Cheonjiyeon Waterfall

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Cheonjiyeon Waterfall at Night

Korean name

Hangul	천지연폭포
Hanja	天地淵瀑布
Revised Romanization	Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
McCune-Reischauer	Ch'ŏnjiyŏn Waterfall

Cheonjiyeon Waterfall is a waterfall on Jeju Island, South Korea. Literally, the name Cheonjiyeon means sky (Ch'eon) connected with land (ji). It is one of the main tourist attractions on Jeju-do. It is 22 meters high and 12 meters wide. Though water always falls in one particular area, depending on the amount of recent rain, the water may spread out. At the bottom of the waterfall is an artificial pond that is 20 meters deep. Large volcanic rocks form landbridges that allow tourists to pose for photographs in front of the falls. The waterfall is one of the three famous waterfalls of Jeju, the other two being Cheonjeyeon Waterfall and Jeongbang Waterfall.

In order to reach the waterfall, visitors must walk on a landscaped trail. Near the beginning of the path is a traditional Korean raft, symbolizing Korean culture. It is the most popular at night, because the falls are illuminated. The Cheonjiyeon Waterfall is also known for its diverse plant and animal life. Just before reaching the falls on the path, one must cross a bridge from which a wide variety of coy fish can be seen below. Along the way are three piles of stacked or balanced rocks that are a common sight throughout the whole of South Korea. In olden days, a person would place a small stone under a larger stone and pray for the health and prosperity of their family. Its pond is known for being a habitat of the marbled eel, which moves only at night. Known as the Mutae eel, it is classified in Korea as a Natural Monument.