A Forest Where Trees Take the Center Stage

National Center for Forest Activities, located in Jangseong, is a place where people play the second fiddle to the lush trees of the area. Set aside your burdens and your daily life for a moment, join the trees brimming with life, and take the opportunity to rediscover yourself.

Dedication for Every Tree

Every tree here is grown with care and dedication, and takes on ever greater lushness and green vitality as time goes by. It takes a lot of time and effort for a tree to be raised: one must ensure that the tree has adequate water and sunlight, and one must also prune and provide care for diseases. But as trees take root, they eventually create lush forests. From that moment onward, the forest becomes a sanctuary for people, a place where people can restore their body and mind. The same goes for the National Center for Forest Activities, Jangseong.

National Center for Forest Activities, Jangseong consists of Forest Education Center and Forest Healing Center. Forest Education Center is in Bangjangsan Mountain while Forest Healing Center in Chungnyeongsan Mountain. The former mainly offers activity- oriented programs such as eco-tour, relationship building, and crafting by using the elements of the forest. Meanwhile, the latter focuses more on relaxing the body and mind and getting energy through the environmental factors of the forest. The cypress forest of Chungnyeongsan Mountain equipped with Forest Healing Center is a priceless forest asset formed over a long time by Im Jongguk also known by his penname Chuam. He started to plant cypress and cryptomeria on a desolate private land in 1956, which marked the beginning of the forest. Currently, the forest has an area of approximately 2.4 million m2, becoming home to 2.5 million trees. It was listed as one of the “Top 100 Beautiful Roads in Korea” by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation and as one of the “Beautiful Forests to Be Preserved for the 22nd Century” by the Korea Forest Service.

Thematic Programs for Varied Experiences

The main draw of the National Center for Forest Activities is the Sumnurim Trail. Its unique name, meaning “enjoying the forest”, was chosen by a popular contest and a vote, reflecting the center’s thoughtful wish to have the name resonate with the general public. Sumnurim Trail connects the center and the Sabang Dam to the foot of the Bangjangsan Mountain, eventually leading up to the sky deck. Bangjangsan Mountain is one of the most famous mountains in the Honam region, alongside Jirisan and Mudeungsan Mountain, and is famous for its depth. The name of the mountain, in fact, refers to the mountain’s expansiveness embracing the people living near it. The nature found at the National Center for Forest Activities likewise welcomes and embraces the visitors. Sumnurim Trail is 0.6km long, which makes for about 20 minutes of walking. Springtime is a picture of renewal and life, as green shoots begin to rise at last; summer is the time to feel the life of the trees and the forest with one’s entire body. Even the decks that make up the trail were built without harming the trees along the way, a reminder of the value and respect given to the trees in the center. The trails are also wide to accommodate wheelchair or baby stroller users.

The way to the Forest Healing Center depends on where one is coming from, of course, but many people set the starting point of their journey at the public parking lot located by the Baengnyeondong terminus of Chuam Village. From the parking lot, one can follow the forest trails past the Seongsanam Rock to the Forest Healing Center, located about 30 minutes away by foot. Incidentally, many visitors find the start of their healing stay in the cypress forest trail.

The first thing that the visitors to the Healing Center see is the memorial mural dedicated to Chuam Im Jong-guk. For those who have reserved their tour program, this is the point where they will meet their tour guide and start their tour. At the Health Promotion Center, you can check your blood pressure and heart rate variability and take an InBody test to see your stress index and vascular age. Depending on the result, you can choose a program that suits you best. Outdoor programs will take place once you finish safety training and tea therapy indoors. That is to say, you will drink a cup of tea to calm your mind, and get safety tips on how to deal with any risk factors posed by forest activities such as deadly insects, plants, and snakes. The forest has wind bathing areas, chairs, and low wooden benches in every corner of it so that you can pause for a moment, lie down in the forest, and observe nature in a laid-back environment.

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Things To Do

Piramseowon Confucian Academy

This Confucian academy is a registered UNESCO World Heritage site.
∇ 184, Piramseowon-ro, Hwangnyong-myeon, Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam- do

Jangseongho Lakeside Trail

Don’t miss the exhilirating view of the lake from the suspension bridge.
∇ San 3-3, Bongdeok-ri, Jangseong-eup, Jangseong- gun, Jeollanam-do

Hong Gildong Theme Park

This is a historical recreation of the house of Hong Gildong, the hero of the eponymous Korean folktale.
∇ 431, Honggildong-ro, Hwangnyong-myeon, Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam- do

Bultaesanjinwonseong

This restaurant specializes in Grade 1 Korean beef (hanu), grilled in a traditional kitchen furnace and charcoal made with traditional techniques.
∇ 17, Gosan-ro, Jinwon-myeon, Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do