The colour changes first when you enter a birch forest. While most woodland is made up of green and brown, a birch forest is lined with white trunks standing vertically, breaking up the light in a different way. The National Gimcheon Healing Forest, at 1237-89 Sudo-gil on the slopes of Sudo-san in Jeungsan-myeon, Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, contains one of the region’s rare birch forests.
Operated by the Korea Forest Welfare Institute under the Korea Forest Service, the site has no accommodation. Rather than an overnight retreat, it is a healing space people walk into for half a day or a couple of hours before heading back out. It is also one of the least demanding options for planning a meditation trip.
52 hectares created over three years
The National Gimcheon Healing Forest was developed from November 2016 to December 2018. It covers 52 hectares in total. Its main tree species are birch, Korean pine and Japanese larch.
There are four named areas within the forest. Sesimji, whose name means washing the mind; a deck trail running through the Korean pine woodland; a birch forest lined with white trunks; and the Korean Peninsula Wetland. With walking routes and places to linger kept separate, programmes can alternate between movement and stillness.
Walk barefoot and meditate in a hammock
The site runs four forest therapy programmes.
‘Sudo-san Wellness Therapy’ is a two-hour programme for the general public, combining a walk through the birch forest with therapy using small props. It is available only to groups of 20 or more and costs 10,000 won per person.
The meditation-focused programme is ‘Sudo-san Mind Therapy’. It lasts two hours, beginning with a barefoot trek through the Korean pine forest and ending with rest meditation in a hammock. It is also for groups of 20 or more and costs 10,000 won per person. Participants walk barefoot over soil and fallen leaves before lying back in the hammock and looking up through the branches.
For young people, there is ‘Sudo-san Healing Knock (Forest)’. The three-hour programme combines a trek linking the Korean pine and birch forests with ensemble drum activities and forest meditation. It is for groups of 20 or more and costs 15,000 won per person. Its striking feature is the way loud activities and periods of silence are placed side by side.
The programme available to solo visitors is ‘Thermal Therapy’. It consists of one hour of a dry half-body bath followed by healing tea, and can be booked by individuals or groups. The fee is 11,000 won for individuals and 10,000 won for groups.
One of ten national healing forests
To understand the National Gimcheon Healing Forest’s place, it helps to look at the system behind it. The Act on Forest Culture and Recreation defines a healing forest as “a forest created to enable forest therapy, including its facilities and land”. Forest therapy is defined as “activities that use various elements of nature, such as scents and scenery, to strengthen the human body’s immune system and promote health”.
There are ten national healing forests operated by the Korea Forest Welfare Institute. In the capital region, there are two in Yangpyeong; in the Gangwon region, Daegwallyeong and Hoengseong; in the Chungcheong region, Jecheon and Yesan; in the Jeolla region, Jangseong, Gokseong, Hwasun and Gochang; and in the Gyeongsang region, Daeunsan and Gimcheon. Gimcheon is one of the two in the Gyeongsang region and the national facility located in North Gyeongsang Province. There are also several public and private healing forests operated by local authorities and private organisations across the country.
The programmes are led by forest therapy instructors. This is a national qualification divided into first- and second-grade levels. Applicants must meet education or work-experience requirements, complete training at a designated institution and pass the national qualification examination. In other words, the meditation, breathing and walking programmes held in the forest are designed within a formal qualification system rather than simply according to personal preference.
For people looking for a meditation programme, this structure says two things. First, similar programmes can be found anywhere in the country. Second, the actual experience varies considerably because each forest has different tree species and terrain. Gimcheon’s distinctive feature is its birch forest, which is rare in the North Gyeongsang region.
Solo visitors and groups
Visitors should check how the site is used before setting out. The three programmes that include forest walks and meditation operate on the basis of groups of 20 or more, while Thermal Therapy is the only one open to individual bookings. Companies, schools and clubs planning a meditation programme have a wider choice. For those who want to walk quietly alone, the practical option is to book Thermal Therapy and explore the forest paths separately.
Programme fees are listed as 12,000 won per person for two hours, or 10,000 won per person for groups of 20 or more. Hiring a separate programme room costs 90,000 won for two hours. Children under 36 months enter free when accompanied by a guardian.
Bookings and getting there
Bookings can be made through the Korea Forest Welfare Institute website (www.fowi.or.kr), or by contacting its customer centre on 1566-4460 (9am-6pm). For enquiries on site, call 054-434-4670.
Parking requires attention. The car park inside the facility is reserved for disabled visitors, so other visitors must use the public car park in Sudo Village. Comfortable clothing and trainers are essential. Cooking, smoking, camping and bringing pets are not permitted.
Which season is best?
Birch trees show a different side in each season. In summer, when the leaves are thick, the contrast between the white trunks and green foliage is vivid. In late autumn and winter, after the leaves have fallen, only the white trunks remain, brightening the entire forest. If you are considering a programme that includes barefoot trekking, a season when the ground is not cold will be more comfortable. However, the operating period for each programme is not listed separately on the website, so visitors should check before travelling.
Planning a half-day itinerary
With no accommodation on site, planning is straightforward. Visitors can arrive in the morning for a two-hour programme, then walk further through the forest after lunch, or add an hour of Thermal Therapy before or afterwards. Groups can fill half a day by combining Mind Therapy with Thermal Therapy, creating a sequence that works the body before warming it.
The four spaces in the forest each have a different character. The birch forest is open and bright, while the Korean pine deck trail is shaded and has a well-kept surface that makes walking easy. Sesimji and the Korean Peninsula Wetland are places beside water. Choosing in advance where to stop and sit makes it easier to add short periods of meditation outside the scheduled programme.
Given that visitors must use the public car park in Sudo Village, it is better to allow extra time on arrival. Comfortable clothing and trainers are required, and anyone booking a programme that includes barefoot trekking will find it useful to bring a towel for wiping their feet.
A space that combines walking and sitting
Forest therapy facilities in South Korea are often centred on walking. The National Gimcheon Healing Forest places active and still periods side by side within a single programme, with activities such as barefoot trekking and hammock meditation, or ensemble drumming and forest meditation. For people new to meditation, it offers a lower barrier to entry than programmes consisting solely of sitting still.
The area around Sudo-san is a quiet mountainous part of inland North Gyeongsang Province. Its distance from the bustle of large tourist destinations is both a drawback and an advantage. Taking half a day to walk among the white trees, lie in a hammock and look up at the sky creates the shape of a meditation trip without travelling far.