A Korean garden that kept its style for 500 years : Soswaewon Garden

A villa garden of the Joseon Dynasty used to be built in a place where people could enjoy the beautiful scenery of Mother Nature. The Soswaewon Garden in Damyang-gun is one of the representative villa gardens of the Joseon Dynasty. This garden was built by Yang San-bo, who wanted to live and die without contacting the world after the tragic death of his teacher, Jo Gwang-jo, during the reign of King Jungjong, the 11th king of the Joseon Dynasty. Hence, the garden befits modern people who want to be free from their busy daily lives and be healed in the embrace of nature. The Soswaewon Garden is where you can forget the worries of your life for a moment, as it was intended for such a reason 500 years ago.

A Korean garden that kept its style for 500 years

The trail to the Soswaewon Garden is surrounded by a lush bamboo forest. When you finally get out of this alluring forest at an involuntarily slower pace, the garden begins to show its visage. The Daebongdae Pavilion is the first thing that you will encounter. It is built on a foundation of natural stones with a thatched roof. After passing this pavilion, a single log bridge appears in front of Ogongmun Gate. Beyond this bridge lies the Jewoldang House. It is an antique house that harmonizes with a lush forest. You may feel like there would be another world after crossing this bridge. 

The Jewoldang House is on the highest land of the Soswaewon Garden. Its name, “Jewol,” means “the clear Moon after rain.” It was the place where Yang San-bo used to read books in peace. Sitting on its floor, you will see the Gwangpunggak Pavilion in beautiful nature. The Gwangpunggak Pavilion used to be the men’s quarters to treat guests. It is built next to a valley, and thus, guests might have enjoyed the relaxing sound of flowing water inside this pavilion. In other words, the Jewoldang House is a peaceful place of meditation, and the Gwangpunggak Pavilion is a dramatic place in beautiful nature. The Soswaewon Garden was designed to let the valley water flow through it. Hence, there are two holes in the Ogongmun Gate so that the water flows through, creating a waterfall in front of the Gwangpunggak Pavilion after passing by rocks. Remarkably, Yang made the most of the natural environment. 

The quiet life of the Soswaewon Garden that even BTS fell in love

There’s a story of a famous duck in this garden. It’s about a place where BTS used to spend a few hours watching ducks playing around in 2019. The story starts with ducks that caught the eyes of the world-famous Korean boy band. About 500 years ago, there was a duck in a place where the Soswaewon Garden would be built. Yang San-bo was a teenager at the time, and he was studying at a pavilion in a village called “Changam.“ Then, he found the duck at the waterside. He felt curious about the duck playing and followed it. Finally, he found a wonderful place and decided that he would build a pavilion on it. Hence, the Soswaewon Garden could be built thanks to this duck.
The Soswaewon Garden, where BTS came to rest, was famous among the well-known people of Korean history. Famous Korean scholars, including Jeong Cheol (pen name: Songgang), used to come and discuss the topics of the time. Sometimes, Korean poets used to come and write poems to admire the beautiful nature. The garden was like a haven to escape from the gloomy reality at the time, and now, it has become a great garden to let visitors rest and relax from their busy daily lives.