Bundang Central Park

Covering about 42 ha in the heart of Bundang new town, this park was designed to keep as much of the forest and natural terrain of the Yeongjangsan slopes as possible. A pond modelled on Anapji in Gyeongju, traditional pavilions, and the old house and tombs of the Hansan Yi clan sit side by side, so this new-town park still holds traces of the village that came before it. Officially it is Seongnam Central Park, but almost everyone calls it Bundang Central Park.

Saving a forest and a village

The park opened on 31 July 1994, as Bundang new town was being built. It leans against a ridge of the 413.5 m Yeongjangsan, keeping the original landforms and woods and adding native trees so that it feels like a natural forest. From the mid-Joseon period onwards this land belonged to the Hansan Yi clan, who lived and buried their dead here. In 1989, when development threatened to wipe out the whole burial ground, scholars, residents and clan elders campaigned to save it, and on 29 December that year it was designated a Gyeonggi Province monument. As a result, the history of the area before the new town is still visible all over the park.

What to see

• Bundang Pond: a pond of about 12,500 m² fed by the Bundangcheon stream that runs through the park. It was modelled on Anapji in Gyeongju, and three stone bridges link its two islands. On some days fountains shoot up from the water.
• Dolmagak and Sunaejeong: pavilions modelled on Gyeonghoeru at Gyeongbokgung and Aeryeonjeong at Changdeokgung, and the focal points of the pond.
• Sunae-dong House: a late-Joseon family home of the Hansan Yi head family, now protected cultural heritage of Gyeonggi Province. It is the only house left from the village that stood here before development, and in front of it grow a zelkova of about 250 years and a juniper of 150 years.
• Hansan Yi tombs and stele pavilions: graves of clan members including Yi Jang-yun, grandfather of the scholar Yi Ji-ham. You can also see the tomb of Yi Gyeong-ryu, who died at the Battle of Sangju during the Imjin War, and a mound where his horse was buried.
• Dolmen garden: ten dolmens brought together from sites around Seongnam.
• Watermill and lawns: a working watermill, a large lawn and an open-air stage where performances and events take place through the year.

An easy park to walk

Four footbridges connect the park to the surrounding apartment blocks. They were built as ramps without steps, so they are easy with a wheelchair or a pushchair. Paths follow both the stream and the Yeongjangsan ridge, so you can choose between a flat stroll and a gentle hill walk.

Tripto tips

• Opening: open 24 hours, all year, with no admission fee. There is parking, but it fills up quickly at weekends and during events.
• Best season: in April about 2 km of park paths on the Sunae-dong side are lined with cherry blossom; October–November brings the best colour around the pond. In winter the pond freezes over and the park takes on a completely different look.
• Time needed: 1–2 hours for the pond, Sunae-dong House and the tombs; half a day if you add the Yeongjangsan ridge.
• Getting there: about a 10-minute walk from Seohyeon Station on the Suin-Bundang Line.
• Combine it with: Yuldong Park, Bundang's other big park, for a full day of park walks.