| Anyangcheon | |
 | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 안양천 |
| Hanja | 安養川 |
| Revised Romanization | Anyangcheon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Anyangch'ŏn |
Anyangcheon (Korean: 안양천) is a river inGyeonggi Province andSeoul, South Korea. Its source is on the slopes ofGwanggyosan inUiwang[1] and flows north, through the city ofGunpo, where a major cleanup operation saw several species of birds return to the area in 2005.[2] Here, though, the water table remains depleted.[3] The river then flows throughAnyang City,[4] where it is met by its major tributary, theHakuicheon stream. From here, it loops around to the west before continuing north to the border withGwangmyeong City. As the river passes to the west ofMount Gwanak, it forms the border between Gwangmyeong andSeoul, where it is lined on the Gwangmyeong side withrape fields andcherry blossom trees.[5] After the stream is joined nearGuil Station from the west by the Mokgamcheon stream, which forms another border between Gwangmyeong and Seoul, it is then totally within the capital. Here, it is also joined from the east by theDorimcheon and passes through a conservation zone for migratory birds[6] which was established after a 2005 cleanup operation,[7] whereafter it joins theHan. Most of the length of the river has a path alongside providing easy access, the only parts without this lying inUiwang.Seoul City Council has embarked on a programme of exclusive cycle path creation alongside its waterways, including the Anyangcheon, to be completed in 2010.[needs update][8]
Anyangcheon has had many names throughout history. The part of the Anyangcheon that passes the modern day Geumcheon district was calledHannae in the bookDonggukyeojiseungram, which was transcribed as 大川, meaning 'big river' in chinese.[9] The river was also calledGitan, and the modern day nameAnyang is said to be named after the temple Anyangsa which was near the source of the river.[10] Other names includeHogye, andGeomamcheon.[11]
The Anyangcheon is home to a variety of wildlife. The dominant fish of the river areZacco platypus (freshwater minnow) and Rhynchocypris oxycephalus in the more upstream areas near the source, andCarassius auratus (goldfish) further downstream, byGwangmyeong.[3] The river also houses a number of species of birds, including the egrets, thegrey heron,northern shoveler,common teal andmallard.[12] A conservation area has been established close to the confluence with theHan River, where the footpath is set back from the riverside to leave migratory birds a more natural setting.[6]
