Pocheon Art Valley

Sheer granite cliffs drop into an emerald pool at Pocheon Art Valley, which was once a stone quarry. For almost three decades, hard and handsomely patterned Pocheon granite was cut here; after the quarry was abandoned, the city turned it into an eco-friendly arts park. It is now also one of the geosites of the Hantangang River UNESCO Global Geopark.

History: from quarry to culture park

Granite was quarried here for about 30 years from the 1960s. Pocheon stone is hard and beautifully grained, and it was used for landmark buildings such as the Blue House, the National Assembly and Incheon Airport. As the supply of good stone ran out in the 1990s, the quarry was abandoned and the scarred hillside was left for years.

Between 2004 and 2009 the city restored the site, repairing the damaged landscape in an environmentally friendly way while deliberately keeping some of the quarrying marks. Since opening in October 2009 it has become one of Pocheon's best-known attractions, a place where industrial heritage and art meet.

What to see

• Cheonjuho Lake: the flooded quarry pit. Ringed by vertical granite walls, it glows blue-green on clear days.
• Quarrying marks: rows of drill holes used to split the rock, and bits of iron rod, are still visible in the cliffs. They are easy to miss, so take a close look at the rock faces.
• Viewpoint and trails: the lookout above the cliffs shows the lake and the whole quarry.
• Sculpture park and stages: a hillside with sculptures and an outdoor stage set against the cliff, used for performances and exhibitions.
• Astronomy Science Center: a stargazing and astronomy space inside the park, free to visit.

A note on the rock

The granite here is a type of Daebo granite formed in the Jurassic period, distinguished by red garnet grains about 2 mm across. Look closely at the rock near the cliffs and you can spot them as tiny dots.

Nearby

• Kim Kwang-woo Art Museum and the Pocheon Tourist Information Center: both inside the park, handy places to shelter on a rainy day.
• Art Valley 1999: a themed attraction about 500 m away.
• Tomb of Grand Prince Inpyeong: the burial ground of a son of King Injo, about 2.9 km away.
• Hantangang Geopark: the Art Valley is one stop in the Hantangang Global Geopark, so it combines well with the river's basalt-column gorges for a geology-themed trip.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: Monday–Friday, Sundays and public holidays 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00), Saturdays 09:00–22:00 (last entry 20:00). Closed on the first Tuesday of each month.
• Tickets: adults KRW 6,000, teenagers and soldiers KRW 4,000, children KRW 2,000, over-65s KRW 3,000. Pocheon residents and pre-school children enter free; parking and the astronomy centre are free.
• Monorail: a monorail runs from the car park up the hill (separate fare). It may not run on Monday mornings because of maintenance.
• When to go: Saturday's late opening lets you see the cliffs at sunset. In autumn the lake is framed by red and gold leaves.
• Time needed: 90 minutes to 2 hours if you walk up and down.
• Phone: +82 1668-1035, monorail +82 31-531-2622.