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| Bird Houses in Haneul Park |
A couple of months ago, Caroline and I met at the World Cup stadium and set out to find these Haneul and Neoul parks. It was a pretty hot day and just after we thought we were lost we ended up at Nanji campground, which over looks the Han river. We sat ourselves down on the river bank and nearly forgot about our destination. Looking back, I suspect that we willfully didn't find Neoul and Haneul parks because it was a pretty hot day and the parks sit at the summits of adjacent hills.
Eventually, I returned solo to find the parks. It was worth a second try. Along with boasting a beautiful view, it's fascinating to see how quickly nature has reclaimed these once landfills. In fact, 20 years ago the entire area, containing four parks and the World Cup stadium, was still being used as a dumping site for Seoul's garbage and wastes. After the announcement that Japan and Korea would joint-host the 2002 World Cup tournament, Korea spent nearly 200 million dollars to stabilize the landfill and create the parks existing today.
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| 290 Steps to Haneul Park |
Haneul Park
To get to Haneul park, I had to first climb 290 steps. (Like I said, I think Caroline and I willfully did not see the entrance to the park on our first attempt.) Once at the top though, the view was incredible. I could look down on the Seoul-area from each side of the peak. Amazingly, the park now contains a natural ecosystem and five wind power generators that power the street lamps surrounding World Cup stadium.
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| The Han River |
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| World Cup Stadium with Seoul in the Background |
Sculptures in Hanuel Park
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| Remnants of the Landfill |
Neoul Park:
A golf course, campground and great place to view the sunset over the Han river. Apparently, there is still much garbage buried under Neoul park.
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| Re-purposed Garbage Just Outside Neoul Park |
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| Sculpture in Neoul Park |
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| View of Nanji Campground from Neoul Park
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