| |
 Mr.
Bong-gyu Song Begins Researching Jeju's Tourist Industry
Mr. Bong-gyu Song, the
chairperson and founder of Hallim Park, served as a member of the Jeiu
Provincial Council in his mid-twenties, where he had special interest in
community development. While working as the head of the Hallim County
Development Committee for 10 years, he realized that the future of Jeiu
Island was in the travel industry. In June, 1970, he traveled to Japan
to study the country's tourist sights and ancient monuments. When he
returned to Jeju, he decided to devote his efforts into researching and
developing the island’s best possible tourist destinations, He chose the
location that became the current Hallim Park because the surrounding
Hyeopjae, Geumreung, and Biyangdo Island areas were homes to natural
caves, beautiful beaches and many fishing grounds. These environmental
attractions made Hallim a unique and peaceful tourist destination; Mr.
Song began the first stages of Hallim Park on this land.
Mr. Song Launches the Hallim Park Project in 1971
First, Mr. Song needed to
purchase the land in Hallim to begin developing the area for Hallim
Park. At that time, the owner of the barren land in Hyeopjae-ri, Ohyun
School had been planning to sell the land at an auction. In June 15,
1971, Mr. Song sold his inheritance and boldly purchased the property.
The land that was looked down upon by many buyers in past auctions had a
new landlord, The land was covered in thorn bushes, rocks, stones, and
sporadic tombs. The soil was poor and the northwestern seasonal wind
constantly blew sand; it was reminiscent of a desert wasteland. Mr. Song
was not deterred, He ignored friends, neighbors, and relatives who urged
him to give up the project; some mocked him, commenting, " What are you
shoveling the sand for?". Some supporters gave up halfway because of the
rising obstacles. Mr. Song continued working on his dream project, and
began his admirable journey on this land on the edge of beautiful Mt.
Halla.
Campaign to Preserve Volcanic Caves, 1971
In 1971, when
Mr. Song first began developing Hallim Park, the Hyeopjae Cave was in
poor shape. The stalactites and stalagmites that lined the inside of the
cave had been stolen and sold by visitors and islanders for many years.
Mr. Song launched a project to preserve the prototype of Hyeopiae Cave.
He started a campaign to bring back the missing stalactites and
stalagmites, He visited schools, public organizations, and private
owners and actively called attention to the importance of the cave and
proper preservation. He ended up purchasing and trading back 19 pieces
of stalactites and stalagmites and restoring them, placing them back
into their original settings. The cave preservation campaign was
reported in many newspapers, which was a great way for the renewed
Hyeopjae Cave to be unveiled to the public.
The Comprehensive Development Project, 1971
In 1971, Mr. Song
set up the five-year "Comprehensive Tourism Development Plan in the
Hallim Area" with an ambitious dream to build up a resort complex that
would include the Hyeopjae Cave, the Hyeopiae beach, and the Biyangdo
Island area. It was a tough task because the tourism industry was not
yet recognized as being a valuable asset to the island. The tourism
industry then consisted only of small scenic locations that could not
accommodate large groups, or contribute to the island's economic
development, Therefore, Mr. Song's tourism development project, which
was the first seashore resort complex on the island, was big news that
was recognized nationally. The Jeju provincial government actively
responded to the plan and made a commitment to provide financial
support.
While preparing to launch
the project Mr. Song received a discouraging letter from the local
government, which informed him that developing the area would be
impossible because his land contained an erosion control forest, The
city planning law mandated preservation of the land, in order to
preserve cultural assets and maintain public health laws for the
community. Mr. Song could have given up carrying out the project but he
actively researched alternatives.
Mr. Song designed the subtropical garden in 1972
The original plan could
not be executed due to the erosion control forest. However, Mr. Song
began working on the 33,000 square meters of land that was not effected
by the land control law. He removed much of the unwanted thorns and
weeds himself with a hoe and shovel, It was a tough project because of
harsh weather conditions, but in the end, he was inspired to design the
first major attraction of Hallim Park, the subtropical garden. He
continued working the land so that trees could be planted, and soon the
land was ready for seeds.
By April 1972, Mr, Song
sowed the land with Washingtonia, Canarians Fortune Palm and over ten
thousand cydads. It was a difficult and risky process, however, because
the land had previously been barren. Even with the new soil, it wasn’t a
guarantee that these new seedlings would properly grow. Mr. Song watered
the trees every morning at dawn, and took close care of them, Soon the
seedlings took root and the plants began to grow, The land was
miraculously transformed.
The Subtropical Garden, 1972-1982
Inspired by Tokyo’s
roads, with neatly lined zelkova trees, Mr. Song wanted to create a
similar pattern, Zelkova trees were common in Jeju and had a long
running relationship with its people. Mr. Song met with several
botanists and discussed with them the possibility of creating such a
road at Hallim Park. Eventually, he succeeded in sowing the seed and
making them sprout, Mr, Song provided more than ten thousand selkova
seedlings as a street and landscaping tree all around the island,
He also examined the
island’s soil and learned that the land's sandy soil was well drained
and ventilated, making it an ideal soil for a variety of vegetables and
fruit trees, He successfully cultivated garlic, strawberries, tomatoes
and melons, and planted tangerine and peach trees,
In 1973, Mr.
