Goyang - city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea

Goyang (고양) is a city near Seoul in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

Understand

Goyang is a planned residential satellite city of over 1 million residents. Most of the city was constructed in the 1990s to alleviate overpopulation in Seoul proper, with apartment complexes fit to a grid pattern. The city is divided into three administrative districts: Deogyang-gu, Ilsandong-gu, and Ilsanseo-gu. In practice the city is usually viewed as consisting of the two distinct parts of Ilsan and Deogyang.

Get in

By metro

Metro lines 3 and Gyeongui-Jungang run through the city, with a total of 10 stops in Ilsan and 9 in Deogyang, with transfers at Daegok Station. Most residents use the metro to commute to Seoul. The Gyeongui-Jungang line reaches all the way to the DMZ.

By bus

Express (고속) and Intercity (시외) buses to various cities depart from the two bus terminals:

• Goyang Express bus terminal, 1036 Jungang-ro Ilsandong-gu, +82 1688-2113.
• Hwajeong Terminal, 74, Hwasin-ro 260beon-gil, Deogyang-gu, +82 1577-9884.

A number of city buses to and from Seoul proper run along a BRT system. There are faster "metropolitan" buses as well, that only make a handful of stops, at the destination (₩2,800):

• M7106/7119 (Seoul Station - Ilsan)
• M7412 (Gangnam - Ilsan)
• M7129 (Seoul Station - Deogyang)
• M7731 (Sinchon/Hongdae - KINTEX/Ilsan)
• M7145 (Hongdae/Sinchon - Deogyang)

By train

Haengsin Station, the only heavy rail station in the city, is the terminus for some KTX trains heading to Seoul from farther south.

Haengsin Station, 37.612231°, 126.833811°, +82 1544-7788. KTX high-speed railway (connected with any place in Korea)

By car

The city is well connected to Seoul as well as adjacent cities by various highways.

Get around

By metro

Metro lines 3 (orange) and Gyeongui-Jungang (light green) form an X-shape within the city.

By bus

The city has one of the most extensive town bus networks with stops roughly every 500 meters.

Traffic information

• Goyang City Traffic Information Center, +82 1577-0961.

See

• Lake Park, 37.656854°, 126.766251°. Lake Park of Ilsan new town is the largest (about 245 acres) man made lake in the east. It has been loved by countless visitors including people from Goyang since its opening on May 4, 1996. It is manmade, and has a grand, peaceful lake and round park around it so people can take walks around the lake along the parkway. In the corner of the Lake Park is the famous Musical Fountain. It was built in 2004 and it beams beautiful lights and pumps water with the music. No admission fee is required; you can just sit on the ground and enjoy the wonderful scenery and music. It usually plays at night, every weekend. One of the best songs is the OST of animation Aladdin, “A Whole New World.”
• Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX), 37.668889°, 126.745556°. The largest exhibition center in Korea. Has 10 main exhibition halls and many conference rooms. It's 5 minutes' walk from Daehwa Station (Subway Line 3).
• Goyang Aram Nuri Arts Center. Meaning a large and beautiful world in Korean, Aram Nuri features Aram Playhouse, Aram Concert Hall, Saerasae Theater, Norumok Outdoor Theater, Aram Art Gallery and a library that offer best quality facilities and services for cultural events.
• Goyang Oulim Nuri Arts Center, 37.650257°, 126.835538°. As the largest culture/sports center in the Seoul metropolitan area, Goyang Oulim Nuri offers various cultural experience at its playhouse, theater and art gallery. The center also offers various sports facilities, including a main stadium built to international standards, an ice rink and an indoor swimming pool.
• Haengju Sanseong, 37.596947°, 126.831958°. A typical earthen walled mountain fortification from the Three Kingdom/Joseon dynasty. Chungjang Shrine where a portrait and a statue of deceased general Kwon Yul is - kept, 3 monuments commemorating the victory and a victory memorial etc. are located in the compound 2017-04-29
• Lafesta (라페스타), 37.661238°, 126.768611°. A complex commercial district in Goyang-si Ilsan. Sector A, B, C, D, E, F are connected each other. There are a lot of stores, cafe, restaurants, theater, and offices. Lafesta forms a central commercial district in Goyang-si. Also it is close to the Lake Park, KINTEX so it is convenient to get around. 2019-10-04

