Taehwagang River Bamboo Forest: The Best Kept Secret In Ulsan, Korea

The Taehwagang National Garden (태화강 국가정원) is the most beautiful bamboo forest in Korea that I have visited and I have visited a few. When I walked into this gorgeous forest of green bamboo shooting into the sky, I remember wondering why I’d never heard of it.

The Damyang Bamboo Forest is known far and wide in Korea and yet, there are other bamboo forests. There’s even a bamboo forest I visited on Geoje Island near Busan that is really off the beaten path too. Suffice to say, this bamboo forest in particular is a stunner… a massive stunner. If you haven’t visited Ulsan, Korea, it’s definitely time and when you go, this is where to go there.

What you can find in this post:

• How To Get To Taehwagang River Bamboo Forest
• Basic Info
• When Is The Best Time To Go?
• What To Expect?
  • The Azalea Habitat
  • Osan Manhoejeong Pavilion
  • Taehwagang Observatory
  • The Bamboo Forest
• Where To Stay In Ulsan

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How To Get To Taehwagang River Bamboo Forest

Address: 107 Taehwa-dong Jung-gu, Ulsan (울산시 중구 태화동 107)

From Seoul or Busan To Ulsan: You can easily take the KTX train directly from Seoul or Busan to Ulsan. We tacked a visit here on to a trip to Busan recently.

By Bus: From the Ulsan KTX Station, take bus 357 or 5003 to the bamboo forest. From Ulsan, buses 133, 327, 708, 718, 357, 807, 817, 857, and 5001 all stop at Taehwagang Station.

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Basic Info

Admission: FREE

Pets: Pets are permitted in the park but must be on a leash.

Parking Facilities: Available and cost W1,000 per hour.

Rental Bikes: The park has some very lovely flat walking paths but they are long. If you’ve got children, or if you don’t want to walk the entire time, look into getting one of the rental bikes or that also features a covering which is perfect if it’s really sunny in the summer.

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When Is The Best Time To Go?

The park doesn’t JUST feature bamboo.

Go In The Spring: In the spring there is a flowering plant garden that features sixty million blossoms including poppies, cornflowers, and golden coreopsis. This is actually the largest riverside flowering plant garden in the country. All of this to say that the best time to visit is in the spring to take full advantage of the bamboo forest and the gorgeous flowering fields.

Go In The Summer: Each summer, more than 6000 herons migrate to Ulsan. If you visit in the summer, take advantage of the timing and definitely head to the riverside to watch as the majestic herons fly, swoop, and glide through the air.

Go In The Autumn: Or maybe the best time is in the autumn, In October, the fields are a stunning yellow with mums abloom and there’s also an arts festival. Whether you visit in the spring, autumn.. summer or winter, you’ll enjoy the views that’s for sure. So when are you looking to visit?

Go In The Winter: One thing I’ve always appreciated about bamboo is that is stays so green throughout the winter. While everything else is faded and the leaves have browned and dropped, bamboo is still rather gorgeous. I haven’t visited Ulsan in the middle of winter, but was there in December and the bamboo was still beautifully emerald. Such a sight when everything else is bare.

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What To Expect

The bamboo forest is four kilometers long and twenty to forty kilometers wide in different areas. It’s just massive and was created by local villagers in an effort to prevent flooding. The Taehwagang River cuts through Ulsan and flows into Ulsan Bay which is connected to the East Sea. The river flooded frequently during the Japanese colonial period but since the bamboo forest has grown, the flooding has ceased and now the bamboo forest is rich and lush. The bamboo forest was actually featured in the Top 100 Must Visit Spots In Korea for 2019 and yet it’s one of those best kept secrets.

There are paths on either side of the bamboo forests with one along the riverside and one along the interior and then there’s a path right through the center. There are exits on either side so you can weave in and out and all around easily.

The Azalea Habitat

This building had just been finished when we visited last year and the interior wasn’t yet set up but as I’ve read, this beautiful building is now an information space. You’ll see this when you head into the park. Definitely stop by to see what’s inside but definitely enjoy the exterior as well. I really appreciated the wooden design of this new building and think it’s an ideal addition to the beautiful bamboo park.

Osan Manhoejeong Pavilion

Built in the 17th century, this beautiful pavilion was built by Manhoe, the pen name of Bak Chwi Mun who lived from 1617 to 1690 and was a country magistrate during the Joseon Dynasty. It’s a beautiful pavilion that was destroyed and then restored in the 19th century and is a great spot to get some beautiful photos with the bamboo forest in the rear and views of the river.

Taehwagang Observatory

From the forest, if you look out over the river, you’ll spot a sleek looking observatory on the other side. You’ll walk through the bamboo forest for a bit, but keep an eye on the water to spot where you can walk through. To get there, head down to a little dock where you can catch a wooden boat to pull yourself across. Nah, just kidding. You don’t have to do it yourself. It works on equal intervals, so if you just miss one, head back into the forest to wait a bit for the next one.

The observatory has three floors featuring a great view of the forest along with an interior that rotates. Grab a drink and check out the view before and then head back to catch the little boat headed back. It’s a fun little activity to take advantage of when you visit.

The Bamboo Forest

The forest itself is really massive and so long. You’ll want to take a ton of pics at the beginning but, honestly, it just keeps going and going and going. It’s magically lush and dense and towering. Feel the feels, take the photos and walk walk walk walk… or maybe you were smart and rented bikes. You can walk through the entire forest of bamboo and then make your way back via the flower garden that is on the interior side away from the river.

Along the bamboo forest there are numerous, and I mean numerous, play areas and playgrounds for children if you have them. I was surprised just how many there were. Usually parks have one playground or a couple but this one seems to really be looking to keep kids enjoyment high while at the same time keeping parents’ relaxed. Do NOT miss a walk through the forest, but equally, do NOT miss a walk through the gardens and playgrounds.

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Where To Stay In Ulsan

Lotte City Hotel

Lotte City Hotel is one of the best hotels in Ulsan and situated in a great spot if you want to see the sights. The river is less than two kilometers away from the bamboo forest and near the station so best of both worlds for those traveling to the area. Book a stay here on Booking.com or on Agoda.com

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