There's more to Songdo than golf, business

Seen above is Songdo Central Park, the centerpiece of Songdo International Business District’s green space plan, inspired by Central Park in New York City. / Courtesy of the Incheon Tourism Organization

By Kwon Ji-youn

The 2015 Presidents Cup, set for Oct. 6-11 at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Songdo, Incheon, is among many events and festivals to take place this month in the new “ubiquitous city” approximately 40 kilometers west of Seoul.

The Songdo International Business District (IBD), built on 600 hectares (1,500 acres) of reclaimed land along Incheon’s waterfront, brings the best of Paris, New York, Venice and Sydney together in one vibrant community, and is home not only to residential and retail developments but also to tourist attractions including the Songdo Central Park, a green oasis at the center of Korea’s first international city; Tri-Bowl, a multipurpose cultural venue; and Canal Walk, a shopping street.

It’s a side of Incheon that many are likely unfamiliar with, so here’s a guide:

Tourist attractions

There are a number of distractions available in the up-and-coming neighborhood of Songdo should the biennial men’s golf event get a little tedious.

The district boasts of spacious Parisian boulevards around Songdo Central Park, a replica of New York’s green space of the same name, located in Manhattan.

An esplanade surrounded by a forest of buildings, Songdo Central Park is 10 percent of Songdo IBD’s total acreage, and provides a pleasant escape for those looking for respite from the daily grind.

Seen is the Canal Walk in Songdo, Incheon, an outdoor shopping court that runs along an 800-meter-long canal.

Trails weave across the park and water taxis provide languid cruises along a seawater channel, inspired by Venice’s waterways. The channel contributes to the urban ecosystem as it is refreshed every 24 hours.

Glimpses of the park were often seen on KBS’s “Superman Returns.” Actor Song Il-kook’s triplets were frequently spotted biking or boating there.

Not far from the park is Compact Smart City, where the past, present and future of Incheon are showcased in the facility’s three exhibition halls -- the Ancient and Modern Times Hall on the first floor, the Incheon Miniature Hall on the second floor and the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Miniature Hall on the third floor -- demonstrating how Incheon grew into a global city with the development of the IFEZ.

In the early evening, a visit to Ocean Scope, an observation deck along the 21.38-kilometer Incheon Bridge, will reward you with a view of the ocean at sunset that is second to none, and then Canal Walk, an outdoor shopping court in the Songdo IBD, offers visitors dinner options and the opportunity for some quality shopping time. Suggestive of Garosu-gil, a shopping mecca in southern Seoul, Canal Walk features four blocks of five-story low-rises that run along either side of a canal that stretches 800 meters. The canal is flanked by fitness clubs, bookstores, clothing boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

Visitors take in a view of the ocean from Ocean Scope, an observation deck along the 21.38-kilometer Incheon Bridge.

Of course, there is more to Songdo than Central Park and the Canal Walk.

Tri-Bowl, one of Songdo’s most distinctive architectural landmarks, is a performance venue and cultural space just west of the park. Sheathed in gray aluminum that reflects the sunlight during the day and illuminated by a number of lighting fixtures at night, Tri-Bowl houses an arena for the performing arts, halls for exhibits and auditoriums for lectures. It was built to commemorate the Global Fair and Festival Incheon, Korea, and symbolizes Incheon’s sky (airport), sea (port) and land (wide-area transportation network).

According to the Incheon Tourism Organization, Tri-Bowl is a structure that turns the regular understanding of architectural space on its head, with a naturally rounded floor underneath a regular ceiling.

Other mileposts include the Songdo Convensia Convention Center, the architecture of which is redolent of the famed Sydney Opera House, and the Songdo Hanok Village, which houses Korean restaurants and Gyeongwonjae, a hotel built inside a hanok (a traditional Korean house).

Seen is the Songdo Hanok Village, which houses Korean restaurants and Gyeongwonjae, a hanok hotel.

Festivals, events

Songdo will also accommodate some of Incheon city’s most intriguing fall festivals this month for those who are not fans of golf.

While the Presidents Cup rolls in, Songdo Central Park will host the “Green Culture Festival,” an environment-friendly cultural gala of sorts, complete with urban art exhibits, eco booths, educational programs for children and performances.

On the evenings of Oct. 9 and 10 at the Songdo Moonlight Festival Park, the “Big Bird Music Festival” will rock both EDM and hip-hop music with a line-up that includes rapper Psy, G-Park (Park Myung-soo), DJ KOO, Laidback Luke, Yves.V, Wolfpac and Justin Prime, among others.

When that’s over, this year’s Incheon K-pop Concert will hit a town not far from Songdo. Set to feature more than 20 teams of hallyu (Korean wave) idol stars, the concert, now in its seventh year, will take place at the Incheon Munhak Stadium in Nam-gu, Incheon, on Oct. 17.