Seoul Silver Grass Festival marks 25th year at former landfill park

This Saturday marks the 25th anniversary of the Seoul Silver Grass Festival at Haneul Park in western Seoul. The event will run through October 23 under the theme "Silver Grass, Comfort From Nature." Haneul Park, part of World Cup Park in Mapo District, is built on Nanjido, a former island that once served as Seoul's landfill until 1993. After ecological restoration, the area reopened as World Cup Park in 2002, the same year the festival began.

Covering a vast area of about 192,000 square meters, the park's hilltop is adorned with silver grass that transforms into a silvery white hue during autumn. Daily operations of the festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., offering visitors a myriad of sensory experiences. Four gardens designed to engage visitors' senses are the festival's centerpiece.

One garden allows guests to leave wishes and messages, another features a camping-style rest area with books, and a third garden combines red summer cypress with silver grass for relaxation. A fourth garden transforms the existing silver grass horse sculpture into a photo zone at night, complete with a lighting show synchronized to music and accompanied by busking performances from 7 to 8:30 p.m. every 30 minutes. The opening ceremony is scheduled to commence at 6 p.m. on Saturday.