Cheonjeyeon Falls (cheonjeyeon pokpo [천제연폭포])

Jungmun-dong, Jeju-do, South Korea

About Cheonjeyeon Falls (cheonjeyeon pokpo [천제연폭포])

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Cheonjeyeon Falls (Cheonjeyeon Pokpo [천제연폭포]) was a series of three waterfalls each spilling into colorful blue ponds.

The name of the falls translates to “The Pond of God”, and as the name suggests, these ponds are what distinguish this waterfall from others we’ve been to, especially on Korea’s Jeju Island.

Cheonjeyeon_044_06232023 - One of the Cheonjeyeon Falls
One of the Cheonjeyeon Falls

Of course, the waterfalls themselves were no slouches, and they were the very reason why we came here in the first place.

The first waterfall is said to be 22m tall dropping into a plunge pool said to be 21m deep, but this waterfall apparently only flows after heavy rain (it wasn’t flowing on our late June 2023 visit).

The second waterfall was probably the most attractive and notable one, and it’s said to have a 30m drop with a width that makes it appear to have a more classical rectangular shape.

It’s no surprise that this was by far the most popular waterfall of the Cheonjeyeon Falls ensemble though it made me wonder how the first waterfall could be so dry while the second waterfall was so reliable.

Cheonjeyeon_131_06232023 - The third Cheonjeyeon Falls
The third Cheonjeyeon Falls

I suspect the main reason is that most of the water on the Jungmuncheon Stream emerges from the deep plunge pool below the first waterfall as a spring.

So there has to be a lot of water in order for water to flow over the cliff responsible for that first waterfall.

Anyways, the third waterfall required the most effort to reach as well as the smallest of the three.

However, it also has reliable flow along with an attractively large plunge pool (much like the second waterfall).

Cheonjeyeon_012_06232023 - Julie and Tahia walking by the ticket checking kiosk at Cheonjeyeon Falls
Julie and Tahia walking by the ticket checking kiosk at Cheonjeyeon Falls

A visit to these waterfalls also allowed us to go on the Seonimgyo Bridge, which not only allowed us to see the waterfalls from a distance (in high flow though), but it also let us glimpse the sea looking downstream.

Since this was one of Jeju Island’s more popular places to visit, it made sense that they charge for admission and have opening and closing hours.

During our late June 2023 visit, we paid about 2500 won per adult and our daughter’s ticket was 1350 won.

A sign here indicated that the opening hours were from 9am to 7pm, but the ticket office window closes an hour before closing (keep in mind that these were Summer hours, and they may change the times outside of this season).

Experiencing The Cheonjeyeon Falls

Cheonjeyeon_020_06232023 - The lookout for the first Cheonjeyeon Falls was closed during our visit in late June 2023
The lookout for the first Cheonjeyeon Falls was closed during our visit in late June 2023

From the car park, which seemed like a former basketball court (see directions below), we walked to the southern end where there was the ticket kiosk.

After paying for and securing out tickets, we then went past a ticket check kiosk before going right on the well-signed and well-developed walk that goes to all of the Cheonjeyeon Waterfalls.

Barely 100m past the ticket check kiosk, there were steps leading down to a lookout for the first waterfall.

Unfortunately, during our late June 2023 visit, that lookout was closed so we couldn’t get a good look at the falls (which was dry anyway).

Cheonjeyeon_059_06232023 - It can get pretty busy at the lookout for the second Cheonjeyeon Falls though for the moment this photo was taken, it was momentarily not as busy
It can get pretty busy at the lookout for the second Cheonjeyeon Falls though for the moment this photo was taken, it was momentarily not as busy

Nonetheless, we did catch glimpses of a nicely colored plunge pool, but it was a shame that the closure of the lookout kept us from seeing it properly.

By the way, there’s no swimming at any of the plunge pools, which is clear from the way that railings were set up along with the ubiquitous CCTV surveillance cameras (which are all over Korea).

About 200m downstream from the first waterfall’s spur was another short spur trail that descended to a large lookout fronting the second waterfall.

This was by far the busiest of the lookouts, and the size of the viewing deck certainly accommodated a few dozen people though the choice views were still limited to the front of this platform.

Cheonjeyeon_072_06232023 - A lookout of the Seonimgyo Bridge where we could look at the 7 nymphs put into its tressels
A lookout of the Seonimgyo Bridge where we could look at the 7 nymphs put into its tressels

After having our fill of the second Cheonjeyeon Falls, we then hiked 200m back up out of the gorge and onto the road, where it seemed like an older trail that stayed within the gorge was closed off (likely due to rockfall and gorge stability issues).

So after going for maybe 50m along the road, we then reached one side of the Seonimgyo Bridge, where there was a lookout to get a closer look at some of the bridge’s 7 nymphs (though I’m not sure what their significance is).

On top of the bridge, we were able to look upstream towards the first Cheonjeyeon Falls while looking downstream yielded interesting seaside views beyond the well-forested jungle below.

The other side of the bridge led to the Jungwon Tourist Complex (where there were a lot of high end hotels and restaurants), and there was a separate paid entrance over there.

Cheonjeyeon_092_06232023 - Distant look towards the dry first Cheonjeyeon Falls as seen from the Seonimgyo Bridge
Distant look towards the dry first Cheonjeyeon Falls as seen from the Seonimgyo Bridge

There might also be more lookouts on the other side of the bridge though we didn’t go all the way across and explore that part on our visit.

Finally, at about 300m beyond the bridge, the trail reached another signed junction where we then went another 150m or so (descending several steps) before reaching the lookout for the third of the Cheonjeyeon Falls.

Although space was more limited at this lookout, there weren’t nearly as many people pursuing this waterfall as compared to the second waterfall.

After having our fill of this third waterfall, we pretty much went back the way we came to the car park (but staying on the road all the way to the cafes and drink shops to cool off) going about 700m to get there.

Cheonjeyeon_153_06232023 - Julie and Tahia walking back along the road from the third Cheonjeyeon Falls to the car park while passing by some memorial
Julie and Tahia walking back along the road from the third Cheonjeyeon Falls to the car park while passing by some memorial

It’s worth noting that the main trail continued beyond the spur to the third waterfall, and apparently this trail goes by a couple of temples as well as ultimately links up with the Jungmunsang-ro (the very same road we drove on to park the car earlier).

We can’t say more about that route since we didn’t do it, but as far as amenities were concerned, it was definitely more forested and less developed that way.

Overall, we spent a little less than 90 minutes away from the car, but we did pause quite a bit to take pictures as well as have some cold drinks on the way back to the car (so I’m sure you can do this easily in less than an hour).

Lastly, there’s another waterfall called Cheonjiyeon Falls, which is NOT the same as this waterfall despite the single letter change in the romanization of its name.

Authorities

Cheonjeyeon Falls resides by the Jungmun Tourist Complex in Seogwipo, Jeju-do Province, South Korea. It is administered by the local authorities in Seogwipo. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting this website for leads.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: cheonjeyeon waterfall, cheonjeyeon pokpo, pond of god, cheonjeyeon valley, seonimgyo bridge, cheonjeru pavilion, chilseonyeogyo, jungmun, jungmum, jeju, korea, south korea, cheonjiyeon falls, cheonjiyeon waterfall, cheonjiyeon pokpo



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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