Because of COVID-19, most social activities are restricted. In particular, indoor activities are regulated more strictly. This situation makes people feel depressed and tired. However, thankfully, autumn has arrived. It is a good season to take a walk and view natural scenery. Since there is less risk of getting infected outdoors, Pharos decided to introduce a forest to refresh ourselves and enjoy the essence of autumn. It is called Hwadam Forest and it is located in Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do.

* Address: 278-1, Docheok Upper-ro, Docheok-myeon, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do.

Hwadam Forest is a big forest park that includes various gardens. As the name “Hwadam” means “talking to each other in a friendly way,” the mood in the forest is comfortable and calming. First of all, one of the main attractions is a garden called the Nostalgic Garden. As you can tell from its name, it conveys a nostalgic mood. In this garden, miniatures show the scenes from the past and give insight into Korean customs. You can view them while walking along the trail and imagine people's lives in the past.

Nearby the Nostalgic Garden, there is a monorail platform. The monorail runs a distance of 1.2 km for about 20 minutes, allowing the visitors to see the whole forest at a glance and appreciate a different point of view. It starts from the entrance of the Moss Garden and goes up to the top of Hwadam Forest, after passing by the Bonsai Garden and the Pine Tree Garden. The Pine Tree Garden is the most natural place in the park, composed of 1,300 pine trees. If you want to stop by the garden, you can get off at monorail station 2, which is only 300 meters away from the garden. The third station is between the observatory and the Birch Tree Forest. Please keep in mind that monorail tickets are available only at the monorail stations.

If you are a walker, there are three types of tracks between the monorail stops that you can take to enjoy the park: the Forest Walking Course, the Forest Garden Course, and the Forest Tracking Course. The Forest Walking Course is 1.9 km in length and it takes around 40 minutes. The Forest Garden Course, between stations 2 and 3, is the longest, measuring 3.4 km, taking an hour to complete. This second course goes through the pine trees, bonsais, rocks, and flower gardens. There is a special track, the Forest Tracking Course. It takes you on a forest exploring adventure. It has almost the same length as the Forest Garden Course, measuring 2 km. However, it takes more time as you are going to be following a path inside a “wild” forest. This path is a must if you like climbing and mountain scenery.

There are lots of things to enjoy in Hwadam Forest. It is a bit far from Kyonggi University, but it’s a nice place to spend the whole day in nature. There are two restaurants, a cafe, and a convenience store, so there is no need to pack any food. From September to November, the peak of fall, maple colors will paint the park turning it into a piece of natural art for the eyes. If your mind and body are tired and you need a place to heal yourself, how about visiting Hwadam Forest and enjoying a peaceful time to rest?

76th Cub reporter·CHOI BO YOUN·invierno.y@kyonggi.ac.kr

77th Cub reporter·JO YEON WOO·amyjoe0213@naver.com

International Reporter·Mitchell de Morais Pereira Amanda·amitchellm4s@gmail.com