WEBZINE ACC

People relaxing at the ACC

A place to rest downtown

I spend much time pondering how to use my precious lunch time at work. I have moved from job to job, but in recent years, I have been working at places near the ACC. So I stopped by the park at the ACC to enjoy a walk when I wanted to take a short break or spend a peaceful lunch time. It is a place to rest, the closest place to convene with nature full of green, and a place to rest my eyes away from the computer screens, located in the center of Gwangju, surrounded by buildings, people, and cars.

Walking around the vast area of the ACC, I get to meet all the colors and shapes of plants from the four seasons. The vivid colors and sweet fragrances of the flowers that bloom when the time comes grab people’s attention as they stroll around the place. As I walk around the ACC Children’s Park, being carried away by the radiant red color of the roses in May, plum trees greet people bearing fruit after the flowers fall.

Plum at the ACC Children’s Park

Korean early lilac flower

Walking around the park while enjoying the fruits of plum trees and Bodhi trees, a strong scent of sweetness drifted to me with the wind. As I tracked its source, I found a Korean early lilac tree standing tall with a bunch of hydrangeas blossoming pleasantly. Lilacs come into flower around April and May, letting us know that spring is here with their richness and fragrance. In front of the ACC’s main entrance stand gardenia flowers of perfume as rich as lilac that signal the beginning of summer, and by looking at red zinnias losing their floral leaves after the full bloom of the summer, I look forward to the coolness of autumn that is around the corner.

The cuties are the best

Strolling around the ACC, not only the plants but several animals pass me by. As a cat person, I could not be happier when I bump into a cat gracefully taking a walk around the center. Coming across a small animal on the way, animal lovers would naturally put on a smile and stop walking. They would quietly stand there by the animal and enjoy the lucky moment, which creates a brief vacuum in busy city life and provides a chance to refresh.

Our familiar friend, the sparrow

A magpie strolling around the ACC

All the animals around us lead their lives in their own ways—from a cat walking on the street, a dog taking a walk, sparrows tweeting and chirping with friends, bees looking for honey with chubby butts, a squirrel climbing up and down the tree faster than anyone else, a lizard as small as a pinkie that would go unnoticed if we didn’t pay close attention, to crows cawing from afar on our way to work. They are in the city and in the small mountains around us, struggling to live from day to day.

Unfortunately, however, not all those animals can enter the ACC Park. A few years ago, while my friend and I were enjoying our break with my friend’s dog on the rooftop of the center, one of the staff members came up and told us that the dog was not allowed here and asked us to leave. The park is an outdoor place where anyone can come in and relax, but it becomes a different story if you are with a dog. You may find it a bit disappointing if you have a dog, but let’s leave the park to the other wild animals that come and go.

ACC Park Guide

Coexisting with urban ecology

Recently, a few programs hosted by the ACC have dealt with issues of urban ecology, nature preservation, and coexistence. Many efforts are made to establish an ecological space in crowded city areas and let various animals and plants coexist. The riverside of Gwangju Stream offers an ideal place for citizens to enjoy walks and bicycle rides and a living place for migratory birds, resident birds, as well as little bugs and water insects.

Parks play a crucial role not only as a resting area for people and wild animals, but also as a hunting area for animals in urban ecology. People easily assume that we are the only ones using the facility, but there are a wide variety of animals living their lives if we look closely. I hope to see the ACC Park become a place that connects the city and nature for coexistence, and I hope people can enjoy and feel the presence of nature in the place.

Also, while it is important to work for urban ecology, I hope the ACC will host programs related to pets and eventually let all the cute dogs enjoy the center as well!

Next time there will be perfect persimmons

Bodhi tree, the birds’ daily bread