Beautiful Station and Amusement Park Filled with Great Memories

<Ilyeong Station and Ilyeong Amusement Park, Yangju>

The main characters (played by Jeon Ji-Hyeon and Cha Tae-Hyeon) in the film “My Sassy Girl” say their good-byes at a beautiful, quiet train station after burying a time capsule together. The station is Ilyeong Station, in Yangju.

With Seoul Ring Expressway fully opened, we can now visit Ilyeong Train Station and Ilyeong Amusement Park more easily. A short trip from Songchu IC of Seoul Ring Expressway will bring us to Ilyeong Station and Ilyeong Amusement Park, via National Road No. 39 and Local Road No. 349.

Ilyeong Station is a small train station located between Byeokje Station and Jangheung Station on Seoul Suburban Line, which started operation on July 10, 1961. Local residents would take the trains every morning to go to work or school, couples and families would enjoy day trips, and university students would enjoy overnight barbecue parties. As more roads were built in the Seoul suburban areas, the number of passengers decreased, eventually resulting in the suspension of passenger trains in 2004.

It is just a closed train station with one station building and an outdoor waiting area, but it give visitors a chance to walk along the railway tracks and enjoy a romantic trip to a quiet, tranquil place. It is quite popular among amateur photographers, and is also a recommended tourist destination for couples and families.

Ilyeong Station is located adjacent to Seoul and the Seoul Metropolitan Area, and the adjacent Ilyeong Amusement Park and Jangheung Tourist Park feature a wide range of great restaurants, beautiful cafes, and museums, as well as Songam Observatory and numerous historic sites.

We can visit Ilyeong Amusement Park, which is located along the curvy streams of Gongneungcheon, by crossing Local Road No. 349 from Ilyeong Station. Facilities such as soccer fields, kickball fields, restaurants, basketball courts and pools are located at both sides of the stream at regular intervals.

Ilyeong Amusement Park Driveway leads us to the deep mountain villages along Gongneungcheon, and it is a solitary driving course where we can see streams and forests. The driveway is connected with National Road No. 39, and then divides into the roads bound for Goyang and Uijeongbu.

As Ilyeong Amusement Park is located in the Green Belt Area, we cannot see large-scale resorts featuring cutting-edge facilities near the Park. Instead, we can see the forests and streams in the raw. We can have dinner at the tables along the riverside, and dip our feet in Gongneungcheon and enjoy tubing, enjoying the atmosphere of an old-style resort.

As the Park is located near Seoul and has spacious playgrounds and parking spaces, it has gained popularity as a perfect spot for training, company excursions and workshops. There are also a large outdoor pool and a boat pool in the Park. 

