By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Wendy Palomo from the Philippines
Photos = Wendy Palomo

Strong gusts of wind and days of rain are abruptly putting an end to the magnificent showing of the delicate cherry blossoms. They have either mercilessly fallen to the ground or have been blown away sooner than we expected.

Nonetheless, Seoul’s landscape remains bright and colorful. Flowers sprout everywhere and their abundance draws both local and foreign tourists to different areas across Seoul and its nearby cities. If you're this season’s flower searcher, you can plan your next venue and schedule a visit to Sangdong Lake Park. The park has fields and fields of poppies.

Poppies are short-lived flowering plants. They grow annually or biennially, depending on the location or the cultivation method. Here in Seoul, they bloom between spring and early summer. These delicate flowers grow easily from seed. Legend has it that the ancient goddess of fertility and agriculture Demeter loved poppies. Farmers would plant poppies around their fields with hopes that these would bloom, make the goddess happy and that they would be blessed with a good crop.



Sangdong Lake Park has a manmade lake, an inline skating area, a gated sports field, some badminton courts, and plazas for performances or exhibitions. It's a very relaxing place for families to go on weekends and for friends to relax and have a quiet picnic. If your main goal is to see and to be amidst these mystical flowers, make sure to visit the place before the heat of summer sets in, lest you find yourself looking at many delicately wilting poppies.

Also, make sure you're constantly aware of the bees. There are huge bees here feasting on the flowers. One final bit of Korean TV trivia: the show "While You Were Sleeping" (당신이 잠든 사이에) (2017) had a scene shot in this park in a field of poppies. This was in Episode 13 where the crying character played by Bae Suzy was walking and stumbled upon the character played by Lee Jong-suk.

How to Get There

Address: 경기 부천시 길주로 16 (상동 549)
549 Sang-dong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

By subway: Samsan Gymnasium Station (삼산체육관역), Line 7, Exit 1, and walk toward Sangdong Lake Park



wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.