The Chollipo Arboretum in Taean, South Chungcheong, considered Korea¡¯s first private arboretum, has about 12,000 species of plants - the most of any single arboretum in the country. [JoongAng Ilbo]
When you need a distraction from your daily routine, maybe you meet a few friends and chat with them over a nice cup of tea, go to the movies, or have fun at an amusement park. But this time of the year, perhaps you should consider heading outside, to enjoy Seoul¡¯s arboretums and botanical gardens at the peak of their seasonal beauty.
Season of the iris
In particular, you could head out to see the iris, which is in full bloom in May and June. As its name, which means ¡°rainbow¡± in Greek, implies, the iris comes in a nearly endless palette of colors. And there¡¯s a staggering variety on display at the Seoul Iris Garden, nestled between Mount Dobong and Mount Surak in northern Seoul. The garden, operated by the Seoul city government, stretches over 52,000 square meters (560,000 square feet) and is home to 130 species of iris, 78 species of herbs and 57 species of trees.
The facility celebrates its first anniversary on June 7
¡°When we just opened, the visitors were mostly residents of this neighborhood, but these days there are an increasing number of outside visitors, particularly those who visit this area for mountain climbing,¡± said Lee Yeon-jung, the Seoul government official in charge of managing the garden.
¡°Here you can see not only irises, but also various kinds of herbs, which is why we have a group of school kids coming to learn about the diversity of plants and nature.¡±
At Yoo Botanic Garden, a variety of trees and plants are arranged according to themes, stretching from the bottom of a slope up through the hills. But the focus is on the iris. [JoongAng Ilbo]
Yoon Pyung-hee, 64, described the Seoul Iris Garden as a haven for those weary of the busy city life.
¡°I have been a regular visitor here since its opening last year, and today I have brought some of my friends to show them there is a nice place like this,¡± said Yoon, a resident of Dobong, who visited the garden late Thursday afternoon with several friends her age after climbing Mount Dobong together.
¡°I¡¯m glad that we have such a place as this in Seoul. I had lived in Jamsil until I moved to this area a couple of years ago, and I just love this area with mountains and places like this where I can enjoy nature,¡± she added.
¡°Our first official event since the opening last year was the Iris Festival, which was held last weekend. While there are no other events currently in the pipeline, we will come up with more diverse events in coming years to let more people know about this place,¡± said Lee at the Seoul Iris Garden.
Though the Iris Festival has ended, visitors will still be able to enjoy the splendid flowers near the garden¡¯s ponds until late June. The best way to reach the garden is by subway. It¡¯s located right across the street from exit 2 of Dobongsan Station, lines No. 1 or 7, and it¡¯s open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (02) 954-0031.
No longer members only
The Chollipo Arboretum in Taean, South Chungcheong was established in 1970 by the late Min Byung-gal, an American who was naturalized as a Korean in 1979. It was designated as an arboretum of merit by the International Dendrology Society in 2000, the first in Asia and only the 12th in the world.
The arboretum has about 12,000 species of plants - the most at any single arboretum in the country. Chollipo, considered Korea¡¯s first private arboretum, was opened to members only until March 1 last year, when its doors were opened to the public.
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