Bangchukcheon Riverside Park: Sejong City’s Walking Waterway to Leisure and Art
Water is an important element in the new city of Sejong, considering the Geumgang River, Sejong Lake Park and the Bangchukcheon Riverside Park, the beauty of which, rivals the Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul. Running in front of the Sejong Government Complex from North to South, Bangchukcheon is a multi-themed public park that allows for better temperature and humidity control cementing Sejong’s status as an eco-friendly city. The park also serves as a pleasurable getaway and a way to experience education, culture, and leisure.
Clean water, straight from the Geumgang River, flows along the park’s walking trail and bike path for about 3.7km. The park has eight major attractions, such as the Music Fountain and Media Waterfall, designed to keep visitors entertained. The greenery is abundant everywhere.
Near the Milmaru Observatory Tower, three King Willow trees, towering amongst shorter vegetation, are reminiscent of the wetlands and streams in the Southern part of Gyeonggi-do. Nearby, the Media Waterfall, an innovative digital screen, displays waterfalls, marine life, and educational panoramas.
The most popular installation, especially for families with young children, is the Music Fountain. The Music Fountain flashes colorful LED lights, plays well known songs, and shoots dancing water for a short but marvelous 15 minutes every night from 8:30 to 8:45 pm. Perhaps, the best part of the fountain are the happy screams of children, heard over the music, as they are joyfully chased by the glittering droplets.
Another feature that makes the park worth visiting are the impressive stone wall sculptures lining each side of the stream. The wall provides artistic value and depicts the achievements of King Sejong, from whom the city proudly bears its name. Curved meticulously by sculptor Lee Kyung Ku, the sculptures are accompanied by his thoughts both in English and Korean. In one section, Lee dedicates his work to the remembrance “of the precious spiritual fruit born out of Sejong’s labor of love.”