500-year-old Forest Treasure
(Published March 16, 2012)

[Learn to relax in a botanical oasis (11)] Gwangneung Forest or Korea National Arboretum

The arboretum has a mandate for the collection and preservation of domestic and overseas biological forest resources as well as the protection and management of Gwangneung Forest.
 

◇ Soribong Peak reflected in Yungnimho Lake ⓒ G-News Plus

The Korea National Arboretum (KNA) located in Soheul-eup of Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province, has conducted research on forest biology since the 1920s.

The arboretum consists of a natural forest covering an area of 1,018ha as well as the Specialized Garden, Forest Museum, Korea National Herbarium, Forest Zoo, Conservatory and Tropical Plant Resources Research Center, which occupy a total area of 100ha.

Opened in April of 1987, the Forest Museum features approximately 11,000 items ranging from a variety of forestry-related historical records and wooden products to historical remains; this is invaluable data from which one can easily see the past, present and future of Korea’s forests and forestry.

Completed in 2008, the Tropical Plant Resources Research Center has more than 2,700 species of tropical plants. 

Major tasks of the national arboretum, under the leadership of the Korea Forest Service, include the collection and preservation of domestic and overseas biological forest resources, the research required to convert the collections to resources, environmental education in the Specialized Garden, and the preservation and management of the arboretum.

The arboretum has established the Korea Biodiversity Information System, a comprehensive database of the information on forestry biology specimens and plants that universities, research institutions, arboretums and botanical gardens across the country have acquired. The arboretum provides the collected information to the public.◇ Elegant Plant Garden ⓒ G-News Plus

The Specialized Garden is located in the middle of the arboretum with Soribong Peak (536.8m) at the center, Cheonjeomsan Mountain (392m) to the south and Yongamsan Mountain (479.6m) to the west.

More than 100ha around the Soribong Peak comprises a natural reserve forest for academic research with a variety of temperate northern plants like hornbeam, oriental oak, Mongolian oak, and konara oak. 

The Garden of Ornamental Trees has been developed in a plaza and on low hills at the center of the Specialized Garden. Surrounding it are a total of 15 gardens including the Shrubs Garden, Conservatory, Aroma and Touch Garden for the blind, Aquatic Garden, Bog Garden, Exotic Trees Garden, Medicinal Plants Garden, Conifer Garden, Broad-leaved Tree Garden and the Alpine Plant Garden.

The arboretum features 6,044 plant species including 1,863 species of trees, 1,481 species of plants and 2,700 species of tropical flora. It is also home to 175 bird species, 20 animal species, 3,925 insect species and 22 fish species.

The arboretum is inhabited by 21 bird, animal and insect species designated as national treasures; these species include the goshawk, grey frog hawk, golden eagle, hen harrier, flying squirrel and longhorn beetle. There are 4 endemic trees including Kalopanax septemlobus, white azalea and the Korean ash tree as well as 10 endemic plants like Oplismenus undulatifolius, Stipa coreana, Symplocarpus renifolius and Hosta clausa.

In 1468, the Gwangneung Forest of the national arboretum was originally declared an associated forest of Gwangneung where King Sejo, the 7^th monarch of the Joseon Dynasty was buried.

It was strictly off-limits to the public as a royal forest for more than 500 years.

The area was reclassified as a result of a national survey of public forests in 1911 (under Japanese colonial rule) and, as a result, except for an area surrounding the royal tomb, most of the forest was declassified and became available to the public.

In 2010, the Gwangneung Forest was listed with the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) and designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

A UNESCO biosphere reserve aims to harmonize the preservation of biodiversity with the sustainable use of resources.

The Gwangneung Forest is one of four UNESCO reserves in Korea along with Seorak Mountain (1982), Jeju Island (2002), the Dado Sea in Sinan and its surrounding archipelago (2009). It is the only UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Seoul metropolitan area.◇ The Forest Museum ⓒ G-News Plus

The national arboretum boasts a host of experiential learning programs as diverse as the arboretum is large.

The programs include a guided tour that covers the forest museum as well as the forest zoo and specialized gardens and a program for kindergarten children that is referred to as the ‘Exciting Green World Program.’ 

There is also a program for primary and secondary school children called ‘Green Class.’ For the disadvantaged, there is a program called ‘Hope Recharging.’ In addition, the ‘Forest 02 Experiential Program’ is a forest healing program and one of the most popular programs in the arboretum.

Other popular programs include the ‘Gwangneung Forest Mountain Bird Exploration Program’ for bird watchers, ‘Overnight Family Camping’ for primary school children and their families during the summer vacation, and ‘Horticulture Classroom’ to provide the general public with everyday horticultural knowledge through theory and practice.

The Korea National Arboretum is emerging as a popular eco-tourism spot especially because it is right next to the Gwangneung (Gwangneung royal tomb), a UNESCO World Heritage site.

To get to the Korea National Arboretum by subway, get off at Uijeongbu Station on Subway Line 1 (Exit One) and take Bus 21 about 200 meters from the subway in the direction of Uijeongbu Police Station.

Admission to the Korea National Arboretum requires an online reservation. The arboretum is open for five days a week from Tuesday to Saturday (closed on Sundays and Mondays). Admission is KRW 1,000 for adults and KRW 500 for children.

Inquiries: 031-540-2000, http://www.kna.go.kr/.◇ The Korea National Arboretum seen from the sky ⓒ G-News Plus

Ⓒ G-News Plus / Lim Jeong-seon / jslim123@kg21.net

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