Oncheon-cheon (also known as the Oncheon Stream or Oncheon River) is a
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the in
Busan
Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...
, South Korea.
It was previously known as the Seocheon or Dongnaecheon. The source of the river is on
Geumjeongsan
Geumjeongsan (or Geumjeong Mountain) is a mountain in the city of Busan in South Korea. It covers a large surface that extends into Dongnae-gu in the south, Buk-gu in the west, Geumjeong-gu in the east, and the city of Yangsan in the north. Its ...
.
It then flows through the built-up area of Busan, passing between
Allak-dong
Allak is a '' dong'' in Dongnae-gu, Busan, South Korea. It is divided into two administrative ''dong'', Allak 1-dong and Allak 2-dong. The total area is 2.31 km2, with a population of 18,560. It borders Geumjeong-gu on the north.
The name ...
(
Dongnae District
Dongnae District is a '' gu'' in central Busan, South Korea.
Administrative divisions
It has a population of about 300,000, and an area of 16.7 square kilometers. It was once a separate city, the principal port of southeastern Korea. Numerous ...
) and (
Yeonje District) along the way.
In 2003, the Busan municipal government began redevelopment in order to address the stream's environmental issues and provide recreation facilities on its banks.
The Oncheon Stream Park along the banks of the river is an excellent place to view the blossoming of
cherry tree
A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).
Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...
s.
Ecosystem
The river's ecosystem suffered due to urban development and industrialisation. A 1984 study found that the water contained more than ten times the safe level of synthetic organic compounds, attributable to the dumping of
industrial waste
Industrial waste is the waste produced by industrial activity which includes any material that is rendered useless during a manufacturing process such as that of factories, mills, and mining operations. Types of industrial waste include dirt and ...
in the river. In April 2000, eight social & environmental volunteer groups began efforts to restore the river's ecosystem. However, by 2008, there was still far greater plant diversity at the upper reaches of the river than in the urban area.
See also
*
Cheonggyecheon, a river in Seoul with a similar redevelopment history
References
{{coord, 35.1889, 129.1148, format=dms, type:river_region:KR, display=title
Dongnae District
Yeonje District
Rivers of Busan