Yongin's Historical Drama Sets for Photos of a Lifetime & Four-Season Botanical Garden Walks: Dae Jang Geum Park, Korean Folk Village, Hantaek Botanical Garden and Gasil Cherry Blossom Road
A day of dodging amusement-park crowds to walk a K-drama mecca and meet four-season wildflowers in an ecological arboretum of 200,000 pyeong
Comparison table at a glance
| Place | Theme | Key highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Dae Jang Geum Park | K-historical drama open set | Palaces where masterpiece dramas such as The Moon Embracing the Sun, Dae Jang Geum and My Dearest were filmed |
| Korean Folk Village | Joseon-era traditional village | Old houses from the eight provinces, regular equestrian martial arts and nongak (farmers' music) shows, and market-street food |
| Hantaek Botanical Garden | Ecological arboretum | 36 gardens, including the Australian Greenhouse (baobab trees), the hosta garden and the silver grass garden |
| Yongin Rural Theme Park | Countryside gardens and rest areas | Terraced rice-paddy scenery, family wondumak huts and a wildflower plaza |
1. Time Travel as the Star of a Drama: Dae Jang Geum Park & Korean Folk Village
Yongin has two huge spaces that faithfully recreate the eras of Joseon, Goryeo and the Three Kingdoms. Spread across the mountainside of Yongcheon-ri, Baegam-myeon, Cheoin-gu, Dae Jang Geum Park is not a set of throwaway plywood but Korea's largest permanent open-air set for historical dramas, intricately built from sturdy timber and roof tiles.
Walk through Muryeong Palace, Gyujanggak, Injeongjeon Hall and the market street, and famous scenes from historical dramas and music videos by global artists overlap before your eyes. Add the Korean Folk Village in Giheung-gu, and you can experience period drama in two different textures, all the way from streams flowing between real thatched and tiled houses to rousing traditional folk performances.
Dae Jang Geum Park · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip Dae Jang Geum Park is built along a hillside, so it's much easier to ride the elephant train (tour car) from the entrance up to the highest point and then look around as you walk back down.
2. The Little Prince's Baobab Tree and a Wildflower Paradise: Hantaek Botanical Garden
Drive on from Dae Jang Geum Park and you reach Hantaek Botanical Garden, a garden of 200,000 pyeong built to preserve the natural terrain of the slopes of Bibongsan Mountain. Instead of flashy artificial landscaping, it respects the ecology of native plants, making it a living botanical encyclopedia where, whenever you visit, you'll meet rare wildflowers and trees that bloom only in that season.
In particular, the 'Australian Greenhouse,' home to a giant Australian baobab tree like the one in the novel The Little Prince, and the South African greenhouse are perfect for exotic photos. Walk slowly past tulips and daffodils in spring, water lilies and hostas in summer, and autumn leaves and the silver grass garden in fall, and the stress of daily life is purified into green.
Hantaek Botanical Garden · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip Climb to the viewing rest area at the highest point of the garden, and the fields of Baegam-myeon and the whole garden spread out below you in one breathtaking view.
3. Country Views from a Wondumak Hut: Yongin Rural Theme Park & Gasil Cherry Blossom Road
If you want to spend a leisurely afternoon sharing a packed lunch with your family, Yongin Rural Theme Park in Wonsam-myeon is just the place. Dozens of cozy wondumak huts with thatched and tiled roofs are set among terraced flower beds and Korean pine forest trails along the slope, and anyone can rest in them for free.
If you visit Yongin in spring, don't miss a drive along Gasil Cherry Blossom Road, the approach to Hoam Museum of Art. Along the lake, old king cherry trees line both sides of the 2-lane road with their branches touching, and every gust of wind showers pink petals, creating the finest spring blossom tunnel in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Yongin Rural Theme Park · Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 1
Yeohaenggak editor's tip Yongin Rural Theme Park pairs well with Yongin Natural Recreation Forest for a 2-day, 1-night family forest-retreat course.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Q. Which is quieter for taking photos, Dae Jang Geum Park or the Korean Folk Village?
The Korean Folk Village is lively, centered on performances and activities, while Dae Jang Geum Park has wide grounds and low visitor density, so it's far more relaxed for setting up a tripod and taking tranquil snapshots of palaces and fortress walls.
Q. Can you tour Dae Jang Geum Park and Hantaek Botanical Garden on the same day?
Yes. Both are in the same Baegam-myeon area of Cheoin-gu, so the classic course is Dae Jang Geum Park in the morning, lunch, and then a walk through Hantaek Botanical Garden in the afternoon.
Q. Compared with Seoul, when do the cherry blossoms on Gasil Cherry Blossom Road usually peak?
Because the road runs along a mountainside and a lake, the most spectacular full bloom comes around mid-April, about 5–7 days later than Yeouido (Yunjung-ro) in Seoul.
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