Song designated a location for a Park rest stop and an official entrance
to the cave. He also planted more cacti, Washingtonia, and Canariensis,
and constructed a belt of subtropical plants. All the while, the
preservation of cultural assets such as caves, roads, and gardens, was
emphasized.
The park construction project, 1982
Mr. Bong-gyu Song,
the chairperson and founder of Hallim Park, served as a member of the
Jeiu Provincial Council in his mid-twenties, where he had special
interest in community development. While working as the head of the
Hallim County Development Committee for 10 years, he realized that the
future of Jeiu Island was in the travel industry. In June, 1970, he
traveled to Japan to study the country's tourist sights and ancient
monuments. When he returned to Jeju, he decided to devote his efforts
into researching and developing the island’s best possible tourist
destinations. He chose the location that became the current Hallim Park
because the surrounding Hyeopjae, Geumreung, and Biyangdo Island areas
were homes to natural caves, beautiful beaches and many fishing grounds.
These environmental attractions made Hallim a unique and peaceful
tourist destination; Mr. Song began the first stages of Hallim Park on
this land.
Ssangyong & Hyeopjae Cave, 1981 to 1983
The Ssangyong and
Hyeopjae Caves were designated as Natural Monument #236. Ssangyong cave
was famous for resembling the shape of two dragons put together. Mr.
Song wanted to highlight this monument by allowing the public to view
the caves (only 109 meters of the Hyopjae Cave was open to the public at
the time). He installed electric lights inside the cave to showcase the
internal structure, and began a proiect to connect the two caves and
allowing the public to view all parts of the caves, rather than a
limited portion. He decided to excavate Ssangyong Cave, which had been
buried in sand. With the permission of the authorities, he started to
carefully clear the entrance and exit of the cave, During this proiect,
he found a great stone pillar that was buried in the ground. According
to an ancient legend, there lived a god of wisdom who was said to give
human the great wisdom he had. A man named Jinwasoo, who lived in Hallim
in the mid-17 th century, became a famous doctor after being taught from
this wisdom god.
The stone pillar
Mr, Song discovered was named the Stone Pillar of Wisdom after this
legend. In March 1983, the two caves were connected and introduced to
the public.
Expanding facilities, 1983 to 1986
In order to provide visitors with convenience and comfort, the parking
lot (1983), Lounge Ssangyonggak (1983), Lounge Dahwawon (1984), park
information office (1985), Yajasoo Restaurant (Palm Tree Restaurant,
1986), a green house inside the Subtropical Garden (1985), and sound
facilities were installed, In addition, Mr. Song built an elevated water
sink using an underground water source, providing water for plant
cultivation throughout the park.
Jae-Am Folk Village, 1987
As Jeju became more
and more modernized, the traditional thatch-style cottages became rare.
Mr. Song decided to launch a preservation project locating ten abandoned
thatch style cottages and creating a minsok-chon , a traditional style
village, in a section of Hallim Park. The cottages were from the
Island's Pyongdae, Hallim, and Bongseong areas, and were much larger
than the average traditional cottages. Mr. Song planned out the 200
pyong (662 square meters) village, and worked with the government to
develop this preservation project.
The standard
thatched cottages were usually around 16 pyong (53 square meters), but
the cottages Mr. Song acquired were quite a bit larger, at 80 pyong ,
The size of these cottages was brought up in a discussion between Mr.
Song and the city government authorities; the size difference meant that
the materials for renovation had to be specifically catered to the exact
measurements of the cottages; it also meant that the original proposal
that Mr. Song drafted had to be revised and reworked, During this
revision, Mr. Song decided to recycle the electric wire poles that had
been discarded by the Korea Electricity Company to help strengthen and
repair the aged beams and pillars of the cottages. The cottage
restoration proiect, because the homes were so sensitive and fragile,
was complicated and time-consuming. The project was finally completed in
December, 1987.
The Subtropical Garden opens to the public in 1987
The
Subtropical Garden, which Mr, Song began in 1972, was finally open to
the public in 1987. The palm tree seeds, which were sown when Mr, Song
first began the project fifteen years ago, had grown into tall,
beautiful trees, Sixteen gardens, including the Washingtonia Garden,
Canariensis Garden, Palm Tree Garden, Jeju Wild Grass Garden, Native
Tangerine Orchard, Kiwi Orchard, Native Forest, Foliage Plant Garden,
Bonsai Garden, Flower Garden, Cactus Garden, Tropical Garden, made up
what Mr, Song called the Subtropical Garden.