Name	Yangju Ilyeong Station and Ilyeong Amusement Park
Address	Ilyeong Station: 327 Samsang-ri, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju, Gyoenggi-do Ilyeong Amusement Park: Samsang-ri, Jangheung-myeon, Yangju, Gyeonggi-do
Contact (Website)	Ilyeong Station (031)855-5582  Culture & Tourism Division, Yangju City Office (031)820-2122  Website with Information on Ilyeong Amusement Park www.pink.co.kr/ilyeong.htm
Location (Information of Nearest National Road and Expressway)	By Car * Songchu IC of Seoul Ring Expressway → National Road No. 39 (bound for Goyang, Byeokje and Jangheung) Turn left and go straight for 3km → Local Road No. 349 (bound for Gupabal) Turn left and go straight for 2km à Samsung Elementary School → Turn right and head in the direction of Ilyeong Station   * Gupabal Samgeori → Go straight for less than 1km in the direction of Bukhansanseong à Take Local Road No. 349 on the left à Go straight for 6~7km → Ilyeong Amusement Park will appear on the right side   * Euijeingbu, National Road No. 39 (bound for Goyang) → Jangheung-myeon, Yangju, Local Road No. 349 (bound for Gupabal) Turn left and go straight for 2km à Samsung Elementary School → Turn right and head in the direction of Ilyeong Station * Goyang, Natinal Road No. 39 (bound for Euijeongbu) → Jangheung-myeon, Jangju → Turn right at Local Road No. 349 (bound for Gupabal) → Go straight for 2km à Samsang Elementary School → Turn right and head in the direction of Ilyeong Station   Public Transportation * Bulgwang-dong Bus Terminal ↔ Get on Bus No. 360 at Euijeongbu Terminal à Get off at Ilyeong Amusement Park and Ilyeong Station   * Gupabal Subway Station, Subway Line No. 3 → Get on Bus No. 15, 15-1, 7725 and 360 à Get off at Ilyeong Amusement Park and Ilyeong Station
Facility Overview	Ilyeong Station: One station building Ilyeong Amusement Park: Over 30 spots located along Gongneungcheon
History	Ilyeong Station July 10, 1961: Launched operation December 21, 1961: Completed construction of the station building August 20, 1963: Completed the entire Seoul Suburban Line August 21, 1994: Launched operation of the steam train (Mugungwha Train) May 16, 2000: Suspended operation of the steam train April 1, 2004: Suspended operation of the passenger train
Descriptions (Fact-Based Characteristics)	Ilyeong Station: The station provides the tranquil and quiet atmosphere of a closed train station. Visitors can walk along the railway tracks.   Ilyeong Amusement Park: Visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of an old-style amusement park. The Park is ideal for group gatherings. It is recommended to travel by car, as the Park is located in a secluded village near Gongneungcheon.
Tips for Visitors	Outdoor pool (Sinheung Leisure Town) and boat pool (88 Boat Pool) are located in the Park.  * Admission fee for pool: KRW 12,000 per adult and KRW 10,000 per child
Operating (Opening) Hours	Ilyeong Station: open 24 hours Ilyeong Amusement Park: No fixed operating hours
Admission (Accommodation) Fees	Ilyeong Station: Free Ilyeong Amusement Park: Free admission. Accommodation fees and meal expenses may differ by pension and restaurant
Adjacent Tourist Destinations	Jangheung Tourist Destination, Bamnamu Park, Jangheung Folk Museium, Jangheung Art Park, Songam Observatory and Olleung
Accommodation	Most of the stores operate cottages. A guesthouse, Star House, is located at Songam Observatory in Jangheung Tourist Destination.
Restaurant Options	Restaurants serving traditional chicken dishes, fish soup, duck dishes, pork barbecue, acorn-starch jelly and mountain herbs bibimbap are located in the Park.

 

Changing from holiday resort to art village, little by little!

Jangheung Art Village

You will feel a little bit disappointed to learn about the reality of the area of Jangheung tourist resort if you only know that the area is transforming itself into an art village. There are still restaurants, small playgrounds and motels. But changes are on their way as well. 

Until the early 1990s, Jangheung was one of the most popular excursion areas in the northern region of Seoul. People loved the area as a place for family excursions and outdoor activities with friends and lovers, as there were beautiful valleys and well-known restaurants in the region. Unfortunately, however, people stopped visiting the area in the middle of the 1990s, when it became chaotically studded with motels. Even now, motel signboards can easily be found from the entrance to the area. Fortunately, not only is the number of motels decreasing, but the motels are also being changed into family hotels, through the continuous efforts of the government of the city of Yangju. Remarkable also is the fact that the local government is renovating motels into ateliers for painters after purchasing them.

These kinds of efforts have been underway for several years already. The local government, many people working in the cultural-artistic communities and some merchants of Jangheung who did not want to see the community decline have begun to give new life to the area. Their plan was very creative. They planned to make a new center for culture and art, by benchmarking activities in the city of Paris (France) and the privileged art zone in Beijing. For this kind of plan, time and cooperation are necessary. Anyway, the plan is moving along without big problems. In 2006, Jangheung Art Park opened, as the first fruit of their efforts. The art park is crowded with many family tourists because of its special attractions as a place for art and play. In 2007, a sculpture academy opened, and next year the Cheon Gyeong-Ja Municipal Art Museum will be opened. Artists are gathering together thanks to the vital activities for the creation of ateliers.

