[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Four places you need to visit in Incheon, Korea's most picturesque city at night

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[WEEKEND GETAWAY] Four places you need to visit in Incheon, Korea's most picturesque city at night

Published: 21 Oct. 2023, 09:30

KIM DONG-EUN
kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr

Songdo Central Park in Yeonsu District, Incheon, is pictured at night. [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

Incheon comes alive at night. Luminescent attractions and the nighttime festivities stretched along the water shape the city's aesthetics. In fact, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism designated the city as the nation's first "night tourism specialized city" last year in recognition of the city's urban vibrancy after sunset.

To add to the experience, Incheon has recently rolled out a number of cultural programs, including festivals and events, to promote the city's many attractive tourist destinations.

From Songdo, home to Incheon Global Campus and other university campuses, to Incheon Open Part, one of Korea's most historic sites, the Korea JoongAng Daily picked out four places to visit in Incheon at night.

Songdo Central Park
송도 센트럴파크

Songdo Central Park is holding a media arts festival named "all nights INCHEON Festival" until Friday. [CHOI SEUNG-PYO]

Songdo Central Park in Incheon's Yeonsu District is one of the city's main landmarks. It is also where the city and the Incheon Tourism Organization first worked together to build attractions for visitors to enjoy at night. The park is 370,750 square meters (91.6 acres) in size and is Korea's first seawater park. The park's canal is the centerpiece of both the Songdo neighborhood and the park.

This year, Songdo Central Park is holding a media arts festival named "all nights INCHEON Festival" until Friday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night. The event that began on Oct. 7 highlights the city's night scenery through a series of media art shows, such as a media façade at Tri-Bowl, a cultural center with unique architecture near the park, and Incheon's mascot Bumy standing in the form of a 26-foot tall air balloon at the park. Bumy is inspired by seals from Baengnyeong Island, one of Incheon's many islands.

There are also street performances on Saturday and Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at the park's main square, and you can enjoy them while sitting on bean bags placed throughout the venue.

The view at night gets even better when you get closer to the canal, where boats and canoes float along the water, each emitting different shades of color. You can hop on one of the rides until 9 p.m. on weekdays, 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 9:30 p.m. on Sundays.

160, Incheon Convensia-daero, Yeonsu District, Incheon
(인천광역시 연수구 컨벤시아대로 160)

Incheon Open Port
인천 개항장 문화지구

One of Incheon's largest night events, Incheon Culture Night, is taking place this weekend at the Incheon Open Port Area. [INCHEON METROPOLITAN CITY]

Incheon Port, as the first port that opened its doors to foreigners in Korea, was where Western civilization made its way into Korea along with Japanese imperialism. It is remembered as a site where imperialism first reached Korea, but it now embraces a unique mixture of diverse cultural heritage, primarily Chinese and Japanese, which can be seen in the forms of unique architecture and scenic streets.

The area has a plethora of attractions to see, from Late Renaissance architecture to wooden buildings typical of the late 19th century. Incheon Open Port Museum, for example, was once a Japanese customs office and the first branch of the former 18th Bank of Japan, which Japan founded in Incheon. Its exteriors are in their original form, which reminds the area's visitors that the neighborhood was once bustling with foreigners coming in and out of Korea. The neighboring Chinatown is another major attraction for the port area's visitors, with shades of red and gold and Chinese-style buildings adding color to the area's view.

The port area is hosting the Incheon Culture Night this weekend. The culture night will feature various events, including a fashion show that recreates the popular looks of the late 19th and early 20th century and "storytelling" night walk courses. The area's many streets will also be decorated with illuminations hanging between street lamps. Other programs of the event include street performances and a flea market.

@incheon_culturenight
80 Sinpo-ro 27beon-gil, Jung District, Incheon
(인천광역시 중구 신포로27번길 80 중구청)

Wolmi Island
월미도

Wolmi Island in Jung District, Incheon, is home to the famous Wolmi Theme Park. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

While other areas of Incheon offer rich cultural experiences, Wolmi Island is where all the fun is. Connected to the city by a monorail, which only opened in October 2019, the island is easily accessible for those keen on walking along the seaside and drinking coffee at its many cafes.
Wolmi Theme Park is the island's most prized tourist attraction. No ticket is needed to enter the park, and you just have to pay for the rides you will actually go on. There are also varying kinds of theme park passes depending on the activities you want to enjoy. The park is always busy with visitors taking advantage of its festive atmosphere.

The theme park puts on a new face after the sun goes down, with the rides creating a different scene with their fluorescent lights. The park's tagada, better known as Disco Pang Pang among Koreans, is one of the park's main rides. The tambourine-shaped spinning ride bounces up and down to shake the riders off their seats. The DJ, who controls the ride, often adds humorous narrations commenting on the riders' posture and balancing skills. Apart from the Wolmi Theme Park, Wolmi Culture Street is also an excellent spot to stop by for a walk and grab a bite at one of the restaurants and cafes nearby.

Bukseong-dong, Jung District, Incheon
(인천시 중구 북성동)
Website for Wolmi Theme Park: http://www.my-land.co.kr/index/s1/s1_01.php#n
Ride prices: 6,500 won ($4.8) per ride for those aged 13 and above

청라호수공원
Cheongna Lake Park

Cheongna Lake Park in Seo District, Incheon, gained popularity after appearing in the hit Netflix series "The Glory" (2022–). [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Cheongna Lake Park in Seo District, Incheon, is a spacious park that runs across the heart of Cheongna, Incheon's newly built business town. Apart from its impressive scenery and attractions for visitors, the park is known for being featured in the first season of the popular Netflix series "The Glory" (2022–). The main characters play Go — called Baduk in Korean — at the park in the show's eighth episode. The park was also featured in multiple TV shows and films, including "Goblin" (2016), in which actor Gong Yoo was the male lead.

The park opened in 2015 as an outdoor public recreational space. It consists of four zones —Eco Zone, Tradition Zone, Leisure Zone and Art Zone — connecting paths to complete a 4.3-kilometers-long (2.67 miles) trail. Cheongna residents often take their friends from outside the city to this park for a pleasing getaway since the park is well-maintained and the lengthy walkway offers lots of photogenic spots.

From May to mid-October, the park's musical fountain performs a night fountain show pairing colorful water streaks with music. Unfortunately, the last fountain performance this year already took place — however, the visit to the park is still rewarding thanks to the scenery and the neatly maintained walkways.

Crystal-ro, Seo District, Incheon (인천광역시 서구 크리스탈로 131)
Phone number: 032-456-2749

BY CHOI SEUNG-PYO, KIM DONG-EUN [kim.dongeun@joongang.co.kr]