Jinju City Unveils New Attraction: Cheoldo Munhwa Gongwon (Railway Culture Park)

A Green Urban Retreat with Cultural Events

The Entire Park Becomes a Photo Spot

An Abandoned Old Railway Path

Reborn as an Emotionally Rich Walking Trail

Jinju City in Gyeongnam has been promoting the Old Jinju Station Railway Land Regeneration Project since 2019 as one of the three major “Bu-gang Jinju Projects” to revitalize the old downtown area and establish a hub for culture and arts. As a result, the Railway Culture Park was completed in June 2023.

Recently, as the greenery has deepened, the Railway Culture Park has gained popularity as an urban relaxation space and a hot spot for photography. With large-scale cultural events, busking, various exhibitions, and other diverse events being held one after another using the park's facilities, it has become known as a complex cultural space where people can relax, see, listen, and enjoy.

The Railway Culture Park features Ilho Square Jinju Station and a multi-purpose cultural facility utilizing the train maintenance depot, a complex community space with convenience facilities, and the Maengkkongi Ecological Park for nature learning. In addition, about 10,000 trees and 200,000 flowering plants harmonize with the existing greenery, providing visual enjoyment, while a natural play yard, outdoor exhibition plaza, and a mirror pond utilizing the turntable have been created as leisure spaces for citizens.

A panoramic photo of the old Jinju Station area Railroad Culture Park.

Since its completion in June last year, various events such as the Railway Culture Park Festival, Architecture Culture Festival, Craft Biennale, Christmas Tree Cham Bit Culture Festival, and the Hanbok Exhibition from the drama “Lovers” have been held, establishing the park as a space where citizens can enjoy both culture and leisure.

This year as well, the popularity of the Railway Culture Park continues to grow, attracting many visitors. With different flowers blooming and fading each season, the park transforms into a new photo zone, drawing attention from citizens, and the ongoing cultural events play a major role in encouraging repeat visits.

From the northern part of the Railway Culture Park to the Knowledge Industry Center section, a walkway has been created along the old railway on the previously disconnected railway land, connecting the previously separated paths and greatly improving convenience for park users.

The walkway is 8 to 9 meters wide, allowing many users to stroll comfortably, and lighting facilities have been installed to ensure safe passage at night, providing a more comfortable walking environment and attracting attention from citizens upon opening.

Jinju City has planted canola, sunflowers, cosmos, and other flowers along the 430-meter walkway for each season, creating a flower path with different atmospheres and making it an emotionally rich walking trail all year round.

The walkway, connecting the Railway Culture Park, Knowledge Industry Center, and the old Mangyeong Underpass, stretches 1,438 meters in total, and is expected to become a beautiful trail where people can reminisce about the past while enjoying new cultural experiences.

Near the Railway Culture Park, the railway land regeneration project is progressing step by step, and the park is expected to be reborn with even richer resources.

First, the current National Jinju Museum located inside Jinju Fortress will be relocated near the Railway Culture Park. Jinju City and the National Museum of Korea signed an agreement on the relocation project in June 2019, with the goal of completion and opening in 2027. Once the National Jinju Museum is relocated, it will establish a foundation for culture and arts in the old downtown by creating spaces for culture, learning, education, and experiences in connection with the Railway Culture Park.

In addition, a project is underway with an investment of 29.3 billion KRW to create a cultural street at the old Jinju Station, connecting the Gajwa-dong to Jin Chilyeo Tunnel bicycle path and the Namgang Riverside Multi-purpose Culture Center. The cultural street, beyond improving road and pedestrian services on the western side of the railway land regeneration project, is expected to become a passage where culture and art flow, linking the old Jinju Station railway land and the Namgang riverside, revitalizing the old downtown area.

Alongside providing citizens with a pleasant relaxation space, the final stage of the project will be the creation of a neighborhood park (urban forest, citizens' plaza) that will serve as a connecting axis linking the Railway Culture Park, National Jinju Museum, Public Science Museum, and Cultural Street.

The city plans to develop a neighborhood park of 24,693 square meters, envisioning facilities such as a children's playground, various rest areas connected to the museum, and a plaza, which were lacking in the Railway Culture Park. With design services starting in the second half of this year and completion planned for the first half of 2027, the creation of this urban park is expected to bring new vitality to the surrounding area.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.