One of my most memorable trips in Korea was when I visited The Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원) in 2013. My Korean best friend was having his school break so he decided to take a vacation in his hometown Hoengsong (횡성) in Gangwondo (강원도). At that time, I really had a plan to go to Korea also because my ‘noona’ (누나, term for an older female friend/sister) was getting married. It was a good chance for me and my best friend to travel in Korea together because I’ve never experienced spring.

Red magnolia (적목련) & Japanese apricot (매화나무) trees are hard to miss because of their vibrant colors

The Garden of Morning Calm is located in Gapyeong (가평) in the province of Gyeonggido (경기). From Heongsong, he drove to Gapyeong for about an hour. Yes, he’s a really fast driver. If you’ve been to the provinces of Korea, you can see how long and wide their expressways are so there’s not much heavy traffic when you travel from one area to another.

Shops located at the entrance of the park

Upon arriving at the park entrance, you will already be greeted by the vibrant maple (단풍나무) and cherry (벚나무) trees outside. Adults need to pay an entrance fee of KRW 8,000 but students and children get a discounted rate.

Species of hydrangea (수국) flowers are scattered around the park

The 30,000+ square-meter garden was the brainchild of Professor Han Sang-kyung from the Gardening Department of Sahmyook University. In May 1996, he wanted to create a garden that will be world-renowned, highlighting the beauty of Korea. Indeed, his seed-like idea almost 20 years ago grew exponentially and now has more than 20 sections with roughly 5,000 species of plants. You have to arrive here early if you want to be able to visit all the gardens inside.

A juniper tree (향나무) is the center of attention in this garden area

Coming from a tropical country like the Philippines, spring is a totally alien experience for me since we don’t have that season. So every time I hear the word ‘spring’, all I can associate with it are cherry blossoms. But while strolling and sightseeing inside the park, I realized that spring comes in many shapes, colors, and sizes. Each budding flower signalled the start of a new season.

Magnolia (목련)

Tulip (튤립)

It was difficult for me to briskly move from one garden to another because I would briefly stop whenever I see something worth shooting. Wooden and paved paths are provided but whenever I see something interesting, I would immediately approach it even if it means not following the paths in the park.

Choose your own adventure: follow the trail or deviate from the usual route

There was an instance that I followed the river stream instead. I didn’t care about the boulders of rocks along the way. One has to take as much pictures as possible, right? After a couple of minutes, I was brought to this place that looked like a scene from the Lord of The Rings.

A small stream inside the park

If you’re a professional photographer or just a hobbyist, I suggest you bring your prime or macro lens with you to sharply capture details of the blooming flowers like the azalea (진달래) and bridal wreath (조팝나무) photos below. To see how a once snow-covered area become so colorful is really magnificent.

Azalea (진달래)

Bridal wreath (조팝나무)

A part of the park that really caught my attention was the little chapel found in Moonlight Garden. After talking to one of their staff, I found out that the original name of this place was White Garden. In 2008, they built a white church that can accommodate up to 8 people. They also planted white-colored flowers in its surrounding area. This is the smallest church I have ever seen.

The white chapel in Moonlight Garden

What I like about the Garden of Morning Calm is the vast land area. You know that feeling when you can’t take a perfect selfie because there are too many people passing by or blocking your background? Well, that won’t be a problem here. We also went here on a weekday so the volume of people wasn’t that much. The moment I saw a great spot to capture how wide the park is, I quickly set up my tripod and camera for these photos:

An elevated area of the park gives you a better view of the whole place

Another side of the elevated area; Pine trees in the background

After spending hours inside the park, it was time to let my camera rest and simply enjoy what nature has to offer as the sun started to set. That time, my snippets of spring was a bit short but I’m already planning to attend a spring festival in Korea this year to embrace again the season that once made me feel jubilant.

By Marius Oczon for the Korea Blog