For many ARMYs throughout this world, hometowns hold a special place in our memories. The BTS members are no exception, each having talked about their hometowns in VLives, Run BTS! episodes, and song lyrics. In this series "BTS Hometowns," Borasaek Vision will introduce you to each of the members' hometowns, shining a light on different landmarks or events from those areas. We hope you enjoy this journey with us. Let's start with BTS' leader, RM.
“I was born in Ilsan, a city near Seoul, South Korea,” said RM when he delivered a speech to the United Nations in 2018. Many of us are unfamiliar with Ilsan, though we most likely know Seoul as a city in South Korea. Just as RM described when he gave his speech, Ilsan is a place where we can see a lake, hills, and lots of festivals.
Ilsan (‘Il’ in Korean means ‘one’ and ‘san’ can mean ‘mount’ or ‘mountain’) is located northwest of Seoul and was founded in order to alleviate housing shortages in the city of Seoul. What can we visit in Ilsan? There is a lot! We can go to the home of the largest artificial lake in Asia, Lake Park. It covers an area of 991,800 square meters, making it one of the largest man-made parks in Asia.
Here, you can see an artificial island called Riverside Square, a 4.7 km bicycle path, a children's playground, a special space for nature experimentation, a musical fountain, 100 species of wildflowers, and a shady forest with more than 200,000 trees. This park is also known for its role as the venue of the International Horticulture Goyang Korea Event. Another fact is that this place was used as a fountain show for BTS’s “Boy With Luv” and “Trivia: Love” on September 12, 2019.
The next place that one could visit in Ilsan is One Mount Water Park. If you have been watching “Run BTS!” on VLive, you may recognize that this is a place where BTS has filmed. It is a huge park where people can play in the water and interact with some fun attractions.
One Mount Water Park is very impressive. They are very proud of being the world’s first theme park that can offer its services to visitors both in the summer and in the winter. Throughout the whole year, people can visit its water and snow parks, shopping mall, sports club, roof and sky gardens, or enjoy its seasonal and cultural activities.
Another place to explore is Ilsan Culture Park and Paju Book City. Both are known to be favorite places of RM! If you want to go to Ilsan Culture Park, it’s located beside Ilsan Lake Park. According to theseoulstop.com, Ilsan Culture Park is a big open space that “acts as a thoroughfare for those walking between four popular destinations in Ilsan. The park, or plaza, is surrounded on two sides by outdoor shopping malls (Western Dorm and La Festa) and by parks (Jeongbalsan Park and Ilsan Lake Park) on the other sides.”
Paju Book City is an eye-catching place for lovers of architecture, arts, and literature like RM. You can find it in Gyeonggi-do, just south of Panmunjeon on the 38th Parallel, and it is nearby Ilsan station. Paju Book City is a city dedicated to books – from planning, printing, to publishing. It also houses cafes and has a calming atmosphere of being surrounded by beautiful scenery. Another “must-see” is an elegant Hanok (traditional Korean house) that has a mix of traditional and modern beauty. You can find it in the corner of the Asia Publication Culture and Information Center.
The Forest of Wisdom is also a highlight in Paju. This library operates 24 hours a day and has more than 200,000 donated books that anyone can look through. It is located in a huge concrete building, three stories high. Paju Book City also has interesting attractions for younger people, such as the Pinocchio Museum. In here, visitors will find a special gift shop with a Paddington Bear theme.
For anyone just wanting to rest, admire beauty, and experience healing, Ilsan Lake Park is also home to the Flower Book Cafe. A place where visitors can enjoy flowers and books all year round.
Introducing some of the highlights of RM’s hometown, Ilsan, has been fun. It’s particularly special knowing that hometowns hold memories for everyone, including BTS. A reminder that in this new series, we will visit each of the member’s hometowns (in fanchant order). Join us next month when we head to Jin’s hometown of Gwacheon.
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Written by Tobing
Edited by Aury
Checked by Vera