Osan Dolmen Park

Dolmen Park in Geumam-dong, Osan, has nine Bronze Age dolmens scattered across its lawns. It is an urban park among apartment blocks, yet the huge granite capstones set Bronze Age graves right beside the modern city. Peonies and roses in spring and maple colour in autumn surround the stones, so the park changes with the seasons.

The Geumam-ri dolmens

Dolmens are the signature tombs of the Korean Bronze Age, generally thought to belong to people with wealth or political power. These stand on flat ground in the valley between Yeogyesan (158 m) and Seoksan (135 m). There are 11 in all at three spots, and nine of them were listed as a Gyeonggi-do Monument in 1988 under the name "Osan Geumam-ri Dolmens".

Korean dolmens come in two broad types: the table type, with four upright stones forming a chamber above ground under a broad capstone, and the go-board type, where the chamber lies underground beneath the capstone. Here most show only their capstones above ground, with whatever lies beneath still buried. They are probably the capstone type without visible supporting stones, but only excavation can confirm their structure. The capstones are granite, and the largest is close to 6 m long.

What to see

• Cup marks on Dolmen No. 2: round hollows have been pecked into the top of the capstone. They are sometimes read as prayers for good harvests or children, but their exact meaning is unknown.
• Quarrying scars: Dolmens No. 2 and No. 8 bear marks where stone was split off. Walk slowly round the edges of the capstones to find them.
• Osan–Heze Friendship Peony Garden: about 400 m² planted with 1,000 peonies of 15 varieties. Some seedlings were a gift from Heze, Osan's sister city in China.
• Forest library: a small library in the shade of the trees, good for a quiet break with a book. It is also where the two leads of the drama Our Beloved Summer, in school uniform, sheltered from the rain.
• Level paths: the flat walkways are easy with a pushchair or wheelchair.
• Night lighting: during the rose festival the plaza stage, a rose-covered tunnel and a lantern-lined path are lit up after dark.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: about a 10–15 minute walk from Exit 1 of Sema Station on Seoul Subway Line 1. For satnav, enter "고인돌공원" or 520 Geumam-dong, Osan.
• Parking: the park has no car park of its own. During events, nearby lots such as Eunbit Gaecheon Park's public car park are used temporarily, so the train is the better option.
• Opening: an open park, accessible 24 hours, with no admission fee.
• When to go: peonies bloom in April–May, and the first rose festival, in May 2026, drew about 15,000 visitors on its opening day alone. Autumn foliage season is lovely too.
• Time needed: 30 minutes for the dolmens, about an hour with the garden and woodland paths.
• Combine with: nearby Mulhyanggi Arboretum makes it a half-day walk.