Destination: Orchid Garden / Exhibition Hall (Mokpo, Jeollanam-do)



If you're exploring Mokpo for any length of time, Yudalsan will show up on your list of places to see. The mountain area is a centerpiece of town - and there's plenty to keep you busy for at least a couple of days. The 228-meter-high isn't an overly difficult climb Although the Lady in Red and I didn't have a lot of time, we discovered the Orchid Garden / Exhibition Hall not far from the Sculpture Park on the mountainside.

It's far from a popular tourist destination, however. Get up to the garden and enjoy the views, almost entirely to yourself:




The first of two buildings holds 120 species of Asian orchids and 94 Western ones. Originally opened in May 1983, there's almost 500 square meters of plants to enjoy.



You never know whether you're going to see blooms or just plants, however. A sign by the entrance (entirely in Korean, of course) showed us something about the different seasons, but I couldn't make out much more than that. The Korean staffperson seemed a bit amused at our arrival, as though he didn't see too many foreign visitors in there.



The structure had a black plastic netting over the glass ceiling, keeping the building in a permanent shade. It didn't take the temperature down, though - one thing that would've been nice on such a hot day.

The other building was just up the hill. Opened in November 2000, the 유리온실 (yu-ri-on-sil, or greenhouse) serves as a special botanical garden for native plants:




Not a whole lot to see during this visit, however.

If you're a plant buff you'll probably have a bit more fun here identifying the various species that exist. It's hard to say it's a tourist destination, although both buildings are freely open to the public. Come by if you're in the area or checking out Mokpo's Yudalsan Sculpture park nearby - it's not worth making a special trip out.

Directions to Yudalsan's Orchid Garden: Get to Mokpo (trains and buses galore come from all corners of Korea). From Mokpo train station, it's either a 20-25 minute walk up Yudalsan or a minimum-fare taxi ride of less than 5 minutes. If you're coming from the Mokpo bus terminal, take bus 1, 1-1, or 1-2, 2, 13, 17, or 20 to the Mokpo train station and go from there. For more information, check out this official site or this unofficial website.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks):
Ease to arrive:


Foreigner-friendly:


Convenience facilities:

Worth the visit:

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