My Korea: The Secret Gate to Family Land

Let’s get on the train to Family Land through my memories.

Family Land was opened in 1991. Before I tell my anecdotes of Family Land, let’s first look at where it is. Family Land is located in Saengyong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. There is a reservoir next to the park, and there is a small village called Ji-nae along the banks of the reservoir. My grandparents’ home is in this village. Once upon a time there were many homes here, but when the park was renovated, most homes disappeared. My grandparents’ home did not because it is located in the highest place in Ji-nae village. Most people left for the city, so only about ten homes remain here.

I don’t often visit my grandparents these days, but I visited them almost every weekend when I was a child. Because my grandparents’ house is high on the hill, I could hear music, announcements, and the DJ’s voice coming from Family Land while just sitting in the garden. When I went up to the roof I could see the Viking ride directly, and going to the mountain behind their home I could see the entire landscape of Family Land. So sometimes I would sit and just watch the view. I also went to the park to play with my relatives. Generally, people pay admission at an initial entry point, and from there to the main entrance there is a train ticket cost. But Ji-nae villagers can enter Family Land free of charge through a secret gate.

Once I looked through the pictures of my childhood and I realized that more than half of them were taken at Family Land or on the riverbank next to it. Memories from that time are still vivid.

In front of the park a robot named ‘BOBO’ stands like a guardian. In the past, BOBO recognized people’s voices and behavior, so when I screamed aloud saying “Hello, BOBO!” it moved and said, “Welcome to this amusement park with dream and hope. Hello, I’m BOBO.” Surprised, I used to stand beside BOBO and wave my hand for a while. However, the robot no longer works. Nevertheless I’m really thankful that BOBO remains there unchanged.

Recently when I visited Saengyong-dong, I noticed a convenience store had been built that wasn’t there before. It used to be a small restaurant where my grandma worked. I recall the jajangmyeon, which my grandmother cooked for my sister and me.

One of my favorite rides was in the shape of an airplane called ‘Desert Storm.’ This ride spins many times and suddenly stops at the peak. My heart used to flutter with thrill.

When I became an adult, my favorite ride became ‘Chaos.’ When you hold the safety bar, this ride turns 360 degrees. I could feel real chaos, it was so exciting.

I went to the pool and used the water slide in the hot summer. At the zoo, I gave a banana to the monkey and grass to the giraffe, and I saw many animals like peacocks, tigers and elephants. I also went to Botanical Gardens next to the zoo.

In this way, Family Land is where many of my memories live. In recent years, it’s said that Family Land is a little old-fashioned and has some safety problems because the facilities are old. But it’s a very special and important place for me. I hope that a good management company cares for this amusement park so that it can become more popular and not disappear.