The most visited place where these vigorous activities are going on is Jangheung Art Park. Spanning more than 26,400 m², the whole area is full of “art that has become play.” The area is composed of diverse districts: the open-air art museum divided into Bourdelle Garden, Tattoo & Fireworks Sculpture Park, Han Jin-seob Children Garden, etc., the art museum that presents permanent & planned exhibitions, Blue Space and Red Space that are gallery-type pavilions, the children’s playground and experience park that are much loved by children, the open-air public performance theater, restaurants, and more. The area is packed with visiting families on weekends, especially because the area is equipped with spaces for exhibitions and playgrounds for children. Jangheung Atelier, which was built as a creation space for artists after the renovation of the purchased motels near the area, opened its second atelier in 2008. This atelier is now running well, with more than 60 painters having moved into the space. The sculpture academy that has been built on an abandoned swimming pool and old amusement park now provides painters with open studios and exhibition spaces. Some experience programs related to sculpture, such as Making Balloons Animals and Photographing Animal Sculptures, are also available.

Around the area, one can also find many tourist resorts. In CheongAm Folklore Museum, which was built at the entrance to the art village before the creation of the village, old daily necessities and folk goods are displayed, which give many older people a nostalgic thrill. One can also observe the restored blacksmith’s shop, the main living room, the village well and so on in the museum. In addition, there are spaces where people can experience folk games like Jegichagi (Shuttlecock with the Feet), Tuho (Arrow Throwing) and seesawing. Some other programs are offered, including Pizza Experience, in which children can make a pizza. Songam Space Center, situated on the peak of Gyemyeongsan (Mt.) and reachable by cable car, is a sort of universe-focused theme park. The park is equipped with a digital planetarium that gives visitors an indirect experience of space travel through 3-D image projection, observation facilities, a lodging accommodation “Star House” in which the lodgers can go to sleep looking at the stars, and an Italian restaurant “Stars Kitchen.”

The city of Yangju offers bus tour programs focused on various themes from Tuesday to Sunday. On Saturdays and Sundays, a program to experience the cultural-artistic zone is available. This program is highly recommended as it is accompanied by the good explanations and interpretations of the culture & tourism commentators.

Locality: Jangheung Art Village
Address: Jangheung-myeon, Yangju, Gyeonggi-do
Contact: 031-820-2122 (Tourism Promotion Team of Yangju City)
How to get there: Turn to the right toward Bukhansanseong at the Gupabal Three Forks Junction, and then go about 10 km along local road 371. You will see an overpass (SR 39). Enter Jangheung tourist resort after doing a P-turn in front of Nonghyup.

Facilities: Jangheung Art Park, Sculpture Academy, Cheongam Folklore Museum, etc.
History: After the opening of Jangheung Art Park in May 2006, additional facilities have been built continuously.

Opening hours:
Jangheung Art Park – Weekdays - 10a.m.-6p.m.(last entrance 5p.m.) / Weekends & Public Holidays – 10a.m.-7p.m. (last entrance 6p.m.) / Closed on Mondays
Fee:

Jangheung Art Park – Adults 7,000 Won / Children (36 months to elementary students) 5,000 Won / Entrance for children under 36 months is free
Sculpture Academy – Adults 1,000 Won / Youth 800 Won / Children 600 Won
Bus tour program (Experience cultural-artistic zone) – Saturdays Adults 9,000 Won / Students 4,500 Won / Preschoolers 3,500 Won
Sunday night tour (supper included) Adults 21,000 Won / Students 17,000 Won / Preschoolers 16,000 Won

Adjacent tourist resorts: Songam Space Center, CheongAm Folklore Museum, Jangheung Natural Arboretum, Grave of General Gwonyul

Lodging information: The Herb Thema Pension (031-836-0282), where you can enjoy the fresh air of Jangheung Natural Arboretum and Santorini Dome (031-855-2714, www.remarque.co.kr) with exotic exteriors are highly recommendable.
Recommended restaurants: At Small Territory (031-855-5670), you can enjoy the good taste of well-prepared traditional Korean set menus, or you can visit Gyowoesun (031-855-4336) if you want to give a try eating at a countryside dining table in a tile-roofed house that will help you recall the good old days.