Melo Villareal
Ansan Star Village – Korea’s Festival of Lights
One of the most colorful places I went to during my stay in South Korea was the Ansan Star Village. Want to hear my story? Read on.
We went to Ansan Star Village in Gyeonggi Province after our visit to OneMount Waterpark’s big slides and OneMount Snow Park’s adorable snow dogs in Goyang City. The ride to Ansan Star Village was a bottom-numbing one hour long, but when we got there, it was all worth it.
Artworks inside the Village
It was almost sundown when we reached Ansan Star Village. It was one of the newest attractions in the highly populated Gyeonggi Province and that was one of the reasons why KTO incuded this in our itinerary. We were welcomed by the park manager when we got there, and warmly led us to the in-house restaurant for dinner. I was so happy when he told us that they will be serving us Beef Bulgogi—my one-and-only favorite Korean dish—for supper!
Beef Bulgogi
The Beef Bulgogi was cooked in front of us, which was a whole new experience for me, who only ate ready-to-serve Beef Bulgogi back in my hometown Manila.
Spicy Cucumber Kimchi
As a traveling foodie, I have stuck with the principle that one can’t really enjoy or immerse himself in a culture’s food if he doesn’t eat it the way the natives do. And during our dinner in Ansan Star Village, I once again upheld that principle. The dinner table was very low, and me and my travel buddies had to Indian-sat on the floor. I have to confess, I really had a hard time sitting like that because of my huge tummy! But the deliciously cooked Beef Bulgogi and the generous amount of side dishes served to us reminded me of my traveling-foodie-mantra. Eat it the traditional way, I say! I did, (with the help of a small chair LOL) and I immensely enjoyed it.
Blue Tunnel
After our filling dinner, we went outside to the cold autumn night, and to the park that was literally a Star Village. It was already dark outside, but the Ansan Star Village continued to be bright.
Green Park
In the morning, the Ansan Star Village gets its glamour from the sceneries (aka perfect backdrops for selfies) and hidden artworks, but at night, the park, covered in festive lights akin to the stars of the night sky, attracts people from all walks of life—including me.
Heart Shaped Tunnel
Some of the notable spots in the park are the Proposal Road, the White Love Road, and the Road of Cupid. They are mostly tunnels covered in bright lights, and serve as ideal places for confessions, proposals, or dates.
Mini Zoo
Of course, we didn’t come to Ansan Star Village for romantic purposes, so we just wandered around like lone wolves together! But as we walked around, I felt like I was walking amidst the night sky itself.
Romantic Spots
Each corner was dotted with stars for lights, and although the park, I figured, caters mostly to couples, I thought that it had this certain charm that appeals to virtually anyone. It was very chilly that time, and as we strolled around in a river of stars, we all smiled to ourselves and passed the time.
White Tunnel
AirAsia’s Manila-Incheon (Seoul) flights occur twice daily. It’s the shortest trip, but AirAsia also offers flights from Cebu to Seoul once a day, and two-way chartered flights to/from Kalibo (Boracay), Incheon (Seoul), and Busan. For flight booking and reservations, visit http://www.airasia.com/. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Our Group Shot at Ansan Star Village
Next time you visit Korea, Experience Strolling the night skies in South Korea’s Ansan Star Village.
Ansan Star Village
214-18 Bugok-dong, Sangrok-gu, Ansan-si
Gyeonggi-do Korea
Telephone: 031-484-5050
Special thanks to Korea Tourism Organization and AirAsia for making this trip possible.
