Every year during about the middle of April, Ilsan Lake Park has been hosting for the annual Goyang International Flower Festival. Sadly, this year, because of the pandemic, it has been cancelled. However the flowers are still there and you could visit with your masks on.
How to get to Ilsan Lake Park
Address: 906, Janghang-dong, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang-si (경기 고양시 일산동구 595)
To get there by subway, get off at Jeongbalsan station(line 3) and walk 10 mins towards Ilsan Lake Park about 10 minutes.
8 Parts of Ilsan Lake Park
Basically, Ilsan Lake Park consists of 8 parts with each featuring different sceneries and vibes. The landmark of part 1 is a pavilion located nearby the lake known as Wolpa-Joeong. It is recommended to visit there at night as the water sparkles due to the reflection of moonlight. The Korean traditional style pavilion fits just nice into the picture of the romantic scenery.
Part 2 features a bridge known as Aesu-gyo which means a bridge that loves water. There you could enjoy night lights of Ilsan and how the nature harmonizes with the city. Part 3 is a traditional garden, best visited in the winter. The traditional garden looks really beautiful when it is snowing. You feel yourself as a character inside a Korean historical drama when walking in the traditional garden.
The name of the fourth part of llsan Lake Park is Hanul Square. It is popular of its sunset view. Best visited at the evening, many couples and lovers enjoy sitting at the stairs of Seokgy-san and enjoy the sunset. Besides, part 5 is where the birds and ducks gather. They fly and line up in the lake under the fog, forming an amazing picture of nature. As what I know, part 6 is the most famous parts among all.
It features various types of flowers and is the main venue of Goyang International Flower Festival.
Especially during the near-end of spring, bunches of tulips that fill up the land make you dwell in the spring vibe.
A tiny windmill shaped mini library locates nearby.
Part 7 is popular of the pine trees and lotus which form a calming and healing vibe. On the other hand, part 8 is the walking path which has various trees like maple tree and Gingko trees on the sides of the path.
To know more details, you could visit their homepage. (www.goyang.go.kr)
Other famous spots in Ilsan Lake Park
One of the famous spots in Ilsan Lake Park is undeniably the Rose Garden. According to the information they provide, there are approximately 130 species of roses planted in the garden. If you want to enjoy there Rose Garden to the fullest, do visit them during May to June, the period where roses bloom in South Korea!
At the western part of the park, you can see a mini zoo. Many parents bring their children to see the animals in this free-entrance mini zoo. There are muskets, sheep, Guinea pig, rabbits and many more animals raised in the zoo. Just around there, you can see the Singing Fountain. During night time, the fountain splashes water harmonized with some music in the background and LED light further adds the magnificence of the show. All around the lake park, you could also notice interesting artistic sculptures.
Ilsan Garosugil
At the one end of Ilsan Lake Park, just after the singing fountain, there is a very unique outlet characterized by its Greek-styled buildings. The name Ilsan Garosugil might have named after the famous luxury street, also called Garosugil in Gangnam, Seoul.
The outlet features a lot of gourmet restaurants, clothing shop, and cafes. It consists of two floors of stores and the underground floor as parking lot.
We visited there at daytime so we did not get a chance to look at its night scenery but Ilsan Garosugil is really popular of its night lights and views.
My review
Taking a walk in Ilsan Lake Park is undoubtedly relaxing. Just watching at the calming lake and colorful flowers make me forget all the worries and busy routine. It is also a good place to enjoy your weekend with your family and friends especially during this spring when flowers are blooming and the weather is just nice! Furthermore, you could enjoy the outlet in Ilsan Garosugil after walking around. There is a Starbucks Reserve(R store) where you could enjoy extraordinary Starbucks coffee. Various restaurants are also found just nearby. I greatly recommend this short travelling route as it satisfies your eyes with the sceneries and your mouth and stomach with good food and coffee!
