Hosu Park called me from Seoul to the not-too-distant corner of Ilsan, in the city of Goyang. I came to Ilsan before, but being cold and less green made it a little harder to appreciate. Now in its full splendor, I present a lot more green:

A tower of flowers or a flower tower, take your pick – this ten-meter tall display of flowers greets you once you arrive at the park.

An interesting but unnamed work of art. I’m sure there are other places where I-beams painted red and of different heights would be considered art, as well.

Behold – the lake of Lake Park – supposedly the largest artificial lake in the Far East at 304,000 square meters worth of water surface.

Yep, it’s confirmed – I’ve got a thing for flowers. Love them. Seriously, however, the area walking along the lap around the lake has plenty of flowers and scenery to offer.

A very detailed mural painted on the underside of a tunnel.

Saxophones (especially of the tenor variety) are especially reverberant inside the arch of the tunnel.

And yes, the light bouncing off of the water is real – I don’t (yet) know how to make Photoshop do something like that.

A panoramic of the lake, from one side to the other.

Looking up at a huge folk swing – with perhaps ten meters worth of rope between the seat and the top, you need a push to really get going.

What was I saying earlier about flowers?

Lots of water shooting up in the middle of the lake.

The Cactus Research Institute – unfortunately closed by the time we got there. We could still peek in through a window:

Looks pretty cool.

With one large loop around the lake (and a few shorter paths if your feet are getting tired), there’s plenty to see and plenty of walking to do. After crossing to the other side, we see some weeping willow trees:

The second-floor ceiling of a pavilion to rest in.

Bowing People, by Kim, Young-Won of Korea (1997). I don’t get it.

A great fountain to kids to play in while inside a large Rose Garden.

A large rose garden – over a thousand square meters.

But sometimes, the extreme close-up is wonderful as well.

While there are enough lights to be safe, the area begins to lose its ambience as the sun goes down. For most, it’s time to shift their attention to the nearby Westerndom – imagine a strip mall with several stories worth of restaurants and stores – or La Festa – stores, restaurants, and more than a few bars. Both have a wide variety of food and drink, as well as opportunities to people watch.

Bring a picnic, a snack, or your rollerblades – Lake Park is worth exploring and being active the whole day.

Directions to Lake Park: take line 3 of the Seoul subway system to the Jeongbalsan station. Take exit 2 (and turn left) or exit 1 (and turn right). You’ll pass through a concrete square with walkers, bikers, and possibly some skaters. Keep headed straight and you’ll eventually hit water and the trail around the lake. Admission is free; wheelchair and stroller-friendly – the trail is smooth and paved.