Wild flower exhibitions, evening light festivals and plenty of other autumn events available

The whole world turns red in the month of October. Autumn flowers and foliage appearing all over the mountains and fields would be the reason why. One after another, arboretums near urban centers are opening their gates to serve up a taste of autumn, which means the number of people enjoying ‘arboretum excursions’ are on the rise.

To celebrate the arrival of autumn, a season of fallen leaves and great atmosphere, Gyeonggi Province recommends six arboretums near urban centers across the province that are great for a day out with your family and friends. 

Gyeonggi Forestry Division Director Yoo Beom-gyu said, “There are a number of arboretums across Gyeonggi Province that people exhausted by urban life can access quite easily.” Director Yoo added, “I hope they can take the weekend and come out to these arboretums that are serving up a nice autumn flavor with their families and loved ones to rest their minds and make some great memories.”

At present, there are 17 arboretums open to the public including the Pocheon National Arboretum, Yangju Natural Arboretum, Yeoju Hwanghaksan Mountain Arboretum, Anyang Seoul National University Gwanak Arboretum, and Seongnam Shingu College Botanical Garden. 

◇ Pocheon Pyeonggang Arboretum ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

■ Pocheon Pyeonggang Arboretum = Publically well known as a backdrop for multiple television hits including ‘Can You Hear My Heart’, ‘Arang and the Magistrate’, and ‘Big’, Pyeonggang Arboretum is located at 203, Umulmok-gil, Yeongbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si. Pyeonggang satisfies visitors with features including the largest rock garden in Asia (covering an area over 1,800 pyeong). Pyeonggang is divided into 12 themed zones including a pond garden with more than 50 water lilies, and an evergreen grass lawn. 

On an autumn day, if you climb up to the observation deck at the marsh ecological garden at Pyeonggang Arboretum, you’ll be able spot chest nuts, pine nuts, and acorns gathered by squirrels quite easily. Maple trees standing all over the place and the wild flower exhibition held throughout September and October add to the seasonal flavor colored in red. 

In particular, you can find herbs and plants such as the endangered Danyang aster, Korean chrysanthemum, Northern chrysanthemum, and Goldenrod at Pyeonggang. Also, a free Korean medicine clinic operates every Sunday for people suffering from atopy and dermatitis. 

Other popular attractions in Pocheon, including Myeongseongsan Mountain, and Sanjeong Lake, are also nearby. The Silvergrass plain near Myeongseongsan Mountain is a perfect place to experience the autumn atmosphere. Thanks to a promotion for the month of October, admission is KRW 6,000 for adults and KRW 4,000 for children and adolescents. Inquiries) 031-531-7751

■ Yangpyeong Wild Flower Arboretum = Located at 16, Sumokwon-gil, Yangpyeong-eup, Yangpyeong-gun where the Namhangang River snakes across the land, Yangpyeong Wild Flower Arboretum is the only riverside arboretum in Korea. The arboretum features an outdoor garden, wild flower cluster, and an herb garden. 

Among its facilities, the outdoor garden is home to statues that look like some of the main characters from a Hans Christian Andersen children’s book, which makes the garden popular among children. Meanwhile, the wild flower cluster features more than 200 species of rare Korean wild flowers, making it a great classroom for lessons on nature. 

The Natural Ecology Museum, exhibiting specimens and other genuine articles from local ecosystems, is also something you must check out. You’ll be able to see specimens of various insects including the Tiger swallowtail butterfly, and Longhorned beetle. Not only that, the museum houses various fresh water fish species such as the minnow, and swiri. Also, a video corner that helps visitors more easily understand the local natural environment is available at the museum as well.

With the autumn season in full swing, the arboretum currently offers autumn activity programs such as harvesting sweet potatoes, riding rail-sleds, and natural dyeing for elementary school students. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the arboretum holds evening light festivals from sunset to 10:00pm at night. 

Only 10 minutes on foot from Obin Station on the Gyeongui Central Line, the arboretum offers great accessibility. Admission is KRW 7,000 for adults and KRW 4,000 for children. Inquiries) 031-772-1800

■ Namyangju Sandulsori Botanical Garden = With the beautiful Buramsan Mountain in the background, the 42,000-pyeong Sandulsori Botanical Garden is located at 785-1, Byeolnae-dong, Namyangju-si. Sandulsori is a very accessible botanical garden from the city featuring over 1,200 species of wild flowers and herbs, and a variety of activity-based learning programs for pre-school and elementary school students that make it a popular destination for families with children. 

What’s interesting about Sandulsori is the fact that you can learn things while having some great fun. It has a museum that exhibits fantasy art, unique toys and other amazing articles children can actually touch and enjoy, a greenhouse garden that offers a mix of oriental painting and flowers, an English garden with flowers arranged alphabetically, and a birth zone decorated with the birthstones for each month. 

