Nuri Peace Park and a Return to the DMZ: Part 2

Click here to read Part 1 of this post if you haven't already.

Entering Nuri Peace Park.

The park is much more open and sprawling than many parks we'd seen in Korea.

The highlight of the park is this small hill covered in multicoloured windmills and backdropped by towering wooden figures.

One of our favourite photos of the two of us.

We walked along the circular pathways of the park, passing families relaxing in the sun.

This man's kites seemed to go on forever, disappearing into the sky.

A well-balanced dragonfly ornament we found in a nearby shop.

We returned to the fountain area to cool off again. Our clothes had already almost dried from the first time!

While paddling in the pool we made a new acquaintance.

On the way back to Imjingak Station we passed through a small fairground.

Passing some lush scenery on the train ride home.

It was fun getting to return to the DMZ during a warmer time of the year. It's amazing how much the scenery in this country changes from season to season. Back in winter the mountains had looked barren and miserable; now they're verdant and green and almost subtropical in appearance.

Nuri Peace Park was well worth visiting too, if only to get our photos with the colourful windmills.

If you'd like to visit the area, the easiest way is to take the metro all the way to Munsan at the end of the Gyengui Line, then change to get a national train one stop to Imjingak Station (or alternatively, get a taxi, like we did).

Nuri Peace Park and a Return to the DMZ: Part 1

A few weeks ago, on our second day in Paju, Angela and I visited Imjingak DMZ park, as well as the nearby Nuri Peace Park. We'd already been on a DMZ tour back in winter, but it was interesting to visit a different section of this buffer-zone that separates South Korea from its neighbour to the north. Nuri Peace Park, which is dedicated to the reunification of the two Koreas, is close by, and was one of the most peaceful and colourful places either of us had visited in Korea.

This memorial to the Korean War stands near Imjingak Station.

The park exhibits vehicles and weapons of the Korean War.

A locomotive that would once have carried goods to the north is stopped short by a stone buffer.

Another old locomotive stands right by the DMZ fence.

Angela puts on her war stance. It was a sweltering hot day, we were both a little agitated, and consequently we couldn't resist attacking one another with our ice-cold water bottles.

Gazing out towards North Korea.

A pretty little park right next to the DMZ.

Images of a unified Korea.

Imjingak Observatory.

Soon we went down towards Nuri Peace Park. On the way we stopped off at a fountain area to cool down.

We had to get in on the fountain action ourselves.

Click here to continue the adventure in Part 2!