Hwarangdae Railway Park
Olga
3 days ago
There is one wonderful theme park in Seoul that I recommend everyone to visit - Hwarangdae Railway Park.
Located at the end of the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail, it has transformed the old Hwarangdae Station, Seoul's last simple station, into a park. The first landmark that makes it easy to find your way to the park is the former railway tracks.
Right at the entrance to the park there is a real old train. It's a Narrow-gauge Train. This train was operated on narrow-gauge railways with a gauge of 762 mm, which is much narrower than the standard size of gauge (1,435 mm) for ordinary trains. The train consists of a steam locomotive and two passenger cars. Manufactured in 1951 in Japan and assembled at the Busan Railroad Car Maintenance Depot of the National Railroad Administration, it was operated across the Suin Line (Suwon-Namincheon) and Suryeo Line (Suwon-Yeoju) from 1951 to January 1973.
Nearby is an even more interesting exhibit: a replica of the First Trams of the Empire of Korea. You can step inside, imagine yourself a passenger, and take some great photos.
On May 17, 1899, with the opening of the Tram line between Seodaemun and Cheongnyangni in Seoul, operations of the first trams in the Empire of Korea began. The tram chassis were imported from the United States in the spring of 1899, and after the bodies were manufactured at Tsukishima Works in Japan, they were assembled in a garage in Dongdaemun: one imperial tram and eight regular trams were introduced. The tram services prospered during the Japanese colonial period, and the number of service routes was increased to better serve the many passengers.
However, with the rising popularity of buses in the 1950s and 1960s, tram use declined, and the services were eventually terminated on November 29, 1968. This tram, fully restored based on historical photos, was on display at the outdoor exhibition hall of the National Folk Museum of Korea, and was moved to Hwarangdae Railway Park in 2017.
In addition to trains, the park includes the Light Garden, which located 400 meters from Hwarangdae Station and consists of 10 different nighttime landscape sculptures: Secret Garden, Light Tunnel, Music Garden, Light Garden, Sky Blue Garden, Tree of Life, Fantasy Train Station, Milky Way Garden, Forest Fairy Tale Land, and Firefly Garden.
I definitely recommend visiting this unusual and original restaurant and café. The restaurant is located in a real, vintage train, parked right on the tracks. You can enjoy a delicious lunch amidst the train's vintage interior, imagining yourself in the dining car.
Real railway tracks run through the entire park.
Another interesting exhibit in the park is Hiroshima Trams (Type 900). The Type 900 Tram is a streetcar that began operating in 1969. 14 used vehicles, which had been used for the route from Hiroshima Electric Railway Co., Ltd. to Hiroshima downtown, were acquired from the Osaka City Transportation Bureau. This tram was one of them, and was assigned number 906. The Type 900 Trams had been in operation in downtown Hiroshima for a long time, but were gradually scrapped due to deterioration of the vehicle bodies; as of 2020, only one tram, number 913, remained on active duty.
Book lovers should check out the Tatra T3 tram, specifically model T3SUCS number 2116, originally from Prague, that has been converted into a library and book cafe for visitors.
It's definitely worth stopping in for a cup of coffee at the coffee shop located right across from the restaurant.
I definitely recommend getting a table on the first floor. Besides your coffee, you'll enjoy a wonderful view. A miniature railway runs along the window, and a beautiful train brings your drink to your table. Kids will especially love this. The café also offers a wide selection of coffee and desserts.
The original railway station building has been preserved in the park. Built in 1939 during the Japanese colonial period, Hwarangdae Station once served trains and passengers traveling between Seoul and Chuncheon.
But in December 2010, it ended its role as a railway station with the opening of the double-track, electrified Gyeongchun Line.
Now, the once-abandoned station has been transformed into a hands-on cultural space, where visitors can experience the atmosphere of the past.
The reinforced concrete building is a simple structure comprising a station office and a waiting room. It features an asymmetric gable roof and two porches, one at the front and the other at the exit leading to the railway.
If you walk further along the paths in the park, you will see another wonderful museum - Nowon Train Village.
The Nowon Train Village is a railway-themed exhibition space that recreates European natural scenery and urban landscapes through detailed dioramas. The venue consists of two sections — the Switzerland Hall and the Italy Hall — offering visitors a chance to experience railway culture alongside the history and character of European cities through miniature train operations.
The Switzerland Hall presents alpine landscapes and railway villages scaled down to 1/87 of their actual size. Trains run through settings inspired by Zurich and Jungfrau, Bern and the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and Geneva. Cars, bicycles and pedestrians move throughout the diorama, while lighting changes every 10 minutes to alternate between daytime and nighttime scenes, giving visitors different impressions of the same landscape.
The Italy Hall, which opened as a follow-up to the Switzerland Hall, occupies more than twice the exhibition space. It showcases Italy’s historical heritage and urban scenery, featuring landmarks such as the Colosseum in Rome, cruise ships along the coast of Naples, Florence Cathedral and gondolas in Venice, all recreated at a 1/87 scale. Miniature trains run continuously through the exhibition.
Dynamic elements add movement to the displays, including an erupting Mount Vesuvius, moving cruise ships and chariot races. It looks very realistic and exciting!
You can spend the whole day in the park; it is perfect for photo shoots, dates, and walks with children.
