Seoseoul Lake Park

This is the park where a jet of water shoots up from the lake whenever a plane on its way into Gimpo Airport passes overhead. Set in Sinwol-dong, Yangcheon-gu, on the far western edge of Seoul, it opened on 26 October 2009 on the site of a former water purification plant, and old water pipes and settling basins now live on as gardens and paths. Admission is free and it is open 24 hours, so it works for anything from an evening stroll to a relaxed half-day out.

From waterworks to park

The site began in 1959 as Incheon's Gimpo water purification plant. Seoul took it over in 1979 and ran it as the Sinwol Water Purification Plant, sending about 120,000 tonnes of tap water a day to the city. It was shut down in October 2003 under a plan to consolidate Seoul's waterworks, and six years later it reopened as a park designed by landscape architect Choi Shin-hyun (CTOPOS). Together with Neunggolsan, the wooded hill behind it, the park covers about 225,000 m², roughly the size of Yeouido Park. At its centre lies a lake of about 18,000 m².

What to look out for

• Sound fountain: 41 nozzles on the lake respond to aircraft noise. When a sensor picks up a sound of 81 dB or more, the fountain switches on automatically and the jets rise up to 15 m. It is a playful answer to the park's position right under the Gimpo flight path.
• Mondrian Garden: the walls and floors of old treatment structures were kept and laid out in strict vertical and horizontal lines that recall the abstract paintings of Piet Mondrian.
• Regeneration Garden: a section of 1 m-wide water main from the plant has been placed here as a symbol of the site's past. Along its little stream you may spot tadpoles and dragonflies.
• The 100-person table and culture deck: a very long table and a deck square make good spots for a picnic or a rest.
• Recycled details everywhere: pillars at the entrance, bike racks and light fittings were all made from old pipes and waterworks parts.

A park with raccoons

A family of wild raccoons lives in the park. They rest in their dens by day and come out to forage at night, and they are not especially shy of people. As the park signs say, do not feed them or go close; watch from a distance. From the Mondrian Garden a forest path leads straight onto Neunggolsan, and you can follow a ridge trail of about 2.4 km to the summit. In summer Yangcheon-gu also runs a free children's water play area here.

Tripto tips

• Catching the fountain: the sound fountain only bursts into life briefly when a plane is loud enough. Sit on a bench by the lake, wait for a landing aircraft, and you will see the jets rise.
• Time needed: allow about an hour for a loop of the lake and the gardens, or around 2.5 hours if you add the Neunggolsan trail.
• Admission: free, open 24 hours all year.
• Getting there: from Kkachisan Station (Lines 2 and 5), Exit 4, take trunk bus 653; or from Hwagok Station (Line 5), Exit 7, take bus 652, 6625 or 6627.
• Parking: the park is listed as having no dedicated car park, so come by public transport.
• When to go: spring greenery and autumn are the most pleasant times for a lakeside walk. In summer, check Yangcheon-gu's notices for the water play area's dates and hours.