Picnic to fresh green, Mulhyanggi Arboretum
(Published May 10, 2013)

Hot spot in Gyeonggi Province! There is a ‘national’ Kwangnung Arboretum in Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province. The place is famous for forest museum, zoo, and Kwangnung Forest, which is impressive with the fresh sound of willow leaves. Also, there is a provincial arboretum in Osan City. It is ‘Mulhyanggi Arboretum’, which is not well known but familiar to Suwon and Southern Gyeonggi residents.

◇ The place is ‘Mulhyanggi Arboretum’, which is not well known but familiar to Suwon and Souther Gyeonggi residents. ⓒ Reporter O Sang-min

Mulhyanggi Arboretum, opened in 2006, is located in Sucheong-dong of Osan City, which was named as clean water flows through the town from old times. As the arboretum was created with the theme of ‘The Encounter of Water, Tree, and Human’, it is impressive with the stream flowing through the lake located in the center and trails around the arboretum. Mulhyanggi Arboretum consists of 20 theme gardens per growth regions and plant properties including Central Region Growth Garden, Wetland Eco-Botanical Garden, Water Garden, Maple Garden, Warm Region & Fern Plant Garden, Topiary Garden, Pine Tree Garden, Potted Plant Garden, Maze Garden, Fruit Tree Garden, Functional Botanical Garden, Insect Ecology Garden, and Wetland Plant Garden.
 
Chief of Forest Environment Research Center of Gyeonggi Province, Lee Se-woo, explained the role of the arboretum, saying “Mulhyanggi Arboretum is not just a park to enjoy a walk but a research center intended to create advanced forest culture. It will raise the provincial residents’ awareness of the significance of forest resources by preserving and exhibiting valuable plant resources of Central region including Gyeonggi Province such as endemic plant species and also offering nature exploration sites and educational programs. Through this, it will be able to improve the quality of our lives.”
 
Accordingly, this arboretum has a variety of programs focusing not just on watching but on learning. Forest guides who explain forest ecology work here and there in the arboretum in order to help visitors understand flowers and trees and to help them enjoy the visit.
 
The regularly held explanatory program is also popular. The program is held twice per day every Tuesday to Sunday from April to November. Visitors can register for the program on the homepage a week before the visit. In the explanation of the arboretum, one volunteer forest guide leads 10 to 15 visitors in a group to explain the names, origins, characteristics, and stories of planted flowers and trees in an interesting way per theme garden by walking along the tour courses including 20 theme gardens for nearly 2 hours. At the Forest Exhibition Hall, the place for ecological and forestry education, special exhibitions with different topics are held on a quarterly basis for a variety of forest-related materials of Korea.◇ At the Forest Exhibition Hall, the place for ecological and forestry education, special exhibitions with different topics are held on a quarterly basis for a variety of forest-related materials of Korea. ⓒ Reporter O Sang-min

Equal to the world famous arboretums

As the largest natural arboretum in Korea, Mulhyanggi Arboretum is putting efforts to join the ranks of the world famous arboretums such as ‘Kew Royal Botanic Gardens’ in U.K., ‘Australian National Botanic Gardens’ in Australia, and Butchart Garden in Canada.

For this, Gyeonggi Province is also paying attention to it so that the place can become a specialized and valuable place in terms of research. It plans to distribute visitors well by vitalizing learning programs accompanied by forest guides or the reservation system, and to enrich the quality of the arboretum.◇ Gyeonggi Province is also paying attention to it so that the place can become a specialized and valuable place in terms of research. ⓒ Reporter O Sang-min

How to go to Mulhyanggi Arboretum
Address: 211 Cheonghak-ro, Osan City, Gyeonggi Province
Contact: 031-378-1261
Homepage: www.mulhyanggi.gg.go.kr
Opening hour: For summer season (March to October) 09:00 to18:00
For winter season (November to February) 09:00 to17:00
Admission fee: KRW 1,000 for adults, KRW 700 for teenagers, and KRW 500 for children
Parking fee: KRW 1,500 for sub-compact vehicles, KRW 3,000 for compact/medium vehicles, and KRW 5,000 for large vehicles(for one day)
Closing of ticket window: 1 hour before the end of opening
Closing day: every Monday (the next day, if Monday is a holiday)

ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Reporter Kim Sang-ho

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201305100912097055C059&s_code=C059