The Garden of Morning Calm was founded by professor Sang-kyung Han (honorary professor of the Department of Horticulture, Sahmyook University) and it opened on May 11, 1996 as a private garden. The design of the garden focused on curves, spaces and asymmetric balance, and Korea's unique beauty to express classic elegance and fabulousness. The name Garden of Morning Calm originated from when Rabindranāth Tagore, an Indian poet, called Korea ‘the Land of Morning Calm.’
On 300,000 m², it houses 5,000 species of plants, some rare or endangered and attracts 600,000 tourists per year. It is Splendidly surrounded by mountains, lush tall trees, well-trimmed grass and wonderfully arranged plants and flowers. The garden is divided into twenty sections. The Garden of Plants, for example, is home to about 1,000 species of flowers from all over Korea. The most popular part is Sukgeun Garden, which takes the shape of the Korean peninsula, symbolizing the desire for reunification.
The Garden of the Morning Calm is a popular daytrip from Seoul not just because of its numerous collections of flora (sans fauna). It is also known as a filming location for some of the most popular k-dramas and variety shows. There are different festivals in this garden, especially in winter with a light festival. The festival which starts every December and continues until March of the next year shows you a bright garden where nature and lights are well harmonized at night under diverse themes such as love, animals, and plants.
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