A variety of park facilities were added on, 1988 to 1995
Recreational
theme park facilities were added on in 1988, launching a wave of new
developments on the Park grounds. The Dolharubang Restaurant opened in
1988, serving traditional Korean cuisine. Underground electric wires
were laid down in 1988, and Park rest stop and a birdhouse were built in
1989. In 1990, the main office and rest stop for bus drivers and tour
guides was built in the entrance area of the Park grounds, and in 1991,
the exhibition hall and the indoor shooting range opened. In 1995, all
the facilities were connected with a new brick tour road.
Jae-Am Stone Exhibition Hall, 1996
Jeju Island is famous for
its lava rocks, Each one is of a different and unique shape, and Mr.
Song had been a collector of such rocks for a long time. The Jae-Am
Stone Exhibition Hall was built to house his collection; it opened in
October, 1996 and displayed about 500 Jeju stones and also a variety of
domestic and foreign stones. The Exhibition Hall was named after Mr.
Song's pen name, Jae-Am.
Jeju Stone and Bonsai Garden, 1997
The bonsai garden
in the Subtropical Garden expanded in 1997 in order to accommodate the
fast-growing trees and their popularity. A new, remodeled exhibition
space was built in order to house the plants and allow for more creative
and grand exhibits. Mr. Song also brought in stones and stone sculptures
from all parts of the world, including Brazil, Malaysia, and China, to
create an international stone collection. Mr. Song thought Jeju was an
appropriate place to house such exotic stone and bonsai collections, The
garden, as a result, was named the Jeju Stone and Bonsai Garden.
The Bird Garden opens in 1999
In December, 1999, Mr.
Song remodeled the former Kid's Play Garden into the Bird Garden, taking
the recreational ride facilities and adjusting them to shelter ducks,
pheasants, parrots, and ostrich. An old elevated bicycle ride was
developed into an elevated fence for the birds; an old boat ride was
altered and now it's the home to mandarin ducks and their nests; the
monorail cycle was turned into a camel nest, and the tour car area now
houses the pheasants and peacocks.
The Pond Garden, 2002
Hallim Park had a
small pond with several species of water plants. In 2002, however, the
garden was remodeled and expanded to mimic an authentic large-scale
water garden, The pond construction, which normally requires digging,
paving and waterproofing the soil, used a new, eco-friendly method of
construction. The designated area was marked and dug up, and then
covered in stones to waterproof the pond. After the construction was
completed, several different kinds of lotus, water lily, water
snowflake, purple flag iris were collected and cultivated. The pond
became the home to the park's water plants and animals.
Facilities have been improved since 1998
In order to grow
and display taller plants, the elevated greenhouse was built in 1998. To
prevent flooding in the caves and allow for easier access for visitors,
a main tour road was paved with basalt bricks in 1999, allowing visitors
to simply follow the road and move about comfortably.
The tour road at the folk
village was also paved with Jeiu Island basalt bricks in 2001, in order
to prevent loss of soil and allow for comfortable touring, In 2002 a new
seedlings site was constructed to grow a variety of seedlings and
flowers, and in 2003, the Jeiu Wild Grass and Herb Garden was remodeled.
Manifestation of Pioneering Spirit
The Hallim Park is an example of hard work and undeterred dreams. What
was once barren land has been transformed into an international tourist
attraction that is home to Korean tradition and culture, as well as
international species of trees and animals, Mr, Song and everyone
involved in developing the park put tremendous love and effort into the
process, and what you see today, is vivid evidence hard work and dreams
can bear great fruit.
Founder and Chairman Mr,
Song invested his private funds and property into the project to develop
the facilities, All the profits from the Park's entrance fees were used
to further develop the Park's facilities.
Mr. Song, despite going
through challenging times that at times made him want to give up the
project, overcame the difficulties.
Today, Hallim Park maintains a
wide variety of attractions, such as the tropical and subtropical
garden, Hyeopjae Cave, Ssangyong Cave, Jae-Am Folk Village, Jeju Stone
and Bonsai Garden, Jae-Am Stone Exhibition Hall, the Bird Garden, and
the Pond Garden.
It is also the home to
restaurants such as Restaurant Dolharubang(featuring traditional
cuisine), Restaurant Yajasu (featuring sea food), and the resting place
Birdhouse(snack corner), In addition, there are the Lound Ssangyonggak
and Dahwawon gift shops.
There are also
several event on Jeju every year: Cherry Blossoms and Tulip Festival,
Calanthe Bicolor Exhibition in spring, Hydrangea Exhibition, Water Plant
Exhibition, in summer, and Chrysanthemum Festival in autumn.
Hallim Park accommodates
about 1.2 million visitors every year, The personnel, including Founder
and Chairperson Song, don't want to pop the champagne yet, Through the
continuation of the endless pioneering spirit Hallim Park will develop
further into an international resort destination that will move
visitors.
Source: official site of
Hallim Park (2014)
|
|
