Lush green forests add a splash of freshness in Seoul filled with steel and concrete high-rises.

Yeouido Park in the middle of the busy Yeouido financial district, Seonyudo Park located midway on the Yanghwa Bridge, and the parks within the World Cup Park in the western part of Seoul are just a few places where Seoul denizens can enjoy cool respite under the verdant trees and on thick grass. But the mother of all urban parks in Seoul is none other than Seoul Forest situated in Seongdong-gu in eastern Seoul. Seoul Forest is the only park in Seoul that fully deserves the term “forest.” Measuring up to the name, Seoul Forest is more than 1.15 million square meters in area, about five times larger than Yeouido Park. Let’s head to today’s destination of Seoul Forest where the recent rain has deepened its green.

There are sixteen entrances to Seoul Forest. But the most convenient way is to get off at Ttukseom Recreational Park Station on subway line 7 to come to the main entrance. Seoul Forest opened on June 18th 2005 and here’s travel expert Lee Dong-mi to tell us more about the forest.

Seoul Forest is a place for Seoul residents. It took after Hyde Park in London and the Central Park in New York City, where people can relax and enjoy nature. The park was conceived as a forest of life living with nature, a forest for civic participation, and a forest where anyone can enjoy. It cost 250 billion won or roughly 236 million dollars to build it.

Seoul Forest was formerly called Ttukseom or Ttuk Island. It used to be so dense with trees that it was reported that tigers were often spotted in the area. But how did an island come to be a forest?

Ttukseom is an island and not an island. It is located in the merging point of the Jungrang River and the Han River. It becomes an island when it rains heavily, and remains a part of land when dry. Ttukseom used to be a royal hunting ground. It is recorded that Joseon era kings came hunting here 151 times over the period of 100 years, which means at least once or twice a year.

What used to be the kings’ hunting ground was replaced by the nation’s first water treatment facility in 1908. It was then turned into the Seoul Horseracing Track in 1954, Seoul residents’ favorite vacation spot in the 1950s and 60s, and then into a golf link and sports park in 1989. All these facilities were relocated in 2005 and the site regained its original identity, the forest. The essence of the Seoul Forest tour is to appreciate everything that this forest has to offer.

I wish people would remember this as a great forest. Most urban parks are just that, parks and nothing more. But here manmade facilities are limited to the minimum and the focus has been placed on the forest. I hope that people would enjoy the trees and the greenery.

Seoul Forest is comprised of five theme parks – the cultural art park, the ecological forest, the nature experiencing study field, the wetlands ecological field, and the Han River waterside park. Living up to its name, Seoul Forest boasts of 415,795 individual trees from 95 different species, including the pine tree, the laurel, and the Japanese white pine. Visitors start their tour from the visitors’ center located near the park entrance. A map showing the layout of the park is filled with must-see sights.

How about starting the tour with a photo? There is a great place for a photo op and that is a horse statue standing in the cultural art park near the entrance.

It’s nice to take a photo against the horse state. It’s reminiscent of the day when this used to be a horseracing track. The statue is of a racing horse.

Greeting the visitor at the entrance is a fountain shooting streams of water up into the air.

Just the sound of the water spewing from the fountain seems to chase the summer heat away. The fountain cools down the ground sizzling under the blazing sun.

- I came out here because it was so hot today. The fountain makes us feel really cool. My baby put on her swimsuit and played in the water.
- The forest is green and it’s nice to see children play. The best thing about Seoul Forest is that we can enjoy nature in the city.

The water fountain stands in the cultural art park located in the middle of Seoul Forest. Measuring 220 thousand square meters in area, the cultural art park takes up about 40% of the total forest. Small flower beds decorate the surrounding area and the park has a skate park, a waterside lounge, a water park, and a playground. How do you get the most fun out of the park?

The best way to enjoy the cultural art park is to take part or see various programs provided there. The skate park regularly hosts extreme sports competitions and bike races, and the outdoor stage holds cultural and arts performances. Folk plays are performed at the family playground and interesting cultural events like go and chess competitions, photography contests, and youth painting competitions are frequently held here.

