Ansan Siwha Landfill to Become Gyeonggi Provincial Garden with 98.9 Billion Won Investment, Completion by 2027

Gyeonggi Province has named the new Gyeonggi Provincial Garden, which is being developed on the site of the former Ansan Siwha Landfill, "Saerosup," and officially began construction on the 17th.

"Saerosup" means "new forest" or "nature reborn." More than just a name for a space, it reflects Gyeonggi Province's commitment to addressing the climate crisis and practicing recovery and coexistence with residents. It also conveys the message of transforming the Ansan Siwha Landfill, once a place of waste and pollution, into a hub of ecological culture.

The site was used to landfill household waste from eight cities and counties between 1987 and 1992. After landfill operations ended in 1994, post-management was completed in 2016, and the site was closed. Once a symbol of waste and a place that was difficult to access, it is now being reborn as a leading space for garden culture and ecological restoration.

Gyeonggi Province will invest a total of 98.9 billion won to create the Gyeonggi Provincial Garden on a 450,000-square-meter site.

All administrative procedures and design were completed by 2021, and the first phase will open in April next year. A 180,000-square-meter garden and the 400,000-square-meter Ansan Reed Wetland will be opened to the public together. Construction of garden facilities and centers in the remaining areas will continue through 2027.

Main facilities will include the Garden Support Center, Visitor Center, Welcome Garden, Appreciation Garden, Rest Garden, Climate Garden, and Participation Garden. These spaces are not just garden facilities, but are designed as complex gardens where education, hands-on experiences, and relaxation are all possible.

Saerosup presents a new model for urban gardens, expanding the concept from a "garden to look at" to a "garden to participate in and experience." Various stakeholders, including local farms, garden experts, and citizen gardeners, will participate in the creation process, with a focus on building a garden platform where anyone can work, learn, and relax.

Ansan Saerosup Bird's-eye View

Along with the creation of the garden, Gyeonggi Province will establish a complex ecological belt that connects "garden-wetland-waterfront" by linking nearby ecological resources such as the Ansan Reed Wetland and Hwaseong Bibong Wetland.

Gyeonggi Province will also link Saerosup to educational programs centered on the garden, ecological tours, and garden industry expos.

Ko Youngin, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "'Saerosup' sheds the stigma of being a former landfill and stands as a symbol of Gyeonggi Province's green promise. In this era of climate crisis, we will make it a garden that heals both people and the planet, and a space where all residents can feel proud."

Meanwhile, the groundbreaking ceremony was certified as a carbon-neutral event by purchasing an equivalent amount of forest carbon absorption (3 tons) from the Forest Carbon Center to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated during the event. Three tons of carbon is the amount absorbed in one year by a 10-year-old pine forest the size of a soccer field in central Korea.

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