INSPIRED BY THE HIGH LINE
South Korea and China transform abandoned sites into tourist attractions
Since its opening in 2009, the High Line in New York has become an iconic contemporary landmark. The elevated park on an abandoned railway track is decorated with flowers, plants, outdoor art installations and gives visitors a look at the city’s sublime skyline. Meanwhile, half a world away in the South Korean capital of Seoul, a similar elevated park opened in 2017. Unlike the High Line, it hasn’t been overcrowded by tourists yet.
Partially inspired by the High Line, Seoullo 7017, also known as the Seoul Skygarden, was constructed on a disused overpass that closed in 2015. According to an introduction from the city government, the word Seoullo means “a path towards Seoul.” The number 7017 combines the year 1970, when the overpass was built, and 2017, when the area was reborn. Stretching from Seoul Station Plaza to the north of Seoul Station, the park connects popular tourist sites across the city such as Myeongdong, Namdaemun Market and Namsan.
The part got its start from an international design competition to renew the overpass held from January to April in 2015. Dutch architect and landscaper Winy Maas came out on top with his design to make the park a place where “nature and humans can live side by side,” as described by Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon after its opening in 2017.
“Skygarden offers a living dictionary of plants which are part of the natural heritage of South Korea… They are planted in containers of different sizes and height and organized in groups of families. The families are ordered according to the Korean alphabet,” the designer told media.
Besides immersing oneself in the local flora, everyone is invited to try out the piano painted in blue and decorated with floral print. If you don’t feel up to playing, it’s equally nice to sit down and listen to other people try their hand at performing. While you sit on a bench, be sure to look for any signs, as some of them come with an introduction.
“The wooden part of the bench was designed to reuse former pavement. Also, the under part of the bench is made from recycled materials from the former overpass to express the meaning of urban regeneration,” reads one label for a wooden bench with a bottom made from concrete.
Railroad park in Beijing
If you are looking for a High Line in Beijing, the closest you can come is probably Jiangfu Park. Located in the northeast part of the city close to the fifth ring, the park opened in 2008. Yet the park has only caught people’s attention in recent years as more and more bloggers, and sometimes celebrities, such as Chinese actress Guo Biting, have gone to the park to shoot photos alongside the park’s abandoned railroad.
Covering an area of 58 hectares, the park is blessed with serene scenic spots and far fewer visitors that other parks in Beijing. You may actually steal a moment of peace, hiding from hustle and bustle of the city by taking a stroll around the lakes or walking down the path in the grooves. However, around the park, beside one of the three venues
of the China Railway Museum, there isn’t much to explore, as most buildings nearby are residential compounds or offices.
The good news is that, also in part inspired by the High Line, a nine-kilometer-long linear park will be created along the old tracks of the Jingzhang Railway in northern Beijing, media reported in April. Linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the original Jingzhang Railway, opened in 1909, was China’s first independently-built railway. To preserve and revitalize the icon of China’s modern industrial civilization, Chinese railway engineer Wang Mengshu proposed the idea of building the park in 2017.
According to the city planning department, with important historical sites along the tracks preserved, the park will run through the Haidian district and be redeveloped to provide more green areas and trails for walking and running. The park is expected to connect 26 communities and the eight nearby universities, benefiting 310,000 people. On September 15, the Wudaokou
section of the park
opened to the public. Stretching 800 meters and covering 1.7 hectares, the park is dotted with a great variety of plants. According to media reports, volunteers guides are there to teach children more about the plants in the park, while parent-child tree planting activities are also being held at the park.
In addition to embracing nature, visitors will also have the opportunity to walk through the history of the Jingzhang Railway. A bamboo-constructed 40-meter gallery in the park showcases photos and texts about the railway.
The city planning department also held international bidding for design plans for other sections of the park in October. Will this become Beijing’s version of the High Line, or even something better?