Spreading over 330,000 ㎡ along the foothills of Palgongsan Mountain in Bugye-myeon, Gunwi-gun, Sayuwon opened to the public in September 2021. As you walk through the dense forest, you’ll see amazing buildings that seem to appear out of nowhere, trees that have overcome the wind and frost, and the sunshine and wind that embrace the seasons, all harmonizing with each other like a single work of art.

Sayuwon that started with a single quince tree

The story of Sayuwon can be traced back more than 30 years, all starting with a 300-year-old quince tree and the founder and President Yoo Jae-sung of Taechang Steel Co, Ltd. in Daegu. When he heard from a gardener that a 300-year-old quince tree was being smuggled to Japan, he immediately rushed to Busan Port. He found the trees about to be loaded onto a ship and paid KRW 20 million to save them.

As you walk through the garden of Sayuwon, you will come across trees that have been collected for decades. The Pungseol Gicheonyeon, home to 108 quince trees that inspired the establishment of Sayuwon, is a representative example. It was decorated by landscape architect Jung Young-sun, with the meaning of “a thousand years of wind, snow, and rain.” The Byeolyu Dongcheon is home to crape myrtle trees over 200 years old, and the Yuwon, a traditional Korean garden, welcomes you with precious pine trees that the founder collected throughout his life and a pavilion. At Sadam, animals gather to drink water early in the morning. Jeonghyangdae is filled with the fragrance of clove flowers and blossoms in May.

A space for contemplation with world-class architecture by Alvaro Siza, Seung H-Sang, and others

Sayuwon is a blend of architecture and landscaping by top domestic and international experts such as world-renowned architect Alvaro Siza and Korean architect Seung H-Sang, landscape architects Jung Young-sun and Kawagishi Matsunobu, calligraphers Jung Yeon-sun and Wei Liang, and other masters of various fields, making the place famous as soon as it opened.

The first buildings you’ll encounter in Sayuwon are the Soyoheon Art Pavilion and Miradouro Sodae, designed by Alvaro Siza. The Miradouro Sodae is unusual in that it is tilted at about 15 degrees. From its 20.5 meter height, you can see the Soyoheon Art Pavilion and the surrounding wooded landscape. The pavilion is the centerpiece of the Sayuwon. When Yoo was considering building the Sayuwon, he was traveling to Italy on a business trip when he met an acquaintance who knew Alvaro Siza, and he flew to Portugal to meet him. Siza showed him sketches of a pavilion he exhibited at the European Cultural Exhibition in 1991. President Yoo requested the construction of the pavilion, explaining that the area was a fierce battleground during the Korean War. Siza agreed, and the Soyoheon Art Pavilion was built on our land. When you enter the pavilion, you can feel the power of light and space. In addition to Soyoheon Art Pavilion, other works by architect Seung Hyo-sang, such as Hyeonam, where you can enjoy the beauty of the seasons, Cheomdan, the highest point in Sayuwon, and Wasa, a meditation space, are also impressive.

Sayuwon limits visitors to a maximum of 350 people per day to enjoy the 330,000 ㎡ space and offer the feeling of satisfaction. If you manage to get a reservation, it’s the only place in the world where you can escape the hustle and bustle and immerse yourself in contemplation.