[Seoul District News] Mapo-gu introduces cherry blossom spots along '10 Walking Paths You Want to Walk' linked with tourist sites near Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, Hongdae-gil, Mangwon Hangang-gil, Seongmisan Neighborhood Trail, and Hangang Trail along Gaechon... Songpa-gu recruits youth challenge project participants... Gangdong-style design bicycle racks installed at 95 locations... Jungnang-gu recruiting students for children's soccer class... Guro-gu holds '100th Children's Day Event' online
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Cherry blossoms are a representative flower signaling the arrival of spring.
The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts that cherry blossoms in the Seoul area will be in full bloom this weekend (9th-10th).
For those tying their shoelaces to enjoy the pleasant walking season of spring, it is worth paying attention to the ‘Top 10 MaPo Walking Paths’ linked to MaPo’s famous cherry blossom spots.
Among the ‘Top 10 MaPo Walking Paths’ created in 2020, which connect cultural and tourism resources that evoke memories and emotions, the courses where you can walk through cherry blossom forests are ▲Gyeongui Line Forest Trail ▲Wow! Hongdae Street ▲Seongmisan Neighborhood Trail ▲Mangwon Hangang Trail ▲Hangang Trail along the Stream.
Cherry Blossom Path Along the Old Railway ‘Gyeongui Line Forest Trail’ (photo)
If you ask MaPo residents to name MaPo’s representative cherry blossom path, many would choose the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail. Exiting from Gongdeok Station Exit 1 and entering the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, you can see cherry blossom trees lining both sides of the approximately 900m path, offering a view comparable to famous cherry blossom tourist spots.
Next, at ‘Gyeongui Line Book Street,’ MaPo’s representative cultural tourism site, you can borrow books from nine themed bookstores and enjoy a contemplative time under the cherry blossom trees.
After passing Book Street, you can walk to ‘Yeonnam-dong Gyeongui Line Forest Trail,’ also known as ‘Yeontral Park.’ The entire 5km path is flat, making it easy for people of all ages to walk.
Cherry Blossoms Immersed in the Energy of Youth ‘Wow! Hongdae Street’
Exiting Hapjeong Station Exit 6 and entering Yanghwa-ro 6-gil, you will find a street filled with charming cafes and popular restaurants covered in cherry blossoms.
If you want to see a more relaxed cherry blossom scene, turn toward the Danginri Power Plant and enter Tojeong-ro, where you can experience a serene cherry blossom view and the ‘MaPo Saebit Cultural Forest.’
After enjoying the cherry blossoms, it is recommended to experience a diverse walking course by enjoying performances at ‘Hongdae Walking Street,’ the busking sanctuary that reopened on the 1st after 1 year and 4 months, feeling nature at ‘Wausan,’ and studying historical significance at the nationally registered cultural heritage site No. 231 ‘Gongminwang Shrine.’
Cherry Blossom Trip with Gourmet Delights ‘Mangwon Hangang Trail’
One thing you cannot miss on a trip or outing is ‘gourmet food.’ Exiting Mangwon Station Exit 2 and entering Mangwon Market, you will be greeted by the delicious smells of food. After filling your stomach at SNS-famous eateries offering fried chicken, pancakes, and fried foods, head toward Mangwonjeong Intersection to find a cherry blossom path in the direction of Huiujeong-ro.
Most houses along this narrow two-lane road are under four stories, making this alley cherry blossom scene unmatched. Many dramas and movies are filmed here in spring.
From Mangwon to Hangang, you can take a short walk to Mangwon Hangang Park, Mangwonjeong, a famous Joseon Dynasty scenic spot, and Seoul’s first ship-themed park, Seoul Ship Park.
Cherry Blossom Trees Encountered on a Light Hike ‘Seongmisan Neighborhood Trail’
You can also see cherry blossoms in the clean urban forest where the endangered species ‘Saehorigi’ inhabits. Climbing the Seongmisan walking trail, which is 66m above sea level and easy to ascend and descend, you can enjoy spring hiking while admiring king cherry trees.
After a short rest at Seongsan Neighborhood Park, you will find small joys unique to Seongsan-dong, such as famous bakeries known as one of Seoul’s top three and distinctive bookstores.
Cherry Blossom Path Harmonizing with Open Spaciousness ‘Hangang Trail Along the Stream’
Exiting Digital Media City Station Exit 3 and entering Bulgwangcheon Stream, walking toward Hangang, you can enjoy walking along the stream while admiring cherry blossoms blooming on the right side of Bulgwangcheon.
At the confluence with Hongjecheon Stream, looking toward Hongjecheon, you can simultaneously feel the harmony of cherry blossom and Ippat trees on the left and the open spaciousness.
Additionally, five other ‘MaPo Walking Paths’ are prepared: ▲Ahyeon-dong Hill Road ▲MaPo Naru Road ▲MaPo Hangang Road ▲Sky Sunset Road ▲Maebong Sangam Road.
Detailed courses and information can be found on the MaPo District Office website under ‘MaPo Tourism ? Top 10 MaPo Walking Paths’ at the top menu.
An official from the district said, “We hope everyone enjoys both health and fun by experiencing the Top 10 MaPo Walking Paths along with cherry blossoms this spring,” adding, “We are preparing various events linked to these paths to improve visitor satisfaction following the easing of social distancing, so we ask for your great interest.”
Songpa District (Mayor Park Seong-su) announced that it is recruiting participants for the ‘2022 Songpa Innovation Education District Youth Challenge Project Anything’ (hereafter ‘Anything’) until the 11th.
