Travel
Korea Destinations: Ulsan’s ‘Secret Garden’ opens for summer Lotus Bloom
haps Magazine Korea
June 24, 2024
(Ulsan City)
The Ulsan Hoeya Dam Ecological Wetland, affectionately known as the ‘Secret Garden,’ has once again opened its gates for a limited time this summer to showcase the stunning bloom of lotus flowers.
The Ulsan City Waterworks Business Headquarters announced that the ‘Visit to the Ecological Wetland Upstream of Hoeya Dam’ event will run through August 18th. To protect the water quality within the water supply protection area, daily visits are capped at 140 participants, with tours scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Targeting 4th-grade students and the general public, the event also welcomes participants from other cities. Applications can be submitted from June 24th to July 15th through the ecological wetland tour section of the Ulsan City Waterworks Business Headquarters website. Participation is free and on a first-come, first-served basis.
Visitors will embark on a 3km round trip starting from 269-67 Daebokdongcheon-ro, Ungchon-myeon, Ulju-gun, taking approximately three hours.
Guided by an ecological interpreter, they will explore the untouched natural environment, observe the transformation of the old Tongcheon Village, and see the wetlands designed to purify water quality.
A highlight of the tour is the scenic observatory, where visitors can enjoy close-up views of the blooming lotus flowers and learn about water purification principles using aquatic plants.
The lush lotus field covers 50,000 m², while cattails and reeds spread over 123,000 m², creating a picturesque landscape. This area, typically off-limits to the general public, has become a renowned spot for photography.
The ecological wetland, an artificial environment created to enhance water quality upstream of the dam, has proven effective. A five-year survey from 2017-2021 revealed that aquatic plants in the wetland could remove up to 58.9% of biological oxygen demand (BOD), 42.8% of total nitrogen (TN), and 36.1% of total phosphorus (TP).
Since its initial opening in 2012, excluding the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, the water source protection area has welcomed 36,521 visitors over ten years.