The Hongcheon Ginkgo Forest (located in a somewhat remote area) is situated in Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, close to the Mount Odaesan area and quite far from the popular ski resort, Hongcheon Daemyung Resort. This serene, privately-owned forest has been in operation for thirty years, but only opened to the public for 20 days each October starting in 2010, sharing the joy of autumn.
Driving directly from Seoul to the Hongcheon Forest takes about three hours. The day of our visit was a Thursday, yet there were already many cars parked along both sides of the road near the forest exit—it’s not hard to imagine how lively it gets on weekends. From the paper entrance sign, it’s just a five-minute walk to the actual forest area.
Stepping into the forest, you’re greeted by nothing but yellow-green ginkgo trees.
According to information from the Korea Tourism Organization, this forest originated when the farm owner moved here to live in seclusion in hopes of curing his wife’s illness and planted ginkgo trees to pray for her recovery. Over the years, the forest has grown to over 2,000 ginkgo trees, and even Miss Flower’s autumn episode was filmed here.
The morning sunlight bathes the ginkgo trees in golden radiance and casts beautiful light-and-shadow patterns across the grass—absolutely stunning!
With such beautiful scenery, capturing small genre portraits is an excellent idea :)
Compared to the popular ginkgo-lined road on Nami Island, this forest is not only much larger but also offers a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, which many women especially appreciate.
Feeling the cool breeze, basking under the clear blue sky, listening to birdsong, and leisurely strolling through the yellow forest while savoring the love story behind it... In this moment of freedom, you realize that this is the little happiness of autumn—it’s right at your fingertips without even having to wish for it :)
More photos of the Hongcheon Forest can be found on the original blog post by the woman :)
http://nuna-ada.blogspot.hk/2015/10/blog-post.html
Transportation:
(1) Recommended transportation method by the Korea Tourism Organization: Take a bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Hongcheon. Upon arrival in Hongcheon, transfer to a bus headed to Naemyeon (내면), and get off at the final stop, Naemyeon. Then, take another bus from Naemyeon to Guangwon-ri (광원리, 광풍궁) - Myeonggae-ri (명개리, 명계궁), and get off at Sambong Recreational Forest (삼봉 휴양림).
Or (2) Take a bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal to Yangyang (approximately 3 hours), then transfer to a taxi for about 1 hour (around 40,000 KRW). Since finding a return taxi may be difficult, it’s advisable to arrange a pickup with the driver on the way there.
If you need to visit multiple places in one day or are traveling with a group, you might also consider using a local Korean private car service.