My week in Seoul: Finding Han gang park
The Han River saw the economic transformation of Seoul following the Korean war. ‘Miracle on the Han river’ tells of the rise of South Korea from the ashes of the war, particularly the city of Seoul along the Han River.
This interesting historical fact led my companion Hannah and I to continue searching for Han gang park despite aching feet and tired leg muscles. We just came out of Lotte World and according to the Lonely planet, Han gang park is within the vicinity of the theme park. Outside Lotte World, we asked several people how to reach the park and they gave varying answers. One of them recommended a one-stop ride from the subway, another said it could be reached by walking that way; another said we could walk the other way. In the end, we followed the map and yes, our instinct. And well, it was a long walk, a really long one.
We passed by several neighborhoods, rested on a mini-park, delighted in watching cute dogs on a leash, saw cute, giggling schoolchildren and more Korean coffee shops.
Until we saw this underground passage and I excitedly told her that this must be it!
Yes! We finally reached our destination. ^-^
There are many ways of enjoying yourself in Han gang park.
You could walk or run on its tracks or you could walk with your dog along the calming river bank.
Or you could just lose yourself in the tranquility of the Han river, take pictures of it from different angles or just sit or lie down on the bench and contemplate.
I rested on a bench, perched my tired leg on it and massaged it while enjoying the cold autumn breeze coming from the river. It was a wonderful feeling, a feeling of lightness, of just being alive and grateful for your existence.
They say contemplating or just sitting beside a body of water soothes the senses and calms the soul…
We left an hour later feeling recharged and inspired to travel more of Seoul that night.
