Mustachioventures: Songpa Naru Park and Banpo Hangang Park

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Songpa Naru Park and Banpo Hangang Park

Forgive me if I spend my vacation days doing boring things like visiting parks. I am a person deprived of huge parks and cool days.

Songpa Naru Park

송파나루공원

180 Jamsil-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul

Songpa Naru Park surrounds Seokchon Lake. It looks like two lakes but is really just one big lake with Songpa Boulevard (Songpa-daero) cutting across the middle. Cherry blossom trees, a jogging path, and a walking trail circumnavigates Seokchon Lake.

I got there early in the morning and there were a few people jogging. Clutching my small plastic bag of convenience store breakfast: triangle kimbap and yogurt drink, I searched for a spot to have my breakfast and found a bench near the lone tree that had cherry blossoms left on it. A slight breeze was blowing the last of the blossoms away. Songpa Naru Park must have been a beautiful sight just a week back when all the trees were in full bloom.

Directions to Songpa Naru Park: Take subway line 2 to Jamsil Station, exit 2. Walk 250m along Songpa-daero Boulevard.

Other places nearby that you might want to check out:
Lotte World Amusement Park
Lotte World Folk Museum
Kidzania (if you are traveling with kids)
Olympic Park

Banpo Hangang Park

반포한강공원

40 Sinbanpo-ro 11-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul

The reason I went to Banpo Hangang Park at night was to see Banpo Bridge and its Moonlight Rainbow Fountain show. The 20–minute show happens four to five times a day, but lucky guy that I am, the show the night I was there was cancelled because it was too windy. As all the other picnickers and photographers packed up and left, I sat around for a bit looking at the skyline across the river. It wasn't long before I was freezing on the concrete bleachers. I got up and walked to the other side of the bridge where the bright lights of Some Sevit were and that's the extent of my exploration of Banpo Hangang Park. My bones by then were too cold to explore the length and breadth of the park.

Directions to Banpo Hangang Park: Take subway line 3, 7, or 9 to Express Bus Terminal Station, exit 8-1. Go straight for 250m, and turn right at the Express Bus Terminal 4-way intersection. Continue going straight for 400m and cross the road. Go straight through the underpass to arrive at the park.

Other places nearby that you might want to check out:
Some Sevit (also known as Sebitseom)