Now, we feel the gentle spring breeze touching our face. Here comes again the best time of the year to walk. Today, we will guide you to Busan’s bamboo forest trail in the gentle spring wind. Let’s head to this forest trail perfect for taking a walk alone or with your beloved ones such as friends, partner, or family members!

Hoedong Reservoir & Bamboo Forest Trail

Located across three local districts, Geumjeong-gu, Gijang-gun, and Yangsan-si, Hoedong Reservoir has been strictly preserved as a water resource protection area since 1964. Restricted public access allowed it to keep nature intact for many decades just as in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

It was not until 2010 that this forbidden land was open to public after 45 years. After a 20-kilmeter-long walking trail was built around the lake, it immediately become one of Busan’s best places to take a walk. As you drink in the beautiful scenery that stimulates all your five senses along the paths in a dense cypress forest, the red clay trail where you can go barefoot, or the lakeside trail with reeds swaying in the breeze, you will never get bored.

The 5.9-kilometer-long Oryundae section that connects Hoedong Dam, Oryunbon-dong, and Sanghyeon Village is where you can find harmony between the lake and the forest, giving off unique vibes that are not common in Busan. As you pass through Oryunbong-dong, a bamboo forest will come into sight. A well-adorned trail will add more fun to your adventure. You can also enjoy listening to the sound of bamboo leaves rustling in the spring breeze as you walk along the trail above which bamboo trees form a canopy with the amazing effect of a tunnel.

Ahopsan Forest, Gijang

If you are interested in a dense bamboo forest, Ahopsan Forest, Gijang would be a perfect choice. It was a private property not open to public until recently. The family who owned and managed the forest for the past 400 years recently opened its door to the world. It is possible to enjoy this amazingly well-preserved forest for it was a greenbelt land and a water resource protection area for a long time. The pinnacle of it is the bamboo forest.

In this incredibly dense forest too full of bamboos to let the sunlight, you cannot help but slow down. You will be overwhelmed by the tranquility in the deep forest and certainly, you are not the only one fascinated by this mysterious bamboo forest. Ahopsan Forest, Gijang has become one of the most visited tourist attractions in Korea since it is a famous filming location for numerous films and TV series such as Kundo: Age of the Rampant, The Tiger: An Old Hunter’s Tale, Memories of the Sword, and The King: Eternal Monarch.

Ahopsan Forest has two incredibly large bamboo habitats. The second bamboo forest has a walking trail, allowing you to approach bamboo trees for a better look. If you are lucky enough to be left alone in this forest, you will feel as if you were in a zero-gravity environment.

F1963 Maengjongjuk Forest

Unlike Hoedong Reservoir and Ahopsan Forest located in the suburbs of Busan, F1963 Maengjongjuk Forest is a bamboo forest at the city center. A small forest was built by planting Maengjongjuk stalks (phyllostachys pubescens) on a piece of land where KISWIRE’s wire factory used to be. Although it is small in size, Maengjongjuk stalks formed a dense forest which enables you to feel as if you were deep in the woods.

The bamboo forest trail contains old pieces of discolored concrete which are from the floor of the wire factory. At first, you may find the trail unfit for the overall atmosphere of the forest; however, once you are done taking a walk, you will realize you just had an amazing experience along this extraordinary forest trail. It is also worth noting that taller bamboo trees are once intertwined with older bamboo trees.

Bamboo releases a large amount of oxygen, which keeps the forest cooler than its surrounding areas. Thanks to this, you can always stay cool and refreshed in the bamboo forest. As you walk along the bamboo forest trail with the gentle spring breeze touching your face, you will be able to shake off all your travel fatigue as well.