Songpa Dullegil, Cheonma Neighborhood Park, Hanseong Baekje Museum, Seokchon Lake, etc.
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) is drawing attention by introducing the ‘2021 Songpa Untact Tourist Spots’ to help people enjoy a healthy and safe summer vacation despite the COVID-19 situation.
Although the peak vacation season is approaching, ongoing COVID-19 and heatwaves make traveling to distant places difficult. Accordingly, following last year, the district has selected tourist spots in Songpa, a representative tourist destination in Seoul, where visitors can enjoy a relaxing rest and summer retreat.
In particular, themed vacations such as Forest-cation (vacation in the forest), Museum-cation (vacation at museums), and View-cation (vacation enjoying beautiful scenery) are introduced with four untact tourist spots: ▲Songpa Dullegil ‘Jangjicheon-gil’ ▲Cheonma Neighborhood Park ‘Healing Forest’ ▲Hanseong Baekje Museum ▲Seokchon Lake. The district selected these spots considering safety requirements such as outdoor tourist sites and places where social distancing is enforced due to limited admission because of COVID-19.
■ Healing time with Forest-cation… Songpa Dullegil ‘Jangjicheon-gil’ & Cheonma Neighborhood Park ‘Healing Forest’
Songpa Dullegil is a 21km circular walking tourist course connecting four waterways flowing along the outskirts of Songpa-gu: Seongnaecheon, Jangjicheon, Tancheon, and the Han River. Each course links waterways, forest paths, cultural spaces, and popular restaurants, but the district especially recommends the Jangjicheon-gil section for this summer vacation season. Jangjicheon-gil is a course that runs from Seongnae 4-gyo Bridge through Jangji Neighborhood Park to Jangjicheon. The Metasequoia Road at the park entrance is lush and perfect for a stroll, and the children's forest experience center is popular among families with young children.
There are also various attractions such as tree introductions and historical story signboards scattered throughout. Additionally, completing the entire Songpa Dullegil course, which includes seasonal flower paths along Seongnaecheon, the recently connected Tancheon path after 50 years, and the expansive scenic Han River path, while participating in a stamp tour offers a unique enjoyment.
Cheonma Neighborhood Park, located in Macheon-dong, is the second-largest park in Songpa-gu. The ‘Healing Forest’ established in 2018 features a 2.6km barrier-free deck trail that anyone can walk comfortably.
It also includes an observatory with a panoramic view of Cheonmasan Mountain and a meditation space in the forest, making it a representative healing spot in Songpa. The ‘Healing Forest Program’ allows visitors to rest their tired bodies and minds in nature, making it an ideal untact tourist spot to enjoy a relaxing vacation while feeling phytoncides.
■ Beneficial Museum-cation at the Museum… ‘Hanseong Baekje Museum’
The Hanseong Baekje Museum is a public museum established to preserve the history and culture of Baekje, which founded its capital in the Seoul area. The museum’s exterior, shaped like a ship symbolizing the maritime power of Baekje, immediately catches the eye. It exhibits artifacts and relics from the Baekje Hanseong capital period, and both permanent and special exhibitions are held, making it perfect for enjoying historical culture and vivid learning experiences even in the city. Currently, due to COVID-19, only a limited number of visitors can enter by prior reservation.
■ View-cation in the view hotspot Songpa… ‘Seokchon Lake’
Seokchon Lake comforts weary city hearts with different seasonal appearances: cherry blossoms in spring and colorful autumn leaves in fall. During the hot season, the trees along the lakeside walking path form a shaded tunnel. Encountering geese, ducks, and carp while strolling is a unique pleasure not easily experienced in the city.
It is also recommended to visit the ‘Cultural Experiment Space Hosu’ and ‘Seokchon Lake Atelier’ located on the west side of the lake. Both facilities are cultural and artistic spaces created by the district for residents. At ‘Cultural Experiment Space Hosu,’ visitors can experience exhibitions, performances, a cinema, and a cooking studio, while the audience-participation performance hall ‘Seokchon Lake Atelier’ offers various cultural and artistic performances by local artists.
Additionally, taking stunning nightscape photos at Seokchon Lake, selected as one of Seoul’s top 10 night view spots, is highly recommended.
Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “I hope that people exhausted by the ongoing heatwave and COVID-19 can recharge their bodies and minds at Songpa’s unique untact tourist spots,” and added, “We will pay close attention not only to discovering diverse tourism content but also to safety management so that everyone visiting Songpa can create joyful memories.”
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