[One Day Walk] Walking Along the Waterway... Bucheon Dullegil Course 3

The path introduced today is the Bucheon Dullegil. It is a themed trail connecting the mountains, parks, fields, and streams on the outskirts of Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province. Among them, Course 3, called 'Walking Along the Waterway,' starts from Songnae Station on Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 1 and follows Bucheon’s representative waterways, 'Siminnui Gang' (Citizen's River) and Gulpocheon Stream. Since it is a waterside promenade, the path is flat and easy to walk for people of all ages, making it feel like a leisurely stroll.

Starting from Songnae Station and walking westward, you will come across Woncheon Park. This park was established in 2003 by Bucheon City to expand resting spaces for citizens and encourage outdoor activities. It features convenience facilities, various outdoor exercise equipment, and green spaces. It is also the starting point of Siminnui Gang, the nation’s first and largest urban artificial stream.

Siminnui Gang is a river stretching a total length of 5.5 km, with a width of 3 to 5 meters and a depth of 20 to 30 cm. Notably, the water flowing through it is recycled from treated wastewater from sewage treatment plants, making it an environmentally friendly stream. Along the river, the waterside path is lined with various trees and riverside vegetation to enjoy a tranquil landscape, and benches placed intermittently allow for brief rests. Over the course of more than 20 years, it has come to resemble a natural waterway rather than an artificial stream.

Walking along the path, you will encounter Sangdong Lake Park. Established in 2003, it spans an area of 181,300 square meters. The park offers a variety of experiential facilities such as fountains, botanical gardens, and vegetable gardens, alongside sports facilities including badminton courts, gateball courts, and basketball courts. It is designed as a 'citizen participation park' where residents can gather and enjoy. Centered around a 23,000-square-meter artificial lake, various walking trails are laid out along the perimeter, allowing visitors to enjoy diverse scenery within the park.

Sangdong Lake Park, Sangdong, Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
[Photo by Sangdong Lake Park Management and Operations Headquarters]

The nearby Korean Manhwa Museum offers a unique attraction. It is the only manhwa (Korean comics) museum in the country, housing over 20,000 ancient manhwa materials and more than 310,000 manhwa books. The museum features permanent and special exhibition halls that showcase the past and present of Korean manhwa, as well as a manhwa library and a manhwa video screening room where visitors can enjoy various comics. As the center of Korean manhwa, the museum also hosts the annual Bucheon International Comics Festival and Bucheon International Animation Festival.

Continuing to walk along Siminnui Gang, you will come across Gulpocheon Stream. Originating from the northeast valley of Cheolmasan Mountain in Bupyeong-dong, Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, it passes through Wonmi and Ojeong districts in Bucheon City, then flows through Gimpo City before emptying into the Han River. Bucheon City and other local governments continuously work to improve the water quality and environment of Gulpocheon, fostering an ecological stream where birds and fish inhabit. Walking along Gulpocheon, when you reach Bongodaero, a major road connecting Incheon Seo-gu, Bucheon City, and Seoul Yangcheon-gu, today’s walk comes to an end.