed to restore damaged riparian vegetation and improve waterfront scenery. Workers cleared invasive and ecosystem-disrupting plant species and replanted the areas with a variety of trees and flowering plants to create a nature-friendly river environment. Embankments and riverside flats were developed to give residents a more pleasant space.
Each stretch was developed to reflect its own character. Along Anyangcheon between Gocheok Bridge and Gwangmyeong Bridge, the district greened the embankment slopes, created a flower garden on the riverside flats and planted hydrangeas along the top of the levee to form a themed promenade.
Along Dorimcheon between Dorimcheon Station and Sindorim Station, hydrangeas and roses were planted on the embankment slopes to create a colorful landscape. Along Mokgamcheon between Mokgam Bridge and Gaebong Bridge, a grass lawn and pin oak trees were added.
On Anyangcheon, the district planted 51,000 rose bushes, 6,500 hydrangeas and 57,000 flowering plants. On Dorimcheon, it planted 12,000 rose bushes, 3,600 hydrangeas and 4,000 flowering plants. On Mokgamcheon, a roughly 5,500-square-meter lawn and 40 pin oak trees were planted to create a space combining rest and scenery.
The district completed work on Dorimcheon on June 11 and on Mokgamcheon on June 30, with Anyangcheon finished in late July, bringing all three waterway projects to completion.
Guro-gu District Mayor Jang In-hong said rivers are "green spaces woven into daily life where residents can enjoy nature closest to home," adding that the district would continue to build a comfortable environment where ecology and leisure coexist, making the waterways a destination residents return to in every season.
Last month, the district also completed a water-cycle restoration project along Gyeongin-ro and within the Guro G-Valley industrial complex, converting gray pedestrian corridors into green walkways. A 7,750-square-meter street forest was created along Dijital-ro, a main commuting route for G-Valley workers and residents. Along a 785-meter stretch of Gyeongin-ro between Oryu IC and Gocheok Sky Dome — an area prone to urban heat islands and flooding during heavy rain due to heavy traffic and a high proportion of impermeable surfaces — the district introduced "rainwater piggy banks," storage systems that collect and reuse rainwater. Alongside this, a variety of tree species effective at absorbing carbon and reducing fine dust, including variegated privet and Judas trees, were planted in green buffer strips to strengthen vegetation recovery and microclimate regulation.
cook@heraldcorp.com