Do

• Goyang International Flower Festival, +82 31 908-7760. Goyang International Flower Festival is one of the largest flower festivals in South Korea. It is held every year around May. This Flower Festival is considered as good model for local culture festivals, in which various foreign flower farmers participate. Single ₩8,000, group ₩7,000
• Baedagol Theme Park. Baedagol is a theme park focused on lotus and colored carp purifying water and maintaining ecological balance. You can experience traditional handicraft culture of our ancestors being forgotten, taking a sniff at earth. Activities –Making carp necklace, wooden carp, experiencing doctor fish, ecological experience.
• Seonyurang Village Farm Experience. The village surrounded by ranges of Mt. Bukhan like a folding screen is 600 years old and boasts of beautiful scenery as indicated by its name meaning ‘a place where Taoist hermits relax’ Activities – getting your feet soaked in water in a rice paddy containing red clay, making pressed flowers, making ddeok or Korean rice cake and historical experience etc.
• Ilsan Children’s observatory. People can observe through high-resolution astronomical telescope stars and planets shining in the night sky
• Kimchi School. This place is for foreigners only to experience Kimchi. The facility has a photo zone where foreigners can wear traditional Korean garments and have them photographed. A place where they can make Kimchi and pack it is also made available. They also can buy various souvenirs here and the place has become one of the hottest tourist attractions. Activities – Making Kimchi, Wearing traditional garments
• Heunguksa Temple Stay, 82, Heungguksa-gil, Deogyang-gu, +82 2 381-7970, heungguksa@hanmail.net. About 1,300 years ago during the reign of King Munmu of Shilla, Weonhyo, the Buddhist monk of highest virtue established the Heungseongam (a small temple or hermitage). After that, the temple was renamed Heungguksa Temple during the reign of King Yeongjo of Joseon in 18th century. Guests at home and from abroad can stay at the temple experiencing Korean Buddhism.
• Haengjusanseong Fortress Sun Rise Festival. 05:00-09:00 on new year’s day each year. On new year’s day each year, a splendid festival is thrown at Haengju Sanseong to welcome the new year’s day sunrise. The Sweeping Victory Gate is opened from 04:30 on the day of the event. Admission and parking are free.
• The Great Battle of Haengju Festival. 10:00 on 14 March each year. The event is held to commemorate the most sweeping victory in our history (14 March) at Haengju Sanseong. Elementary school kids and their parents from the neighborhood can watch memorial service for patriotic martyrs of the nation and learn about the history of Haengju Sanseong. There’s a saying that you can see as much as you know. Get yourself primed with information about Haengju Sanseong and you will have much greater pride and passion. free
• Goyang Haengju Cultural Festival. October each year. The event is one of the major traditional cultural festivals held to commemorate the sweeping victory at Haengju, one of the 3 greatest victories won by Koreans during Japanese Invasion in 1592, and revive the noble mind of the deceased general Kwon Yul and other patriotic martyrs of the nation to properly inherit it. The festival is designed to be a traditional cultural event shared with citizens through modern re-interpretation of Goyang’s traditional cultural resources discovered by virtue of the festivity. The festival consists of Haengju Cultural Festival, historical reproduction, marching along the victory street, concert and other events all centered around Haengju Sanseong through which sprits of Haengju can be revived.
• Goyang Lake Art Festival. October each year. Held at various locations around the Lake Park. Imagination and wits of artists getting out of the constraints imposed by stages fill the streets with vigor and romantic mood. Various performing arts including jazz, mime, dance, drama and installation arts decking out the venue with colorful decorations to add glamour, passionate performance by famous theatrical companies from around the world and fancy fireworks all let the cheerful spectators enjoy the excitement thrown by the festival.

