Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province has opened the Imjin River Kochia Garden, transforming a once-overrun floodplain into a seasonal attraction now filled with color.
YEONCHEON, Sept. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — As autumn settles in, Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province has opened the Imjin River Kochia Garden, transforming a once-overrun floodplain into a seasonal attraction now filled with color. The garden will remain open to visitors free of charge until Oct. 31.
The site, spanning 82,600 square meters, was originally inundated after the construction of Gunnam Dam and later overtaken by invasive species such as ragweed.
Local residents in Jung-myeon joined with county officials to reclaim the land, planting 27,000 kochia bushes along with zinnias, verbenas, and cosmos.
The result is a sprawling autumn garden that county officials hope could one day support designation of the Imjin River basin as a regional or even national garden.
Visitors are welcome daily from sunrise to sunset to stroll the fields, take photographs, and enjoy what officials promote as a convenient day-trip destination just outside Seoul.
To enhance the experience, the county plans to set up food stalls and local specialty markets alongside the garden.
“It’s rewarding to see the garden come alive after so much work by residents and staff since spring,” a county official said. “We hope many people will visit to enjoy the scenery and find a moment of peace.”
Image credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
