The first place that would pop up in your head when thinking of Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do is undoubtedly “The Garden of Morning Calm.” The way I remember the Garden of Morning Calm was through <Lighting Festival>, which is not only one of the nation’s most well-known light festivals but also the highlight of the Garden of Morning Calm’s winter. If you are an avid photographer, it is likely that you have heard about the exhibition at least once in your life. Just like fireflies that exude bright lights in the dark, more than 200,000 big and small light bulbs perform an orchestra of colored lights with a number of themes including love, animals, and plants. Similar to toys in the animated film, <Toy Story>, coming to life every night, flowers and trees that had maintained tranquility during the day suddenly become the hosts who invite people to their own nighttime festival.

Professor Han Sang-kyung (Department of Horticulture, Sahmyook University), the founder of the garden, was inspired by Butchart Gardens in Canada where he visited during his time as an exchange professor in America. Walking through Sunken Garden, he wished for a garden like it to be in Korea as well so he eventually opened his own garden, which includes a botanical garden, exhibiting the true Korean beauty. The name, “Morning Calm”, comes from “Land of the Morning Calm”, a phrase used by an Indian poet named Tagore to describe Joseon.

Over a 100,000-pyeong area, the Garden of Morning Calm is constituted of 22 unique themed gardens including Sunken Garden, Eden Garden, Morning Plaza, Road to Heaven, Bonsai Garden, and Korean Theme Garden, and also possesses three indoor exhibit facilities – Green House, Flower House, and Alpine House. A ray of relaxation penetrates through your heart as you stroll around the gardens in slow breaths. Reflecting my busy, dense life up to this point along the course of nature in which things bloom and wither in due time, I come to have a desire to temporarily forget about my everyday life during my time here. Various festivals are held every month at the Garden of Morning Calm, which include Spring Garden Festival, Iris Festival, Festival of Hydrangeas and Roses of Sharon, and Festival of Chrysanthemums, all of which offer visitors opportunities to enjoy the zenith of beauty.

If you wish to enjoy the loveliness of the gardens in a more in-depth manner, it is a good idea to get assistance from the garden commentators, a program that requires a reservation in advance (with a fee). It tightly holds the string of relation with a flower, which you would have merely brushed by and thought of as an “unknown pretty flower” without an interesting explanation. On weekends, various programs are also operated such as Alpine leek flowerpot making for children to grow friendlier with the nature, gardener experience, and topiary.

Opened on May 11, 1996, the Garden of Morning Calm has become a popular tourist attraction that sees more than 1 million visitors every year. It was selected as one of the “top 50 tourist attractions of Korea” by CNN and, as a number of Korean dramas that generated Hallyu were filmed here, it has become a must-visit place for not only Koreans but also many foreign tourists from all over the world including Japan, Taiwan, China, Southeast Asian countries, U.S. and European nations.

TIP.

* “Sunken Garden”, constituted of 10 large and small flower beds, is in the shape of the Korean Peninsula and, with yearning for the unification, expressed the North and South Korea in flowery paths. This garden is a reason why CNN chose the Garden of Morning Calm as one of the “top 50 tourist attractions of Korea.”

* Do not forget about “Cheonnyeonhyang,” a type of Chinese juniper, which is the symbol of the Morning Calm.

Written and photos by Kim Sun-joo

Website morningcalm.co.kr

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