Understandably, this is the most popular spot in the forest for its various events and waterside scenery. But the most appealing part of the cultural art park is the Mirror Pond next to the fountain.

Children really like the Mirror Pond because they can see the clouds in the sky reflected on the ground. They even say that they want to jump into the pond. I brought some fruits and snacks for the children and iced coffee for myself. It feels like I’m out on a picnic.

The shallow square pond features an almost glass-like surface and the bottom covered with black pebbles. Even the wind creates barely a ripple. The perfectly still pond surface becomes a canvas for nature and people. There is no need for pens or brushes. Just standing next to the pond is a picture enough. The pond becomes a family portrait or a landscape painting, depending on what comes inside its square frame.

Outside the cultural art park is a stroll path. The path takes visitors through the horse riding course and the forest. What used to be the golf link is now the Ttukseom Family Field, which features sculptures on an expansive grassy field. At one corner of the cultural art park is a nearly 500-square-meter water park, a perfect place to escape the heat and have fun.

I came here to cool down. The clean water is really refreshing and the heat seems to go away. It’s really cool and playing in the water is so fun.

Next stop is the ecological forest where trees, wild creatures, and all sorts of plants coexist. Here’s travel expert Lee Dong-mi to explain more.

There are about 40 deer, 10 elks, 30 squirrels, and eight fallow deer living in the forest. Also, Mandarin ducks, mallards, and other water fowls live in the pond. The best way to observe the wild creatures is to stand on the pedestrian bridge and use a pair of binoculars to spot them.

A pedestrian bridge above the pond is a great place to view the entire ecological forest. Water fowls swim on the pond and deer and other animals come to the pond from time to time to quench their thirst. It is truly a peaceful sight.

- It feels great. The air’s refreshing and the scenery is beautiful.
- it’s really pretty from up here on the bridge. I can see the pond and some deer. It’s really beautiful.
- I came here on my bike. It’s really nice here with the pond and the animals. The wind is refreshing and the weather is nice. I didn’t know there was a place like this in Seoul. The scenery is really charming.

Visitors can feed the deer in the ecological forest. At the deer feeding zone, visitors come face to face with the gentle deer with big brown eyes. Across from the ecological forest is a hill aptly named the Hill of the Wind. Even in the middle of summer the wind blowing over the hill is cool and refreshing. Here’s Ms. Lee Dong-mi again.

Visitors can enjoy a field of silver grass at the Hill of the Wind, and the view from the pedestrian bridge is very pleasing. They can see everything from the forest to the skyscrapers way out in the city. The only thing separating them is the Han River. All the trees here insulate the forest from the city noise. Also, binoculars and cameras are a must for anyone wishing to see the wildlife here.

The nature experiencing field next to the ecological forest features an insect botanical garden, a wildflower garden, and a gallery garden. One of the most popular attractions here is the insect botanical garden.

- This is a butterfly garden, the only one in Korea.
- It’s wonderful here. Look, there’s a yellow butterfly and a really big black swallow tail butterfly. This is a butterfly heaven. I come here about once a week to relax. It’s really good for me psychologically to see all the green.
- There are lots of tropical plants here, too. There are cacti and even coffee plants. I never knew there were so many different cacti plants here. It’s nice that such a place exists in Seoul. All the green plants and trees are good for my eyes.

Another feature that sets apart Seoul Forest from other parks is its ubiquitous IT environment.

Nature is not the only drawing point of the forest. There are features that demonstrate Korea’s IT prowess. Take for instance the children’s safety zone. Children can receive electronic tag necklaces at the visitors’ center, allowing the staff to track their locations in case they get lost in the forest. There is also the internet park zone where people can access the wireless internet service. At the health park zone people can check their health conditions and the ecological learning zone features a 100-inch monitor that shows various programs. Seoul Forest may appear all nature, but cutting-edge IT facilities are hidden among nature for the convenience of visitors.

Six years have passed since Seoul Forest opened. It has become an iconic spot in Seoul just like Central Park in New York. Experience real relaxation here at Seoul Forest, a pocket of nature in the capital city.