Ilsan Lake Park
Goyang’s large artificial lake park, created with Ilsan New Town as a green axis for walking, cycling, horticulture festivals and everyday recreation
Long walks, cycling, flower festivals, picnics, ecological learning, gardens, family recreation, outdoor exercise, seasonal events and lakeside public programs
A very large artificial-lake park with long walking and cycling routes, islands and pavilions, gardens, ecological facilities, major event plazas and horticulture exhibition infrastructure
Ilsan Lake Park became the part of 1990s new-town planning that most visibly turned into everyday city life: infrastructure, ecology, festivals and long-distance walking all share the same landscape
Character
The lake did not predate Ilsan New Town. Planners placed it on low-lying, flood-prone land near the Han River and connected it through a green axis to the central plaza and Jeongbalsan, giving a city still under construction its largest public landscape from the beginning
Goyang lists a lake area of about 300,000 square metres and storage of roughly 453,000 cubic metres; about 2,500 cubic metres of treated inflow enters daily, while a separate circulation system handles about 4,000 cubic metres a day
The experience
Goyang lists 9.1 kilometres of walking paths, including the metasequoia-lined route, and about 4.7 kilometres of bicycle path around the lake. The official bike circuit can be ridden as a shorter loop, while the full pedestrian network reaches gardens, plazas and event areas farther from the water
Dalmaji Island sits in the lake with the octagonal Wolpajeong pavilion, while Hanul Square, the rose garden, ecological learning areas and the cactus exhibition zone spread activity across the shore. Goyang’s walking routes also pass through landscapes planted with more than 100 species of wildflowers and roughly 200,000 trees
The Goyang International Flower Festival occupies the lake district each spring, and other flower, arts and seasonal programs use the broad plazas and exhibition grounds beside the water
History
Construction ran from December 1992 to December 1995. Goyang records a total park area of about 1.034 million square metres and construction cost of 25.5 billion won. The park opened in 1996 as the new town was taking shape and quickly became one of Ilsan’s defining public spaces
The original design goal combined flood-prone land, urban ecology and recreation. Over time, large horticulture events, exhibition facilities and surrounding commercial development strengthened the park’s role as both neighborhood infrastructure and a citywide destination
Before you go
The park is too large for every attraction to fit naturally into one short walk. Jeongbalsan Station provides a useful central approach, while Dalmaji Island, Hanul Square and the flower-exhibition side can be combined into a focused loop without attempting the entire 9.1-kilometre walking network. The park itself is open 24 hours year-round, though individual facilities keep separate schedules
- Hours
- The park is listed as open 24 hours year-round. Individual facilities and the information center keep separate schedules
- Admission
- General park admission is free
- Access
- The information center operates 08:00–20:00 and lends wheelchairs and strollers free with ID. Tents, cooking, fishing, smoking and motorized scooters are prohibited in the park
- Transit
- From Jeongbalsan Station on Line 3, use Exit 1 and walk about 10 minutes toward Ilsan Lake Park. Buses 33-1, 88A and 88B stop at Ilsan Lake Park, about a three-minute walk away