Taehwagang National Garden, Ulsan

Stretching along the Taehwa River through the heart of Ulsan, Taehwagang National Garden became Korea's second national garden in 2019, after Suncheon Bay. Its emblem is Simni Bamboo Forest, a long belt of bamboo along the river, and after dark the Eunhasu-gil path lights up the bamboo like a galaxy. It is a city garden you can walk at any hour, free of charge.

From a dead river to a national garden

Flowing through industrial Ulsan, the Taehwa was once so polluted that it was called a "river of death". Residents and the city worked together to restore it into a clean, living river, and the gardens laid out on its floodplain were designated a national garden on 12 July 2019. They cover 835,452 m² across Ulsan's Jung and Nam districts.

The garden is divided into six themed areas: ecology, bamboo, seasons, water plants, participation and the national flower, the rose of Sharon. They range from a bird habitat and a butterfly garden to a peony garden, a chrysanthemum garden and designer and community gardens created for the 2018 garden expo.

What to see

• Simni Bamboo Forest: a bamboo grove running for about 4 km along the river. In a breeze the clatter of stems fills the paths.
• Eunhasu-gil (Milky Way Path): the night garden in the bamboo section, where LED lights make the bamboo sparkle. Go after sunset to see it properly.
• Bamboo Ecology Garden: a collection of 63 bamboo species.
• Seasonal gardens: peonies in spring, chrysanthemums and autumn colour later in the year.
• Taehwaru and Simnidaebat Bridge: a restored pavilion once counted among the great pavilions of the Yeongnam region, and the footbridge linking Jung and Nam districts.

Good to know

• Hands-on programmes include gardening for young children and family garden-making sessions.
• The Taehwagang Observatory and Eunhasu Bridge near the garden extend the walk along the river.
• The ecology garden includes a ginkgo garden, a purple garden of lilyturf and pine, a butterfly garden for observing endangered species and a zelkova woodland. The peony garden in the seasonal section is the largest in Korea, alongside a lavender scent garden.
• At Namsan Naru next to the participation gardens you can try a restored ferry boat, and the rose of Sharon garden uses the national flower as its theme.
• Programmes include "Little Gardener" sessions, family garden-making and a contest for new gardeners.
• Facilities inside the garden include a bird habitat and the Eunhasu Bridge. Enquiries: +82 52-229-3147.

Tripto tips

• Hours and fees: open at all times, free. Parking is available.
• When to go: May, when the peonies bloom, and the autumn foliage season are the most colourful. In summer the shade of the bamboo makes midday walks bearable.
• Time needed: an hour for the bamboo forest, 2–3 hours for the main gardens. To catch Eunhasu-gil, start in the late afternoon and stay until dusk.
• Nearby: being in central Ulsan, it combines well with Daewangam Park and the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum in a day.