New
York’s Central Park and London’s Hyde Park are both
renowned as oases of calm in the center of big cities. Across Seoul,
there are many parks that serve a similar purpose among the high-rise
buildings.
Seoul forest
a pristine forest situated among modern
buildings
Seoul Forest was born out of the wish to create a world-class
ecological park in the heart of capital. With the opening of the
1,155 million square meter facility last year, the many trees on
the site are now in full leaf and flower. Visitors to the park
are initially amazed that such a huge green tract of Land exists
in the urban center.
Seoul Forest is divided into five sections:
the Culture & Art Park, Ttukseom Ecological Forest, Marshy
Land Ecological Park, Nature center and Hangang River Park. Stepping
into the forest, visitors first encounter the Culture & Art
Park, which is the centerpiece of Seoul Forest. Here one encounter
bronze statues of racehorses that testify to the history of the
site, which was formerly a racetrack, and a water fountain that
spouts water as high as five meters in the air. On any given day,
young children can be seen playfully racing around the funtain
site while their parents take family photos. The Culture & Art
Park also features a plaza, an open-air concert hall, and a skating
rink among other things.
Ttukseoom Ecological Forest was built
on an area through which the Hangang River once cut. Modeled after
gardens on the outskirt of Seoul, the 148,500 square meter ecological
park is home to a variety of trees such as pine, chestnut and acorn.
Deer also call this place home. The forest also includes a lake
with an observation bridge, under which carp and ducks swim. Watching
deer skipping about the park freely, visitors may wonder whether
they are really in the heart of Seoul. The long, white observation
bridge across the lake leads to Hangang River Park, where a dock
and cycling path can be seen against the backdrop of a panoramic
riverside view. The Nature Center and Marshy Land Ecological Park
offer opportunities for visitors to experience and learn about
nature. In the summer, Seoul Forest becomes an even deeper green.
This makes it the perfect destination for family outings and diverse
outdoor activities such as cycling or hikes through the greenery.
Hongneung Arboretum
A jewel in the urban center that shines only
on Sundays
Hongneung Arboretum is situated in an area where the
tomb of Queen Myeongseong (1851-1895), the wife of King Gojong
of the Joseon Dynasty, was once located. The tomb was moved to
Geumgok, Gyeonggi-do Province, when King Gojong died in 1919. The
site was later developed into an arboretum. Hongneung Arboretum,
standing on a 429,000 square meter tract of land, is the oldest
of its kind in Korea. It was established in 1922 for the purpose
of preserving nature for academic research, and has since been
opened to the public. To protect the plants there, it is only open
on Sundays, but admission is free.
 A small bridge leads to the
entrance of the park, where visitors will find the Forest Science
Exhibition Hall. The exhibition hall showcases a variety of items
related to trees. On the first floor are materials designed to
teach children about the importance of protecting forest while
on the second floor are a wide range of local forest products and
ecological data having to do with species such as bonnet bellflower,
walnut and pine nut. The third floor focus on various goods made
of wood including paper products, crafts and traditional musical
instruments.
Past the Forest Science Exhibition Hall, a well-trimmed
promenade comes into view. Walking along the promenade, visitors
can feel cool breezes on their faces and soil beneath their feet.
The level road, which has no steep slopes or curves, is lined with
different types of trees and wild flowers therein more closely.
At the same time, the birds and insects inside create the illusion
that the interior of the facility is a world apart.
 If time permits,
it also makes for an interesting experience to climb a small hill
situated at the back of Hongneung Arboretum. Although it is not
actually a mountain, visitors can get a sense of the joys of mountain-climbing
by following the bumpy soil path there. The trek along the soft
and slightly sloping path is good for a half-day’s journey
in an area that feel more in touch with the land.
Although not
as large as Seoul Forest, Hongneung Arboretum is a place of rest
and recreation for city dwellers and a natural classroom for children.
Staffed with helpful employees, the well-kept trees garden is a
place to enjoy and make happy memories.
Green energy all over Seoul
Aside from Seoul Forest
and Hongneung Arboretum, there are a number of other parks in urban
centers across Seoul. One such example is Seonyudo Park, located
on an islet on the Hangang River that is connected to the mainland
by a pedestrian bridge. Seonyudo Park is a one-of-a-kind “recycled
green place, “the only such site in Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan
Government transformed the islet, formerly home to a water treatment
plant that provided tap water for Seoul citizens for abut 20 years,
into an eye-catching ecological park.
 What differentiates Seonyudo
Park from other gardens is that, in addition to trees, there are
about 10,000 roots from aquatic plants. Seonyugo Bridge, also known
as “Rainbow Bridge,” looks even more beautiful at night
thanks its many colorful lights.
Located next to the World Cup
Stadium in Sangam-dong, World Cup Park was created as part of a
far-reaching project to turn a waste landfill site into a natural
ecosystem. The centerpiece of the park is a vast green field rather
than tall trees.
Here, visitors can enjoy a romantic atmosphere
that is unavailable elsewhere in the city. The park is home to
about 30,000 butterflies in the spring and summer, and in the autumn
pampas grass covers the enire field.  Today the park has been transformed
into one of the city’s most popular recreation spots for
visitors and Seoul residents.
The green energy stemming from trees
helps overcome the bleak atmosphere of the urban center. To find
Seoul’s oases of green, there’s no need to travel very
far. With leisure and well being emerging as keys to happiness
these days, an increasing number of people are heading to parks
with inline skates or bicycles. For Seoul residents, the vigor
of the earth and the revivifying power of trees are now within
easier reach that ever. |
