Busan City has built large-scale trails around the water source reservoir in Hoedong to provide citizens with a leisure space.

Busan City Office of Waterworks invested \1.1 billion Won last year to construct the “Hoedong Reservoir Lakeside Trail” measuring 9.5km that connects Sanghyeon Village in Seon-dong to Saenae Village in Oryun-dong to Bondong Village in Oryun-dong in Geumjeong-gu. The trail will be open to the public after a ceremony is held at 11 O’clock on this coming 5th with Mayor Huh, Nam-sik present. The whole area of Hoedong Reservoir will be opened in 45 years, but there is a restriction on the opening hours being from sunrise to sunset for the safety of the public and the maintenance of the reservoir.

This lakeside walk leads into slowly undulating trails and allows scenic outlooks including Oryun Observation Point and waterfront areas along the way for both children and the elder and the weak to enjoy taking a walk with their families. The opening of this lakeside at Hoedong Reservoir gives birth to a prestigious walking trail that connects Gemjeong Sports Park all the way to the downstream of Suyoung River via Oncheon Stream running through the city center. Hoedong Reservoir was built in 1946 for the supply of tap water to 190 thousand households in Dongare-gu, Haewoondae-gu, and Geumjeong-gu and has been designated as a water source protection zone since 1964, when restriction on public access was imposed, which was partially lifted in May last year to allow citizens to use a 4-km trail linking Oryundae to the reservoir.

At the occasion of the construction of the trail, the Office of Waterworks will also build observation decks and rest areas along the way and open a narrow 1.5km path that leads close to the lake. Furthermore, the Office also will invest \900 million Won this year to construct a large-scale rest area at the entrance of Haedong Reservoir and spend additionally \2.3 billion Won to build an ecological park downstream of the dam measuring 50,000 km2 including observatories, marshlands, water plant colonies, and squares. Park, Jong-su, head of Busan City Office of Waterworks, said the Office initiated this Lakeside Trail project as part of the City’s citizen-friendly administration program in keeping with the expansion of the “Everybody Walk Campaign,” and continued, “Citizens exercise caution not to throw litters, urinate inadvertently, or cook food in undesignated areas as this is an environment-friendly space.”

[An excerpt from the Kukje Newspaper]