Mulhyanggi Arboretum for a Stroll in the Refreshing Forest Fragrance
(Published October 15, 2011)

In purely chemical terms, water is both odorless and colorless. However, the many impurities, minerals and tiny organisms in water give it both color and odor. The Mulhyanggi Arboretum has probably the best name among all of Korea’s arboretums. Let’s take a look at it.

The Mulhyanggi Arboretum, located in Osan City of Gyeonggi Province, is a representative arboretum of the southwestern region of Gyeonggi. In fact, the southwestern area of the Korean Peninsula is not a great place for arboretums as the region has few mountainous areas. But the Mulhyanggi Arboretum is a wonderful arboretum which people shaped by making good use of the low lying land.

Compared to other arboretums, the Mulhyanggi Arboretum has harmonized paths and grass fields. In particular, the relaxation space in the forest can accommodate a large number of people.

The arboretum is an ideal place for kids as it has an experience center, an exhibition hall, a greenhouse and a maze forest. When I visited it, lots of preschool children were having fun there, and I saw many families with their children. Also, the arboretum is not far away from the downtown area so it’s easy to reach, and admission costs only KRW 1,000, so it’s a good place for local company employees and residents to visit for an enjoyable stroll.

Visitors can breathe in the fragrance of the water as the arboretum has numerous brooks, ponds, and swamps as well as an indoor fall. So the name Mulhynanggi is perfect for the arboretum.

People say that “people feel the way they want to feel.” The fragrance of the water, which I could appreciate there on that day, was the fragrance of calmness mixed with the light of autumn.

The fragrance cannot be objectively appreciatedby visitors as a single identifiable fragrance. But the fragrance was sweet to me. And I think that each person who visits this place may leave with a different impression of the water’s fragrance.

I would recommend the Mulhyanggi Arboretum to anyone who wants to enjoy warm sunshine in the afternoon rather than a dense forest.

Regions with small hills – such as the cities of Hwaseong, Osan and Ansan – offer their own unique flavors, so I would recommend the arboretum to those who want to enjoy such tastes. In addition, the arboretum does not have any steep spots and its paths are fine for walking, which makes it the ideal place for senior citizens, children, and families with infants.

How about taking a walk in the Mulhyanggi Arboretum in early autumn?

How to Get There

By Car
-From Suwon (Using National Highway No. 1)
National Highway No. 1 (for Pyeongtaek) -> Byeongjeom -> Semadae -> Turn right for Osan College (Cheonghak-ro) -> Turn right at the intersection before Osan Univ. (Osan College Station is on the left)

-From Pyeongtaek (Using National Highway No. 1)
Route 1 (for Suwon) -> Pyeongtaek -> Osan -> After passing Osan Univ. -> Turn left for Osan College (Cheonghak-ro) -> Turn right at the intersection before Osan College (Osan College Station is on the left)

Using Expressway
-From Osan IC (Gyeongbu Expressway)
Turn right at the spot connected to National Highway No. 1 (near the gas station at the second intersection) -> Turn left at the intersection after passing Osan College Station to the left -> Turn right at the intersection before Osan College Station (Osan College Station Station is on the left)

-From Buk-Osan IC (the freeway section between Dongtan and Bongdam)
Turn right after passing the toll gate -> Turn right to the Gyeonggi-do Hwaseong Osan Office of Education -> Head for Mulhyanggi Arboretum -> (Osan College Station is on the left) Turn right

By Subway
Get off at Osan College Station on Line 1 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway System.

By Bus
-Take Bus #301 at Suwon Station (Get off at Mulhyanggi Arboreum / entrance to Sucheong-dong).
-Take Bus #300 at the Suwon Intercity Bus Terminal (Get off at Mulhyanggi Arboreum / entrance to Sucheong-dong).
-Take buses #300, #301 and #20 at Byeongjeom (Get off at Mulhyanggi Arboreum / entrance to Sucheong-dong)
-Take buses #300, #301, #20 and #700 at Osan Terminal (Osan College Station / entrance to Sucheong-dong/Get off at Geumam-dong)

* Using a Navigation System
–Searching the Navigation System

Search word – Name: Mulhyanggi Arboreum, Gyeonggi Forest Environment Research Center, Osan College Station (across the street)

-Address: 211, Cheonghak-ro, Sucheong-dong, Osan City, Gyeonggi Province.

Go to the home page of Mulhyanggi Arboretum

Source: Ggi Tour of Gyeonggi Tourism Organization (written and photographed by Ravielle)

http://ggholic.tistory.com/3947