Some 40,000 residents and tourists visited the 2026 Uicheon Riverside Festa, held by Seoul’s Gangbuk District from October 16 to 18 along Uicheon Stream. The festival took over the riverside stretch from Uigyo Bridge to Ssanghango Bridge under the name “Wellness in Wonderland,” inspired by the story Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Its aim was to bring residents opportunities to care for both body and mind close to home.
Uicheon is an ecological stream about 8.3 kilometers long, rising in Dobongsan Mountain and flowing into the Jungnangcheon Stream. It once faced issues including sections being covered over and dry streambeds, but was restored as an ecological stream in the 2010s. Today, it serves as a walking and cycling route, as well as a cherry blossom trail. For three days, the neighborhood waterway people pass every day became a setting for meditation, exercise and art.
Barre and singing bowl yoga mark Global Wellness Day
The movement-based activities were concentrated on October 17, the second day of the festival. A barre exercise class was held to mark Global Wellness Day, led by actress Nam Ji-hyun, formerly of the group 4Minute. Based on ballet movements, barre involves repeating small movements over an extended period while focusing attention on the body’s center.
A yoga class accompanied by singing bowls was also held that day. Participants took time to settle their breathing by the riverside, where the sound of the water and wind mingled with the bowls’ resonant tones. A puppet show by the creative collective Ssak was staged for families.
For people who find it daunting to sit for a long time with their eyes closed, moving the body while listening to sound can be an easier way in. Following the movements can bring attention to sensation before thought, and that experience can be a first step toward meditation.
Mayor and writer discuss art and wellness
On the first day, October 16, visitors could make cakes and Korean paper postcards in the Queen of Hearts’ Art Garden beneath Ssanghango Bridge, while music performances took place on the circular stage at Jaeganjeong. At 6:30 p.m., Gangbuk District Mayor Jung Chang-su, writer Lee Seul-ah and Son Jin-young, head of the creative collective Ssak, held a talk concert on art and wellness.
Ten Gangbuk-style wellness tourism destinations along the stream
The riverside served as a walking route throughout the festival. Along the literary trail from Jaeganjeong to Suyugyo Bridge, visitors could read lines by writers including Han Kang. The section from Suyugyo Bridge to Ssanghango Bridge featured an exhibit introducing 10 wellness tourism destinations selected by the district, along with works by the late painter Park Saeng-gwang, who lived in Suyu-dong. Plays and busking performances by local artists who had passed a preliminary screening were also held at various spots.
Walking slowly while reading lines of writing can itself resemble walking meditation. The festival offered time to focus on each step and breath without a set destination, in the familiar form of a walking trail.
Heavy rain forecast halts final-day activities
The festival’s final day, October 18, was suspended because of forecasts of heavy rain and strong winds. The district concluded the event after taking safety measures and providing on-site guidance. No safety incidents occurred over the three days.
Mayor Jung Chang-su said he regretted that the weather had prevented the festival from running all its planned activities, but emphasized that residents’ safety came first. He added that the district would continue seeking out cultural and wellness programs people can enjoy close to home.
Meditation is closer than you think
When people think of wellness, they may first picture a distant resort or an expensive retreat. This festival showed that even a neighborhood stream people walk beside every day can be a place to energize the body and calm the mind. Finding one’s center through barre, matching one’s breathing to the sound of singing bowls and walking slowly while reading—all happened beside the same waterway.
In daily life, with information and notifications pouring in without pause, the easiest place to begin meditating may be surprisingly close to home. The three days at Uicheon offered this suggestion: try things one at a time, in a way that feels comfortable for your body and in a place close to your daily life, and find the kind of meditation that suits you.
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