Oedo - Botania
A small island that will leave you breathless.
And Haegeumgang is just on the way...
A small island that will leave you breathless.
And Haegeumgang is just on the way...
Seven years have passed since I first set foot on Oedo. An idyllic island of Geoje City in Gyeongsangnam-do that is a must-see destination in Korea. The island is basically a marine western-style botanical garden located in Hallyeo Haesang National Park, and probably the most beautiful of its kind that you will ever see!
Back then, in a hot 2002 Korean summer, Oedo was already a hit among visitors who came from all over Korea and the world to usually spend just a couple of hours walking around the garden island, of which one can pretty much see everything in about an hour and a half. And now guess what, the island is even more beautiful and attractive to all kinds of visitors than it already was.
Late April this year, lovely Spring time in Korea, and there I am, on a ferry boat with my father (who's been living in Korea for many years, by the way) going to Oedo for the second time. And, as if seeing the garden island isn't already supposed to be the highlight of a person's day, on the way to Oedo (from Geoge City) the boat actually stops by this gorgeous rock island named Haegeumgang. Located 4 kilometers east of Samilpo Lake, Haegeumgang features an amazing scenery with breathtaking high rock columns in various shapes rising above the sea.
At the most exciting moment of the less-than-an-hour boat trip, the boat goes half way into a cave of the rocky island, drawing most of its passengers to the boat deck with their cameras ready and amazed-looking faces. Save your batteries though, because Oedo is near...
_ Gather your belongings... Paradise is here!
"Oedo, it's great to be back!", I said. "Oh dear, I have been here so many times", my father said bragging. "But I can never get enough of how gorgeous this place is", he then added. With a few new imposing Greek-looking constructions, relaxing music that is played on all corners of the botanical garden and tulips, in their various vibrant colors, that look as if they knew how breathtaking they are, the island is absolutely more fascinating than ever! And you just can't help but wonder how it all started... Well, I will guide you through it:
In the past, Oedo was just a barren island made of rocks. There were no facilities for electricity or telephone because of its isolated location. It was also quite inconvenient to access the island, since it lacked a dock in early times after Korea's independence. In 1963, the Korean couple Lee Changho and Choi Hosook started creating the whole garden. At first, they actually grew tangerines and bred swine. However, that ended up failing and the romantic couple came to think of building a botanical garden.
In 1976, their plan to cultivate a land of 1601235 ft2 (45,000 pyeong) was green lighted. Thanks to that, rare plant species such as agave americana, rose of sunshine, windmill palms and c. peruvianus (a kind of cactus) can be found all around the island which, by the way, remains as the first island in Korea ever to be owned and developed by an individual.
Oedo also features cultural spaces such as the sculpture park and art gallery, as well as a variety of amenities such as a coffee shop with an amazing view, a gift shop, a snack bar and a memorial hall.
As you walk around this small-great island, mesmerized, it doesn't take you long to feel the love of a husband and a wife who put their very hearts and souls into turning what was once an ordinary rocky island into an earthly paradise covered with more than a thousand subtropical plants.
Back then, in a hot 2002 Korean summer, Oedo was already a hit among visitors who came from all over Korea and the world to usually spend just a couple of hours walking around the garden island, of which one can pretty much see everything in about an hour and a half. And now guess what, the island is even more beautiful and attractive to all kinds of visitors than it already was.
Late April this year, lovely Spring time in Korea, and there I am, on a ferry boat with my father (who's been living in Korea for many years, by the way) going to Oedo for the second time. And, as if seeing the garden island isn't already supposed to be the highlight of a person's day, on the way to Oedo (from Geoge City) the boat actually stops by this gorgeous rock island named Haegeumgang. Located 4 kilometers east of Samilpo Lake, Haegeumgang features an amazing scenery with breathtaking high rock columns in various shapes rising above the sea.
At the most exciting moment of the less-than-an-hour boat trip, the boat goes half way into a cave of the rocky island, drawing most of its passengers to the boat deck with their cameras ready and amazed-looking faces. Save your batteries though, because Oedo is near...
_ Gather your belongings... Paradise is here!
"Oedo, it's great to be back!", I said. "Oh dear, I have been here so many times", my father said bragging. "But I can never get enough of how gorgeous this place is", he then added. With a few new imposing Greek-looking constructions, relaxing music that is played on all corners of the botanical garden and tulips, in their various vibrant colors, that look as if they knew how breathtaking they are, the island is absolutely more fascinating than ever! And you just can't help but wonder how it all started... Well, I will guide you through it:
In the past, Oedo was just a barren island made of rocks. There were no facilities for electricity or telephone because of its isolated location. It was also quite inconvenient to access the island, since it lacked a dock in early times after Korea's independence. In 1963, the Korean couple Lee Changho and Choi Hosook started creating the whole garden. At first, they actually grew tangerines and bred swine. However, that ended up failing and the romantic couple came to think of building a botanical garden.
In 1976, their plan to cultivate a land of 1601235 ft2 (45,000 pyeong) was green lighted. Thanks to that, rare plant species such as agave americana, rose of sunshine, windmill palms and c. peruvianus (a kind of cactus) can be found all around the island which, by the way, remains as the first island in Korea ever to be owned and developed by an individual.
Oedo also features cultural spaces such as the sculpture park and art gallery, as well as a variety of amenities such as a coffee shop with an amazing view, a gift shop, a snack bar and a memorial hall.
As you walk around this small-great island, mesmerized, it doesn't take you long to feel the love of a husband and a wife who put their very hearts and souls into turning what was once an ordinary rocky island into an earthly paradise covered with more than a thousand subtropical plants.
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2 comments:
Hi,
Great doing well!
Keep writing and an inspiration for us...
I`m loving your hair!
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