Let's Go on a Visit

Enjoy the beautiful Geumho River

Korea is a temperate climate, so it has distinct four seasons; spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and each season has distinct scenes. From March to May, spring comes and the cherry blossoms are flying with sunshine and pleasant winds. Summer beings around June, with the grass and trees turning green. From September, autumn approaches, the leaves of the trees turn yellow and red. Finally, from December to January snow announces winter has come. These different views makes enjoying the four seasons a popular tour in Korea. In Daegu, there are some places that we can view the scene of four seasons. However, if you are interested in in a place that shows the Korean landscape as well as a drama filming location, you should visit the Geumho River. 
The name Geumho River was derived from the beautiful sound of reeds in hilly districts were shaken by the wind. The Geumho River is the second largest tributary of the Nakdong River, which flows westward around the northern part of Daegu City and joins the Nakdong River near Daesa-eup. Along the river, the Ayang Railroad Bridge Attraction Project, and the Ayang Railroad Bridge in Sinam-dong, Dong-gu, are gaining popularity and transforming into tourist attractions in Daegu.
When you get off at Ayanggyo Station on subway line 1, you can find the Geumho River easily?there is even a place in the station that introduces attractions near Ayanggyo Station. Also, you can ride a bus which arrives at Exit 1,2 at Ayanggyo Station. Or if you drive to the Geumho River the ‘Green Gate’ will let you know that you arrived. The ‘Green gate’ is a structure shaped like Palgong Mountain located at the entrance of Ayanggyo Bridge. If you head down to the river, you can walk to a street which is called ‘Cherry Blossom Road’. It is located from the 3rd Ayanggyo Bridge to Song’s Tomb. You can enjoy a wide range of cherry blossom trees along the banks of the Geumho River for about 1.3 kilometers. In the spring, the cherry blossom tunnel gives the fresh scent of flowers to the people, and in summer, it makes cool forest shades with the breeze from the Geumho River. In autumn, it provides a trail and resting place for citizens.
After walking along the ‘Cherry Blossom Road’, you might see the Ayang Railroad on the river. As the former Daegu Line railway, which has been closed after running for 78 years, the bridge across the Geumho River has been reborn as a new tourist attraction. It won the 2014 Red Dot Design Award in Germany, as it was highly praised for its integration of public design for the use of closed-rail bridge as a civil culture and leisure space in urban areas. If you follow the transparent walkway over the river, you will arrive at Ayang View?a building that is shaped like a turtle lantern. Here, there are relaxation facilities such as cafes and galleries, and a Digital Bridge Museum where you can search for world famous bridges. In the galleries, you can enjoy various exhibitions held by local writers. It is especially beautiful in the nighttime when snow, rain, and colorful lights can combine to create a more romantic and fantastic view. This area is also known as the KBS2 drama ‘Oh my Venus’ filming location.
You not only view the landscape of the Geumho River, but you can also go to the Sinam Patriotic Martyrs Park. This park was constructed on the sunny hill of Sinam-dong, the place where the 52 Patriots died while fighting for independence and recovering the sovereignty of Korea. In particular, it is known to as the only patriot cemetery park in the country except for the National Cemetery. The auxiliary facilities include Danchung Temple, a temple that houses the ancestral tablet of ancestors. The museum also displays records of the independence movement of Korean ancestors, including the 1919 Independence Movement of Korea, the Student Anti-Japanese Movement, and the activities of The New Association.
Or, if visitors want to take a photo and carry with them a memory of Daegu, they should visit ‘Onggi Jonggi Happiness Village’. It is not far from the Geumho River: just get a bus at Ayanggyo Station and stop by Dongchon Hwaseong Town--itis just 3 stops. The gray-colored houses of Dongchon-dong were complemented when they created a variety of murals which changed their dark atmosphere. The area was created by the Saemaeul Project in the 1970s as it was becoming more and more dilatory as the Daegu Line railroad crossed through the middle of the village and the K2 airport was built next to it. When the Daegu Line was closed in 2008, the Donggu Office removed the railroad tracks and created a walkway, a garden, and a small shelter in the corners of the village. Each wall is painted in a variety of colors, and there are many plants in front of the wall and in the alley. In fact, some of the pictures drawn there are of a railroad on the spot where the railroad tracks used to be located, creating an illusion that they are real. It is fun to take pictures with the many illusions that are painted there.
Finally, as the new year is coming, it is also an area where you can enjoy the sunrise. In Korea, people often enjoy watching the first sunrise of the new year, and there are many sunrise festivals. The Geumho River also has a festival which is held at the ‘Sunrise Dongsan’. The park was constructed on the hills of Guryong Mountain between the Ayanggyo Bridge and Dongchon Amusement Park. Looking from the observatory of Palgakjeong, you can see the magnificent appearance of Palgong Mountain, far from the cliff. In addition, there are walking paths and sports facilities built by the restoration of the old forest of Guryong Mountain.
If you are interested in enjoying the full four seasons in Korea, you do not need to visit many places as the Geumho River has something for each season. Visiting the Geumho River would be an unforgettable memory in your life.