Buy

• The Lafesta. It is a street style entertainment center called ‘Myeong dong in Ilsan,’ housing over 150 stores, a broadcasting station (KMTV), and movie theaters. Music concerts are held every Wednesday and on special holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgivings and New Year’s Day, there are many sales and events. In Lafesta, there are dozens of shopping stores, restaurants, game centers, and a movie theater. This place is really a conglomerate of all types of amusement. People come here to shop, play, eat, and rest. It is near Lake Park and known as a must visit tourist attraction before going to the Incheon international airport.
• Western Dorm. Popular sites in Ilsan with Lafesta. It's open street shopping mall. It has Multiplex cinema with IMAX screen. Besides, it has MBC Dream Center.
• Deogi-dong Fashion Town. Located at Deoki-dong, Ilsan Seo-gu. About 230 famous brand shops of the outlet sell various clothess at discounted prices every year.
• Hwajeong Rodeo Street. Lots of famous brands have shops here and sell at prices discounted. People come here for shopping not only from Ilsan but also from Seoul. Because it's close to Seoul. It is very convenient to shop here as you can find what you want no matter how old you are. They sell new products at prices lower than those offered by other shops.
• Ilsan Traditional Market. A traditional market. The marketplace is recorded in ancient documents as ‘Sapojang’ There are everything at the market place. Fresh vegetables just picked out of vegetable garden, fruits, fish, cloths, shoes, medicinal herbs, various foodstuffs, household goods, puppies, rabbits, ducks and goats are just eye-catching. The market is full of vigor with stalls packed with goods, buyers haggling over prices and food catching your eyes and stimulating appetite.
• Furniture Store Complex. The largest shopping center for furniture in Korea offers a complete selection of furniture from designers’ to imported goods to meet everyone’s taste and needs.
• Baedari Korean Traditional Wine Museum (배다리술박물관), 120-24 Suyeog-gil, Deogyang-gu, +82 31-967-8052. M-F 10:00-18:00, Sa Su 10:00-19:00, closed Mondays. Part of the Baedari Brewery, now in its fifth generation, famous as the source of the makgeoli favored by President Park Chung-hee (ruled 1961-79, father of former President Park Geun-hye), and since then considered by many as the best variety of makgeoli. Free 2017-04-29
• Goyang Onemount, 300 Hallyuworld-ro, Ilsanseo-gu (near the Ilsan Lake Park and KINTEX). It is the largest them park in this city. They have Water Park, Snow Park and Shopping Mall. This Shopping Center has around 127 brand line, also other facilities like cafes, restaurants. In the middle of center, sometimes you can enjoy small performances.

Eat

Throughout the centre of town there is a huge array of eating options, ask any foreigner in Ilsan about Meat street and they will direct you to the street just before LaFesta that is BBQ heaven. There are plenty of other restaurants throughout the centre of the town, lots of street vendors and fast food outlets.

• Pung-dong Anygol. Taverns where they played guitar and live music were once clustered in an area in front of Baekma Station. All these places had to relocate to anigol in the vicinity due to urban development and formed a food alley of unique cafes reminding you of old memories and as many as 80 plus large restaurants boasting of distinctive flavors. You can enjoy diverse cuisines and classy meals in a spacious and romantic space as if you were at your own vacation home in the country.
• Lafesta & WesternDom Restaurant Alley. Large shopping malls like LaFesta and Western Dome are clustered in this area creating more food alleys than anywhere else. The food alleys are full of vigor of the youth. Restaurants satisfying various tastes of their customers are always crowded with people, like Shinchon or the neighborhood around Hongik University in Seoul, whether it is weekdays or weekends. Reasonable prices, comfortable atmosphere and unique tastes offered by each restaurant let you have a minute or two of thinking happily about what to eat.
• Bamgasi Japanese Food District. The alleys surrounding Bamgasi intersection are lined up with scores of Japanese restaurants. You can enjoy Japanese food ranging from snack to full course Japanese cuisine consisting of seafood of the season, fresh sashimi and other authentic Japanese dishes. Coupled with reasonable prices, these restaurants are very popular in the neighborhood.
• Daehwa-dong Food Street. The area covering the four-way intersection of Daejin High School in Daehwa-dong and 6 subdivision of Munchonmaeul has the food street with great atmosphere and tasty foods.
• Haengju-dong Eel Town. The district located near the Haengjusanseong Fortress offers various restaurants that specialize in eels, seafood and spicy fish soups. Especially, the clear scenic view of Hangang River and clean atmosphere add to the taste of foods.

Drink

Ilsan has a huge number of bars to refresh yourself, look up to the 2nd floor and above. Beer Bistro (5th floor) on the corner of Meat street facing LaFesta has a great balcony to sit out on in the summer months.

Favourite foreigner hangouts include Don't Go bar, Frog and Toad, Intos bar, WA Bar (x2), Bar Boom for music and dancing.

Sleep

• Hotel Cleopatra, 1306-2 Baeseok-dong, Ilsan-gu, +82 31 908-0062. A quiet and convenient hotel providing comfort in classy atmosphere. 58 rooms.
• California Hotel, 1307-1, Baekseok-dong, Ilsan-gu, +82 31 907-5060. Guestrooms arranged in 3 themes to satisfy various taste of the guests. 54 rooms.

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