Now in its fourth year, ‘Anything’ is part of the Songpa Innovation Education District project, supporting youth to gather and challenge themselves by planning and executing projects on their own. It aims to strengthen youth autonomy by providing opportunities for self-directed learning and activities.
The district supports up to 1 million KRW per team annually for project activity expenses. This year, about 25 teams will be selected. Eligible participants are groups of five or more youths aged 12 to under 19 years residing in the district or middle and high school students in the area. They can challenge themselves in any field of interest, such as self-development, culture and arts, research, or creator activities.
Last year, the district selected 26 clubs (total 234 members) and supported them with about 24 million KRW in activity expenses. Youths engaged in various activities such as the club ‘Helper,’ which operated a feeding station for stray cats and participated in animal protection campaigns; ‘Acclaim Band,’ which created a school bell sound with a song composed and written by students; and ‘Garak Science Club,’ which experienced guerrilla laboratories.
Additionally, they spent time beyond school fences by talking with neighborhood elders and delivering letters or participating in environmental campaigns to realize social values. This year, the district plans to increase youth participation in the local community by linking various village activities and support autonomous club activities and network activation.
The district also assigns one adult mentor per team to systematically support youth challenges. Mentors include teachers, parents, and Songpa SSEM village instructors, expected to enhance youths’ understanding of the community and foster pride.
Youths wishing to participate can refer to the district website’s public notice and submit applications, plans, and introduction videos via email by the 11th.
The district will announce the final selection results on the 15th after reviewing feasibility, originality, youth leadership, and budget appropriateness. For more details, contact the Songpa District Office Education Cooperation Division.
Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa District, said, “‘Anything’ project will be an opportunity for youths to grow into self-directed future talents,” adding, “We will continue to support youths to grow as subjects of learning through Songpa’s strong education support system, including ‘Songpa SSEM.’”
Gangdong District (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) has completed installing bicycle racks with Gangdong-style design throughout the area, following the creation of a bicycle-themed street last December.
A total of 1,051 Gangdong-style bicycle racks have been installed at 95 locations in the district, making it more convenient for bicycle users to park their bicycles and improving the pedestrian environment.
The installation sections include ▲Seongnae-ro (Gangdong-gu Office Station to Seogyeong Building) ▲Olympic-ro (Gangdong-gu Office Station to Seonsa Intersection) ▲around Gangdong Station. In the future, old and damaged bicycle racks will be replaced with stylish Gangdong-style racks.
The new bicycle racks, featuring a simple design reflecting Gangdong’s identity and functional aspects, can accommodate not only bicycles but also bicycle-PM dual-use mobility devices. This is expected to improve urban aesthetics and partially alleviate inconveniences caused by indiscriminate parking of electric kickboards.
Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong District, said, “Gangdong District will continue efforts to install and improve bicycle-related convenience facilities so that the increasing number of bicycle users can use bicycles comfortably and safely.”
Jungnang District (Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi) is recruiting future soccer player hopefuls to participate in its children’s soccer class.
The target is elementary school students in grades 4 to 6 residing in the area. The class is free of charge, and participants will receive training supplies such as uniforms and soccer balls, as well as support for competition participation fees during the activity period.
The soccer class is held three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4 PM to 6 PM at the Jungnang District Public Grass Field. The activity period is from this month until December.
Selected players will learn basic physical training, passing, dribbling, and various fundamental and applied skills under the guidance of professional instructors. They will have opportunities to hone their skills and participate in various competitions during the activity period.
The application period is until the 11th. Any elementary school student who likes soccer can apply through the citizen participation section on the Jungnang District Office website. A total of 30 students will be recruited, and if applications exceed the quota, a simple physical test will be conducted to select the final 30. The selected candidates will be announced on the 12th in the afternoon on the website.
Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang District, said, “We hope students who have not been able to engage in outdoor activities sufficiently due to COVID-19 can run freely through the soccer class,” adding, “We ask for the interest of students who like soccer and will continue to prepare beneficial sports programs.”
Guro District (Mayor Lee Seong) will hold a non-face-to-face event to celebrate the 100th Children’s Day.
Guro District announced on the 7th that “various programs have been prepared to develop children’s artistic talents and provide opportunities for creative expression.”
The non-face-to-face Children’s Day event will be held from the 11th to the 15th, targeting works by children recommended by local elementary schools and middle and high school students.
The participation categories are drawing (free theme), essay contest (prose, poetry), and child-friendly calendar making.
Drawing and essay contests are for students recommended by local elementary schools, with essay topics including connection, future, promise, and the way to school.
The child-friendly calendar drawing contest is held under the theme ‘Child-Friendly City Guro.’ For the elementary division, recommended children from each school submit hand-drawn pictures to the Elderly and Youth Division at the district office, while middle and high school students and youths of the same age group submit digital drawings (using PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) via email. Excellent works from both divisions will be produced and distributed as next year’s calendar.
Guro District will select 62 winners across categories (25 for essay contest, 25 for drawing, 12 for calendar making) and award the Guro District Mayor’s Award next month. Selection results will be individually notified on the 22nd and posted on the district website.
An exhibition of the 62 selected excellent works will also be held. The exhibition will take place over two days, May 5th and 6th, at Gocheok Neighborhood Park.
Additionally, Guro District will award certificates of commendation to 164 exemplary children and youths. The awardees are students recommended by school principals from elementary, middle, and high schools. Two students per elementary school and four students per middle and high school will be selected in four categories: exemplary, volunteer, good deed, and filial piety.
A Guro District official said, “We hope this event will comfort children exhausted by COVID-19,” adding, “We will do our best to help children nurture dreams and hopes through various methods.”
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