KOREA HERALD
This is the 54th in a series of articles highlighting tourism spots in Seoul. The guide for planning weekend trips in the capital city will help readers rediscover Seoul. - Ed.
By Fotosky Yoon (Yoon Kyu-sik)
Whenever you visit Olympic Park, you can be guaranteed of beautiful scenery. Even though we are on the brink of winter, the park does not feel that cold. People wear winter clothes, but young couples and children play on the grass, and plenty of people still walk the paths of Mongchon Fortress.
The vivid greens that filled the park in Summer have turned into browns, and the maple leaves have become a deep red. The autumn leaves warm the hearts of Seoul citizens as we wait for autumn to end.
Nature and culture in one place
The 150,000 square meter park was built for the 1986 Asian Games and 1988 Olympic Games. In the center of the park, Mongchon Fortress was restored and around it there are six stadiums arranged in a semicircle, including weight-lifting, fencing and swimming stadiums.
Many people still visit the park for walks, participation in sports or to attend performances. The Olympic Park has become a leisure area for Seoul citizens and an average of 16,000 people visit the park every day.
The Olympic Park is famous for its ecological value. In the past, the park mainly focused on the management of Olympic facilities, but as the interest in ecology has grown there has been a recent move to improve the quality of life by managing the park in an environmentally-friendly way. As a result, Olympic Park is implementing various ecological restoration projects. This has attracted wildlife, such as weasels and redstarts, and several kinds of wild flowers.
The park also hosts many performances. The stadiums are especially popular for concerts and performances, and they are always full at the end of the year.
Baekje fortress
In the center of the Olympic Park is Mongchon Fortress, where you can see the culture and lifestyle of the Baekje Dynasty (B.C. 18-A.D. 660). The word “mongchon” is Korean for “dream village.” Mongchon fortress was excavated by the museum of the Seoul National University between 1984 and 1989. The fortress consists of a main wall and a smaller wall on the outside. A dry moat and wooden fence surround the castle as additional defenses.
This castle was mostly used to defend against attacks from the north, was used during the Hanseong period of the Baekje Dynasty. Inside the castle, there are various remains including graves, storage hollows, Baekje earthenware, weapons, fishing hooks and stone mortars, which are valuable materials in studying the Hanseong Baekje period.
There is a dugout hut exhibition inside Mongchon Fortress. The four dugout huts and storage hollow found in 1988 are displayed in their original state. They are all hexagon-shaped dugout huts of the traditional Baekje period, and in the northeastern corner of the hut, there is an ondol-type stove.
While Mongchon fortress is an important remnant of Korea’s history, it is more popular for its beautiful walkways. If you walk along the forest walkway around the fortress, all your stress lifts away. The pine tree and the reed forest you meet along the way adds to autumn’s beautiful scenery.
Olympic Park walkway
Around the Mongchon fortress in the Olympic Park, there are many walkways, including the Lakeside Walkway, Saturn Walkway, Memory Walkway, Couple’s Walkway and Young People’s Walkway. Each walkway consists of courses for walking and jogging and each course takes you past different parts of the Olympic Park. The Lakeside Walkway is a popular course for people working nearby. The Saturn Walkway is a bit difficult because it is steep in places, but you can look down on the grassland and the Baekje remains. Memory Walkway goes around in two circles around the Mongchon fortress, which is perfect for a quiet walk in the late autumn, and the Couple’s Walkway is takes you around the 88 lakeside area and the Mongchon fortress area. Lastly, the Young People’s Walkway is often used for various running contests as it goes around the outskirts of Olympic Park. Additionally, there are temporary sports facilities established in the park where you can do other exercise.
Late autumn comes to Olympic Park
Autumn is coming to an end. There are already less autumn leaves in Olympic Park. An American called Jesika said that she came to the park to enjoy the autumn colors. It is a pity the autumn colors are disappearing, but we will soon have the chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the park covered with snow.
Interview
Jesika Kiesel (28, English Teacher, USA)
Ian Presnell (25, English Teacher, USA)
Jesika Kiesel and Ian Presnell, both from America were enjoying the park together. They said they only met for the first time two hours ago, after running into one another twice in two hours. Jesika said that Korea was an interesting country, and she especially enjoyed the Korean food. She is returning to the United States in five weeks time, but she would like to come back one day.
-How did you learn about Olympic Park?
I learned about it through a tourist guide book and used the weekend to come here.
-How come you came to the park even though the weather has gotten cold all of a sudden?
I wanted to see the autumn of Olympic Park before it’s too late. Also, I wanted to take photos of autumn colors.
-What are your impressions of the park?
It’s peaceful and comfortable. Also, it’s a great place to go for a walk. The park is very beautiful.
News Clippings
