The 15,295-square-meter garden park features a pine grove, hydrangea garden, lawn plaza and scenic waterfall; residents named the park and helped plant its trees
Nowon-gu will open Bulamsan Solmaru Park in Junggye-dong on Wednesday.
The district transformed a long-neglected, degraded site at the foot of Bulamsan into a 15,295-square-meter garden park featuring pine trees, hydrangeas, a lawn and a waterfall.
The park sits near Daelim Byuksan Apartments in the Junggye-dong 363-12 area. Its location preserves the natural scenery of the Bulamsan foothills while remaining easily accessible from the neighborhood's hagwon district and residential areas.
Nowon-gu has been developing the site under the Bulamsan Neighborhood Park (Jagaeul District) project since 2023, with funding support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Construction was temporarily halted when a buried cultural heritage survey was required.
The park is organized around four main zones: a pine grove, a hydrangea garden, a lawn plaza and water features.
The centerpiece pine grove was designed around trees with exceptional natural forms. Modeled on the pine garden at Hwadamsup, one of South Korea's leading arboretums, the space invites visitors to stroll and reflect while appreciating the distinctive shapes and weathered character of each tree.
The expansive lawn plaza includes an outdoor performance stage and tiered grass seating, serving as an open venue for picnics, performances and community events.
A 4.5-meter scenic waterfall is another highlight. Water from the falls flows along a stream toward the park entrance, where it feeds into a water lily pond.
Additional features include Cheongpungmaru, a hilltop rest area with views, and a forest reading nook built inside a repurposed public telephone booth. Each space was designed to offer a distinct experience — rest, reading or a panoramic outlook — within a natural setting.
Resident participation shaped the park from the start. The name Bulamsan Solmaru Park was chosen by public vote. Ahead of the official opening, a tree-planting event called "Forest of the Heart" was held Oct. 28, with residents and children joining Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o to plant trees.
The district also ran a campaign inviting residents to submit short phrases — around 40 Korean characters — on the themes of forests, trees, healing and reflection. Selected entries have been installed throughout the park, turning it into a space where residents add their own stories and visitors can find connection and comfort.
Solmaru Park also marks the starting point of the "Nowon Garden Line," a planned leisure and cultural corridor the district is developing. The route envisions a chain of destinations — from Bulamsan Healing Town through Solmaru Park, the Yi Yun-tak Hangul Stele, the Seoul Metropolitan Science Museum and Jump — forming an axis of leisure, culture and creative experience.
The district is conducting a feasibility study on how to connect and better use existing cultural, wellness and leisure assets in the area.
The district plans to use Solmaru Park — the first premium park opened to residents since the start of the current administration — to give concrete shape to its vision of Nowon as a garden city.
"Having a world-class park here, in a neighborhood packed with hagwon, schools and apartment buildings, carries special meaning," District Mayor Seo said. "This park is the starting point from which residents can enjoy the full benefits of nature in their daily lives and imagine an even better city — and we will nurture it together with them."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
