Namyangju City Officially Opens 'Mulmalgeum Arboretum Forest Culture Center'

Digital Forest Experience Studio Communing with Nature

Namyangju Mayor Joo Gwang-deok is delivering a congratulatory speech at the event commemorating the official opening of the Mulmalgeum Arboretum 'Forest Culture Center' on the 23rd.

On the 23rd, Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Joo Gwang-deok) held a ceremony to officially open the ‘Forest Culture Center’ at Mulmalgeum Arboretum, completed after more than two years of construction.

The city established the Forest Culture Center by expanding exhibition and experience spaces under the slogan “A Arboretum to Visit Again, An Arboretum Within Reach.” This space combines immersive digital content with various experiential programs, allowing visitors to experience healing in nature and providing ecological sensibility.

At the event, children from Dochon Daycare Center in Sudong-myeon attended and marked the beginning of the ceremony by singing an original children’s song titled “The World I Wish For.”

Following this, arboretum professional coordinators introduced specialized programs arranged by floor under the concept of “How to Properly Enjoy the Forest.” These programs included △ viewing seasonal videos of the arboretum △ exhibitions of herbariums and plant pressed flowers △ rare plant exhibitions △ seed observation using a microscope.

Additionally, children from daycare centers in Hwado and Sudong areas participated in hands-on activities using natural materials from the arboretum to create name tags, badges, forest scent cards, postcards, and more, making the opening of the Forest Culture Center even more meaningful.

Moreover, a tree-planting performance featuring the native species Korean fir (Abies koreana) was held in a space visible from the Forest Culture Center. The center symbolizes the concave leaves of the Korean fir and is expected to become a space that embraces citizens throughout all four seasons and enhances the bond with nature.

A citizen who attended the opening ceremony shared, “From the sunlit interior and exterior of the Forest Culture Center to the grandeur of the arch bridge embroidered with yellow chrysanthemums, there were many captivating sights.”

Mayor Joo Gwang-deok of Namyangju said in his congratulatory speech, “The Forest Culture Center is a key asset leading the development of Mulmalgeum Arboretum and an important space where citizens can get closer to nature. We will focus administrative efforts on land exchange procedures with Gyeonggi Province to swiftly carry out projects such as the creation of a family forest experience center to revitalize the arboretum, ensuring it becomes an even greater top attraction.”

Now in its seventh year since opening, Mulmalgeum Arboretum has established itself as a representative attraction of Namyangju City, welcoming over 100,000 visitors annually. It offers age-specific experience spaces such as △ woodworking craft production △ forest recreation △ and a forest experience center for young children, receiving great responses from visitors.

The city plans to provide citizens with more sights and enjoyment by expanding convenience facilities without age restrictions, including the development of a family forest experience center featuring treehouses, therapy gardens, and barefoot walking trails, as well as creating a circular barrier-free deck trail for safe exploration of the arboretum facilities.

Various experience programs at Mulmalgeum Arboretum can be reserved in advance through the website, and for more details, inquiries can be made to the Mulmalgeum Arboretum team of Namyangju City.