TAEJONGDAE PARK, BUSAN, KOREA

태종대유원지 . テジョンデ. 太宗台


Whenever we travel, Mom likes to bring me to see mountains, oceans or rivers because we don't have these in Singapore. Plus, she says the air is fresh and crisp in these places. Sometimes she will try to explain to me how the mountains are formed etc, and she always says that I will learn more about them when I go to school.

 

Getting There

We took a taxi from BIFF (Busan International Film Festival) Square to Taejongdae Park so that we could get there faster. According to Mom, the Nampo area 남포동 is the nearest tourist area from which to get to Taejongdae. The journey took about 30 mins and the taxi fare was 9500 won. Otherwise, we can take Bus 8 / 30 from Nampo Station 남포역 (Exit 6) → Taejongdae Terminus → 5 mins walk to the entrance of Taejongdae Park.

We left the Park by Bus 88 / 101 to Busan Station 부산역 and it took about 50 mins. The bus fare is Adult - 1200 won, Child (6-12 years old) - 350 won. Using the transportation card Hanaro / Mybi / T-card, the discounted bus fare is Adult - 1080 won, Child - 290 won.

On the way to the Park

Shops and games galore

Danubi Train 다누비열차

I LOVE trains and trams! And taking the Danubi Train is the best and fun way to explore the park. But first we had to take a 15-mins walk uphill (100m) from the entrance to get to the train station. It was rather tiring and I think the steep incline made it harder. Phew!


Entrance - free entry to the Park

The long hike up

We finally reached the ticket counter, and Mom bought me banana milk 바나나우유 as a reward for making the long walk up. I really love to drink this milk!


Train queue

Small ticket counter on the left side of the building

English brochures are available



Train route and stops

Observation Deck 전망대

We got off at the 3rd stop which is the Observation Deck, and these amazing views greeted us!



Observation Deck
Toilet and cafes can be found here

 

The Lighthouse 등대 and Shinsun Rock 신선바위

Instead of taking the train to the next stop (which will be a 20-min wait), we took a 10-min stroll to the Lighthouse.

Trail map

The lighthouse
Toilets can be found here too

From the deck, I held on tight to Mom's hand and we went down several flights of stairs to get closer to the lighthouse. Although there was a lot of walking, the weather was cool so it was a nice walk.



One of the key icons of Busan

 

Then we continued downwards towards Shinsun Rock. From above, it looked very dangerous, and the path to the rock seemed like it's at the edge of the cliff. I told Mom that it was too scary and asked if we could go back up.

Then it's back to the train stop to wait for the train to take us back. The disembarkation point is near the entrance so we did not have to walk the long way out.

 

 

 

Notes from Mom

• Other than a good pair of walking shoes, good to bring along some snacks and water to recharge from all the walking as kids get hungry fast (they can also be purchased from the cafe)
• Have on hand a light jacket (even during spring time) to keep warm as the sea breeze can get really strong
• I usually keep with me some plastic / trash bags as rubbish bins may not be found everywhere
• Free wifi is available at the Observatory
• If you have more time, you can also opt to take a cruise around the area as well as make a pit stop at the new National Maritime Museum (near the park)
• Lunch or dinner options are limited in or surrounding the park
• The Busan City Tour bus has a stop here but you'll need to plan in advance as there are fixed timings for the bus
• For more information, please refer to the Taejongdae Park website (Korean only)
 

 

About Taejongdae Park

 

Opening Hours:

   4am - 12MN daily

 

Danubi Train Operating Hours:

   Mar - Oct    9.30am - 7pm

   Nov - Feb    9.30am - 6.30pm

 

Ticketing:

   Free entry to the park

 

Danubi Train Tickets:

   Adult - 1,500 won

   Child (4-12 years old) - 600 won

   Free for children below 4 years old
Note that the family discount does not apply to foreigners.