Songdo Central Park

In the middle of Incheon's Songdo International City, a long seawater canal runs between the high-rises. Songdo Central Park covers about 41 hectares and was the first park in Korea with seawater flowing through it. Kayaks and boats glide along the water and tents dot the lawns, drawing families and day-trippers from across the Seoul region for an unhurried day out.

Background: inspired by New York's Central Park

Stan Gale, chairman of US developer Gale International, which led the Songdo business district project, wanted a permanent green space at the heart of the new city, like Central Park in New York. The design was by the US architecture firm KPF, which also designed Songdo's POSCO Tower. The park takes up roughly 10% of the Songdo International Business District.

The layout also reflects Korean geography. Mirroring the peninsula, which is high in the east and low in the west, the north-eastern part of the park has hills and forest paths, while small islands in the canal represent the archipelago off Korea's south coast.

What to see

• The seawater canal: seawater is drawn from a treatment plant about 4 km away, cleaned and fed into a canal about 1.8 km long and 30 to 100 m wide. Mullet, rockfish, crabs and gobies live in it.
• Boats and water taxis: the East Boat House rents canoes, kayaks and electric boats; from the West Boat House, a water taxi does a loop of the canal.
• Walking garden and deer farm: the north-eastern hills have a metasequoia avenue and forest paths, with a small farm caring for spotted deer nearby.
• Terrace garden: a raised garden with a view over the whole park.
• Songdo Hanok Village: a hanok complex opened in 2015 with a hanok hotel, restaurants and cultural activities.
• Seonhwajeong and the evening walk: from the canal path, the Seonhwajeong pavilion, the moon above it and the lights of the towers make a classic night view.

Good to know

• Several scenes of Psy's 2012 "Gangnam Style" video, including the car-park dance-off, were filmed here.
• G-Tower, home of the Green Climate Fund headquarters, stands inside the park.
• On weekends many people pitch day tents in the shade of the woods.

Nearby

• National Museum of World Writing Systems: right next to the park, on the history of the world's scripts.
• Incheon Metropolitan City Museum of Urban History: a nearby museum on how Incheon has grown and changed.
• Incheon Chinatown and Wolmido: 20 to 30 minutes by car in Incheon's old port area, for open-port-era streets and sea views.

Tripto tips

• Access: the park is open 24 hours and free. The East Boat House usually runs 10:00–21:00, varying with season and weather.
• Getting there: Central Park Station on Incheon Line 1 is right at the park. The public car park beneath it charges KRW 1,000 per 30 minutes.
• Time needed: about an hour for a walk round the canal; with a boat ride and time on the lawns, allow half a day.
• Best time: dusk into evening, when lights reflect on the canal. On spring and autumn weekends, expect queues for boats.
• Note: boat and water-taxi times and prices change with the season, so check on site.