The list of attractions doesn’t stop there. There is plenty more to see, learn and enjoy. The garden offers a wide range of activity programs that go in hand with autumn including cooking classes for chrysanthemum flower pancakes, camping and barbecues, and an aroma sauna. Admission is KRW 8,000 for adults, KRW 8,000 for children. Inquiries)031-574-3252.

■ Siheung Yongdo Tree Garden = The 33,000㎡ Yongdo Tree Garden sitting at the base of Yangjisan Mountain is located at san 32-20, Maehwa-dong, Siheung-si. The garden is home to a vast collection of plants with more than 1,200 species of arbors, shrubs, and herbs.

Also, with over 100 species of wild flowers arranged in wild flower gardens, an herb village full of herbal aroma and a sledding slope that is open all year long, the Yongdo Tree Garden has come into the limelight not only as a place for learning activities but also a place to just enjoy nature. 

The garden is particularly popular among children thanks to a small zoo where children can feed various birds such as pheasants, Korean chickens, ducks, peacocks, and owls as well as animals like sheep, goats, and rabbits. The garden also has facilities for folk activities such as a folk swing, thatched cottages, and an exhibition hall depicting traditional Korean lifestyles. 

Activity-based learning programs for the autumn season such as tractor carriage riding and chestnut picking are available for children and elementary school students as well. Thanks to the garden’s proximity to the Yellow Sea, it offers great seafood and other attractions including the sunset at Oido Island. 

Admission is KRW 3,000 for adults and KRW 2,000 for children (additional fees apply for activity-based learning programs). Inquiries)031-313-9090

◇ Icheon Deokpyeong Dinosaur Arboretum ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

■ Icheon Deokpyeong Dinosaur Arboretum = This autumn, news of an extraordinary arboretum featuring ‘dinosaurs’ will grab your attention. Located at 28, Jakchon-ro, Majang-myeon, Icheon-si, the Deokpyeong Dinosaur Arboretum was officially registered with the Gyeonggi Provincial Government on September 10. The arboretum is home to more than 3,000 species of trees including chestnut trees and pine trees that are perfect for the autumn season. 

Deokpyeong Dinosaur Arboretum also has a greenhouse with over 1,000 species of cacti and other succulent plants, as well as over 100 species of tropical plants such as coffee trees, banana trees, and papaya trees. So if you’d like to see some unique plants on a cool autumn day, Deokpyeong Dinosaur Arboretum would be a great choice. 

The most important feature at Deokpyeong, however, would be the dinosaur and insect exhibition hall with model dinosaurs and insects that move and sound as if they’re really alive. As a dinosaur arboretum, it has more than 20 dinosaur models including the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Pachycephalosaurus, and Triceratops. The Deokpyeong Dinosaur Arboretum also has insect models for giant grasshoppers, and giant mantes so it’s very popular among curious children.  

Apart from the dinosaur and insect models, Deokpyeong offers plenty of other attractions such as its sculpture park that has more than 300 pieces of 500-year-old petrified wood, the ‘Beombawi Cave’ that was the legendary home of a tiger, and a fir tree forest full of phytoncide and anions. Admission is KRW 10,000 for adults and KRW 6,000 for children. Inquiries)031-633-5029

◇ Osan Mulhyanggi Arboretum ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News

■ Osan Provincial Mulhyanggi Arboretum = Located at 211, Cheonhak-ro, Osan-si, the Osan Provincial Mulhyanggi Arboretum opened in 2006 inspired by a theme presented as an ‘Encounter between water, trees, and people’. Since its opening, the Mulhyanggi Arboretum has established itself as a major tourist destination in Gyeonggi Province with more than 500,000 visitors each year.

Mulhyanggi has over 1,700 different species of plants including the Prickly waterlily, and White forsythia across 19 sections under different themes including the wetlands ecology garden, aquatic botanical garden, and hygropreference plants garden. 

In October, autumn flowers and trees are at the peak of their beauty. At this time of year Mulhyanggi is full of chrysanthemums, the most popular flower in autumn, as well as Korean chrysanthemuma, Asters, and Amur silvergrass. Maple trees, Gingko trees and other trees that come to mind in autumn are also there to entertain your eyes. 

The Mulhyanggi Arboretum is located near Osan College Station on metropolitan train line no. 1; this means that it is very convenient for families living in the metropolitan area who want to enjoy the autumn leaves turning red and yellow. Admission is KRW 1,500 for adults and KRW 700 for children. Inquiries)031-387-1261ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Kim Jin-Kyoung jinkyoungkim@kg21.net 

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