Gardens, forests to visit across country
Freezing temperatures make lingering indoors evermore enticing, but a trip out to the woods could be refreshing, especially for plant and flower lovers. Even if you’re neither, a walk in the woods to breathe in forest air -- which some claim is therapeutic -- might just help you beat the mid-winter blahs.
1004 Island Garden
Opened in 2004 in Shinan, South Jeolla Province, this garden runs an annual winter festival touting walking trails and a field of camellias.
“Slightly warmer weather renders as many as 40 million camellia blossoms,” a county official said of the flower, which is likely to peak in late January to early February.
That’s why the county extended the festival to Feb. 2, the official added, noting that the Lunar New Year holidays in the final week of this month could be the perfect time to relish the blooms.
The garden also has an art gallery with art installations like sculptures dotting the compound, and a cafe where one can take shelter from the cold.
Shinan, a county made up of around 1,000 islands large and small, is right next to Mokpo -- South Jeolla Province’s third-largest city with a population of over 210,000. Given the long travel distance from Seoul, a trip that covers both areas could be more rewarding, said Lee Jung-soon, a Seoul-based freelancer who visited the region several times last year.
“For me, the high-speed train KTX worked best,” Lee said, referring to the roughly three-hour KTX ride from Seoul to Mokpo.
“I’ve tried driving down there myself,” Lee added. “It was just too much driving fatigue. I don’t think that’s worth it, especially if you take your family there.”
Hadong Pine Forest
A forest park in Hadong, South Gyeongsang Province, is another spot to enjoy evergreen foliage.
Hadong Pine Forest, designated as a Natural Monument, is a park that dates back to 1745 during the Joseon era (1392-1910) when 750 trees were planted to block wind from the nearby Seomjin River.
“The park has Korea’s finest forest of old pine trees,” said an official at the Korea Heritage Service, the agency that handles Natural Monuments and oversees the preservation of Korean cultural heritage.
Some 900 pine trees welcome visitors. Those interested in “forest therapy” should plan a visit, according to Kim Young-min, a recent visitor who recalled breathing in phytoncides -- the aromatic oils released by trees that some research finds therapeutic.
“There was nothing else to do other than just stroll,” Kim said, citing several walking trails in and around the compound.
Stress relief appears to be one of the benefits of exposure to phytoncides, an experience Kim described as “somewhat real.”
“It could be psychological rather than physiological,” Kim added. “Either way, I’m better off.”
Garden of Korea
This garden in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, prides itself on housing only indigenous plants, trees and flowers.
The Korea Forest Service has been operating the National Botanical Garden of Korea since 2021, after a private owner who started the garden donated it after managing it for 22 years.
The garden, divided into smaller gardens each dedicated to different plants, is a government-designated zone of endangered and rare species -- a protection afforded to only a few gardens around the country.
Wintertime perks include free drinks and interactive programs such as ceramic making.
Not far from the garden is Woljeongsa, a Silla Kingdom Buddhist temple founded in 643, and a museum set up by the temple. A rich collection of Buddhist art, from statues to paintings, is what often draws garden visitors to drop by, according to a Korea Tourism Organization official.
“About 4,000 objects are on view,” the official said, noting digital renditions of items help attract a younger audience.
Spending a night at the temple is another way to make the most of the trip to the province, the official added. Online reservations are needed to join the temple stay program at Woljeongsa.
