33,000-Square-Meter Arboretum to Be Built in Gahaksan Neighborhood Park, Gwangmyeong

Four Themed Gardens to Be Built... Completion Scheduled for June Next Year
Park Seungwon: "Will Become a Leading Ecotourism Resource Representing the City"

A large-scale arboretum covering 33,000 square meters will be established near Gwangmyeong Cave, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, by June next year.

On the 24th, Gwangmyeong City held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the arboretum within Gahaksan Neighborhood Park.

Layout map of Gahaksan Arboretum in Gwangmyeong, scheduled for completion in June next year, and a bird's-eye view of the exhibition greenhouse within the arboretum (small photo). Provided by Gwangmyeong City

This project involves creating a nature-themed park with four different themes on the eastern side of Gahaksan Neighborhood Park, covering approximately 32,820 square meters. A total of 11,266 million won will be invested in the project, which is scheduled for completion in June next year.

This initiative is an extension of the "Gahaksan Neighborhood Park Development Plan" established by the city in 2015. Since formulating the plan, the city has focused development efforts around the western side, centered on Gwangmyeong Cave. In 2018, the city created Dodam-gil, a path connecting the eastern and western sides of Gahaksan. Through this project, the city aims to establish a "nature and culture belt" that links Gwangmyeong Cave, the arboretum, and the Sohanmunhwa Park, which is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2027.

The arboretum will feature four themed gardens: the Welcome Garden, the Four Seasons Garden, the Waterscape Garden, and the Natural Ecology Garden.

The "Welcome Garden," located immediately inside the main entrance of Dodam-gil, is the first space visitors will encounter. Here, a two-story exhibition greenhouse with a total floor area of 638 square meters will be built to showcase more than 50 species of tropical plants.

After passing through the exhibition greenhouse, visitors will reach the "Four Seasons Garden," where they can enjoy beautiful plants that change with the seasons. The next area, the "Waterscape Garden," utilizes a naturally formed waterway. Along the waterway, there will be a stream garden and an aquatic plant garden, as well as rest areas such as deck lounges.

In the final section of the arboretum, the "Natural Ecology Garden," mosses with a higher carbon absorption rate than terrestrial plants will be planted, reflecting the city's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the arboretum construction held on the 24th at Gahaksan Neighborhood Park in Gwangmyeong, Gwangmyeong Mayor Seungwon Park (sixth from the left) and other attendees are cutting the commemorative tape. Photo by Gwangmyeong City

Gwangmyeong Mayor Seungwon Park stated, "The Gahaksan Arboretum will provide citizens with a space for relaxation and leisure within the city, and will become a valuable ecological tourism resource representing Gwangmyeong. We will continue to do our utmost to build green infrastructure to realize a carbon-neutral city."