Gapyeong-gun » The Garden of Morning Calm

Introduction

The Garden of Morning Calm Welcome to the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원), a 30,000㎡ flower garden, open year-round for your enjoyment. The moment you enter the garden, you will see that it is a paradise for photographers, tourists, families and couples. The thousands of varieties of flowers coupled with pine trees, release an unforgettable aroma into the air that causes all worries to quickly melt away. The garden was conceptualized by Professor Han Sang-kyung (Gardening Department, Sahmyook University) while he was serving as an exchange professor in America. His vision was to create a garden that would become world-famous and spread the concept of Korean beauty throughout the world. The inspiration for the garden stemmed from a poem written by Sir Tagore, a great Indian poet, who described Korea, during the Joseon Dynasty, as "The Land of the Morning Calm." The garden is the oldest among private Korean gardens. It is an artistic space with a beautiful balance between Korean concepts of natural curves and asymmetry, plants and other various materials. It was the first to adopt the concept of a "garden" in Korea, and it is a special place that harmonizes classical grace and modern beauty. As a result, it attracts about 600,000 tourists annually. Scenic walkways, beautifully manicured grass, and flower beds connect the garden's 20 different theme sections. The Sukgeun Garden is shaped like the Korean Peninsula and is carpeted with so many kinds of beautiful flowers on both sides representing the desire for South and North Korea to be reunited. It is easily one of the most popular and meaningful attractions of the garden. The garden houses about 5,000 kinds of plants, including 300 varieties native to Baekdusan Mountain, known as spiritual mountain of the Korean people. The flowers are in bloom from March to November, so the garden is usually full during this period. In addition to the beautiful foliage of the garden, there are a variety of festivals and displays held monthly. (From http://visitkorea.or.kr)