Semiwon

Right next to Dumulmeori, a chain of ponds on the Han River floodplain has been turned into a garden of water and flowers. In high summer white and pink lotuses cover the ponds, and a bridge of boats modelled on one from King Jeongjo's time carries you across to Dumulmeori, where the North and South Han rivers meet.

What the name means

The name Semiwon (洗美苑) comes from an old saying: look at water to wash your mind, look at flowers to make your mind beautiful. True to that idea, the garden paths are paved with stones shaped like old-fashioned washboards. It looks like a lotus garden, but it began as a water-cleaning project. Han River water flows through a series of ponds planted with aquatic plants and returns to the river filtered. The site covers about 180,000 m².

A garden that grew step by step

Semiwon opened in May 2004 with a water-lily greenhouse and lotus fields and has grown a little almost every year since. The Lotus Museum opened in 2009, and in July 2012 a reconstruction of King Jeongjo's pontoon bridge across the Han (the Yeolsu Jugyo) was completed. Sehanjeong, a garden built around a story about the scholar Kim Jeong-hui, followed in 2013, and in 2019 Semiwon was designated a provincial garden of Gyeonggi-do. The ageing boat bridge reopened in April 2024 after repairs.

What to see

• White and pink lotus ponds: in flower from late June to early August.
• Perry Memorial Pond: lotuses planted in person by the family of Dr Perry D. Slocum, a world-renowned lotus breeder.
• Victoria Pond: the huge, spiny leaves of the Amazonian Victoria water lily and its flowers that change colour as they open, in July and August.
• Tropical Water Lily Pond and the World Water Lily Pavilion: tropical, Australian and other water lilies, blooming from July to October.
• Jangdokdae Fountain: a fountain made of stacked soy-sauce jars, built as a wish for peace on the river, in the country and at home.
• Pond of Love: a recreation of Monet's water-lily garden.
• Sehanjeong: a garden dedicated to Kim Jeong-hui and his loyal student Yi Sang-jeok.
• Yusang Goksu: a recreated winding channel where Joseon scholars floated cups of wine or tea and composed poems.
• Boat bridge and Dumulmeori: cross the pontoon bridge and you are straight in Dumulmeori.
• Sangchunwon: a greenhouse garden themed on plum blossom and camellias that feels like spring even in winter.

A story worth knowing

Sehanjeong takes its name from Kim Jeong-hui's painting Sehando, "Winter Scene". While Kim was in exile on Jeju, his student Yi Sang-jeok kept sending him rare books bought in China, and Kim thanked him with a painting of a pine and a nut pine that stay green through the coldest winter. Semiwon also breeds its own plants: in 2022 its water-lily cultivar "Semi" received plant variety protection from the Korea Seed and Variety Service.

Tripto tips

• When to go: lotus season peaks from late June to early August. Midday in midsummer is very hot with little shade, so arrive around the 09:00 opening. Tropical water lilies last until October.
• Time needed: the garden's recommended route takes about 1 hour; add the walk over the boat bridge to Dumulmeori and allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Opening hours: 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30). Open daily from April to October; from November to March closed on Mondays (on the following day if Monday is a public holiday).
• Admission: KRW 7,000 for adults, KRW 4,000 for children, teenagers and visitors over 65. Part of the price comes back as a Yangpyeong local gift voucher (KRW 2,000 for adults, KRW 1,000 for concessions).
• Not allowed: food (drinks are fine), pets, bicycles, kick scooters and drones.
• Getting there: take the Gyeongui-Jungang Line to Yangsu Station and walk about 700 m. Buses 2000-1 from Gangbyeon Station and 2000-2 from Jamsil Station stop right outside, but they run a limited service on weekdays, so check times first.
• Parking: the Yangseo Culture and Sports Park car park is closed for construction; use the public car parks about 5 minutes' walk away. Roads here are jammed at weekends, so the train is the better choice.