Located in the middle of Yanghwadaegyo Bridge, Seonyudo Park is the first ecological water park in Korea, repurposing a former water purification plant.
Built on area of 114,000㎡, the park consists of Water Purifying Botanical Garden, Aquatic Botanical Garden, an eco-friendly water playground, and more attractions where visitors can appreciate various aquatic plants and an ecological forest. There are also various things to see and areas to take a rest in the park, offering a great chance for visitors to learn about the ecosystem and to experience nature.
A pedestrian bridge connecting Seonyudo Island to the Yanghwa area is an ideal place to enjoy the beautiful views of the Hangang River, including the World Cup Fountain and World Cup Park. With colorful lights, the area is gaining popularity as a tourist spot to enjoy the nightscape near the Hangang River. An exhibition hall in the park displays photos of the Hangang River and has various convenient facilities including a computer room and restrooms.
Seonyudo (meaning “an island where Taoist hermits play”) Park was the nation’s first recycling park. It was created using the old sewage treatment facilities on Seonyudo Islet. From 1978 to 2000, the park-site was used as a sewage treatment plant to provide tap water to the southwestern part of Seoul. Seoul Metropolitan Government closed the plant down in Nov. 2000 and spent 16.4 billion won to turn it into a park, which opened in 2004. The park features the Hangang Exhibition Hall, which briefs visitors about the history of Hangang and its flora and fauna. The Water Purification Basin, the Garden of Time and the Ecological Water Playground are also all popular destinations of the park. Once you reach the park entrance you should then cross the footbridge called “Seonyugyo” (Seonyu Bridge) to get to the park. This wooden bridge, which was the first footbridge ever built to connect an islet on the river to the land, was constructed as a joint project with France. In the evening, lights projected onto the bridge produce beautiful reflections on the river’s surface explaining why this park is especially popular with couples. The small gardens of this park feature various seasonal flowers and plants all year long.