Anheungji Pond and Aeryeonjeong Pavilion

In the middle of Icheon, between apartment blocks, lies a square pond called Anheungji, and on its bank stands Aeryeonjeong, a pavilion with finely painted eaves. Joseon kings stopped here to rest on their way back from King Sejong's tomb, and the name is said to have been chosen by the statesman Sin Suk-ju. Red wooden footbridges cross the water, making it an easy loop through a pocket of calm in the city.

History: a pavilion named by Sin Suk-ju

Nobody knows exactly when the first pavilion was built. In his Record of Aeryeonjeong, the Joseon official Im Won-jun wrote that Icheon's magistrate Yi Se-bo put up a pavilion east of the government office and asked Sin Suk-ju, then Chief State Councillor, to name it. He chose Aeryeonjeong, "the pavilion of loving the lotus". The city of Icheon dates this rebuilding to 1474, though some sources also record an earlier rebuilding in 1428, under King Sejong. The natural marsh below the pavilion was shaped into the square pond you see today.

The pavilion inspired poets: verses about it by Prince Wolsan, Seo Geo-jeong, Kim An-guk, Jo Wi, Gang Gyeong-seo and Kim Jin-sang still survive. It also had close royal ties. Kings returning from paying respects at King Sejong's tomb (Yeongneung) in Yeoju called in here; the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty record that King Jungjong held a banquet for the elderly at the pavilion, and visits by Sukjong, Yeongjo and Jeongjo are recorded as well.

The old pavilion is thought to have burned in 1907, when Japanese troops suppressing the Righteous Army uprising set fire to 483 households in Icheon town. The present building was rebuilt by Icheon city in December 1998. It is Icheon Local Heritage No. 15 (listed on 1 August 1997) and one of the "Nine Views of Icheon", the city's selection of its best scenery.

What to see

• Aeryeonjeong: the pavilion stands on a stone terrace by the water. Climb the steps to its raised floor for a view over the whole pond, and look up at the painted eaves.
• Anheungji and its bridges: red-railed wooden footbridges cross the willow-fringed pond, giving views of the pavilion from several angles.
• Pond path: a level path circles the water, easy going with a pushchair or small children.
• Information boards: the boards beside the pavilion sum up the history of Aeryeonjeong and Anheungji and are worth reading before you start.

Tripto tips

• Access: it is a public park, open at all times and free.
• Best time: summer, when the lotus the pavilion is named after is in flower, and spring, when the willows come into leaf. Clear mornings, with the pavilion reflected in the water, are lovely too.
• Time needed: 30 minutes to an hour to climb the pavilion and walk round the pond.
• Getting there: about 1.6 km from Icheon Station on the Gyeonggang Line, roughly a 25-minute walk. The address is 12 Jungnicheon-ro 113beon-gil, Icheon.
• Combine with: Icheon is famous for its ceramics, so the pottery village is an obvious pairing; to follow the royal story further, drive on to King Sejong's tomb (Yeongneung) in Yeoju.