During the day, you can walk through a tunnel of vibrant autumn foliage, and at night, you can enjoy the lights displayed on the Gyeore Tower. This autumn, it’s perfectly fine to extend your walk a little longer.
This autumn event allows visitors to walk through a roughly 3.2 km tunnel of colorful foliage during the day, and through November 15, 2026, it will be open at night on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with free access to the “Gyeore Tower” media facade.
The “Maple Tree Forest Path Autumn Festival” is held at the Independence Hall of Korea, located in Dongnam-gu, Cheonan City, Chungcheongnam-do. This event combines natural scenery with the history of the independence movement, as well as nighttime lighting and cultural performances, so even those who only intended to take a walk find themselves exploring the historical space and the forest at night.
A 2-kilometer-long tunnel of autumn foliage is enhanced by a night-time illumination.
Outside the Independence Hall, there is a walking path lined with thousands of maple trees, forming a tunnel-like canopy. These trees were planted on both sides of the firebreak road starting in 1997, and as they grew, they intertwined to create the current forest path.
During the day, you can walk along the paths with vibrant autumn foliage, and at night, you can experience the nighttime opening of the maple forest path and its lighting, and the “Gyeore” Tower’s media facade. The media facade is shown every 20 minutes, and a special nighttime lighting display commemorating the 150th anniversary of Baek Beom Kim Gu’s birth is also installed.
The Independence Hall of Korea was built with public donations to commemorate the history of preserving the nation’s self-reliance and independence, and to collect and preserve related materials. It opened to the public on August 15, 1987. While a walk through the forest paths offers beautiful autumn foliage, the historical background of the site is quite significant.
This is a course that combines autumn foliage walks with historical sites and media art.
The Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Site is a place where visitors can learn about Yu Gwan-sun’s life and the history of the “Aunnae Independence Movement” through exhibits including her birthplace, a memorial hall, and the beacon-fire site. The Seok-o Lee Dong-nyeong Birthplace and Memorial Hall is a historical space dedicated to the life of Lee Dong-nyeong, who served as the first Chairman of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.
Both the two locations and the “Danpungnamu Supgil” autumn festival share the characteristic of being connected to the history of the independence movement in Cheonan. However, what clearly distinguishes this festival is that it combines autumn forest walks with nighttime lighting, media facades, cultural performances, and nighttime commentary.
If Gongju’s Namsan Maple Tree Road is all about taking a stroll amid the autumn foliage, this route continues on to the historical grounds of the Independence Hall of Korea and the Exhibition Park of Materials Dismantled from the Japanese Government-General Building in Korea. You come to see the autumn leaves, only to find yourself attending even the night class of a history lesson.
The way children walk is different from the way their parents walk.
When visiting with children, it is easy to plan your route around making footprints along the maple forest path, glow-in-the-dark face painting, the Sseuk-sseuk Zone, and the permanent photo zone. During the day, the historical spaces and outdoor exhibits at the Independence Hall of Korea can be connected, making a walk along the forest path an educational experience as well.
If you are planning an outing with your parents, take a leisurely walk along the forest trail during the day and add the nighttime guided tour at the Park Exhibiting Materials Dismantled from the Japanese Government-General Building. With a walk and historical stories combined in one itinerary, there will be few pauses in the conversation.
For couples and friends, the red maple tree tunnel, nighttime illumination, the “Gyeore” Tower media facade, photo zones, and cultural performances are ideal. If you are alone, you can walk the 3.2 km forest path at your own pace and choose from nighttime guided tours or outdoor exhibitions to enjoy at your leisure.
Dividing the scenes into day and night doubles the number of scenes.
Plan your family itinerary by exploring the historical spaces and outdoor exhibits at the Independence Hall during the day, and then consider visiting during the extended evening hours on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting at 6:00 PM. Children can enjoy activities like footprint making and glow-in-the-dark face painting, while adults can enjoy cultural performances and walks through the forest trails.
If you enjoy photography, first capture the red autumn foliage tunnel while the sun is still shining, and then, after it gets dark, photograph the lighting and the “Gyeore Tower” media facade of the same forest path to create a contrast. The same location shows different facial expressions during the day and night.
It is a good experience to enjoy cultural performances and local collaboration sales events with friends, followed by viewing the media facade and nighttime landscape lighting. If you are alone, you can choose a nighttime guided tour to learn about nature, the independence movement, and colonial history all at once.
Weekend evenings require relaxation and preparation.
During weekend evenings, the parking lot and event venues may be crowded with visitors, so it is advisable to arrive earlier than the performance or tour times. Nine city bus routes will also operate through the Independence Hall during the festival period, from Friday to Sunday, until 10:00 PM.
It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes and bring warm outerwear, as you will be walking approximately 3.2 km on the walking path and may also want to attend evening programs. Considering both the daytime foliage and the nighttime lighting, choosing your outfit will be easier.
The nighttime historical tour is offered every Saturday and Sunday at 19:00 and 20:00, each lasting 30 minutes. Both online pre-registration and on-site registration are available. To make the tour route as simple as possible, it is recommended to plan your visit around these tour times.
Explore the history of the independence movement in Cheonan.
The birthplace and memorial hall of Lee Dong-nyeong, located near the Independence Hall, are approximately 5 minutes away by car. At the Yu Gwan-soon martyr site in Byeoncheon-myeon, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan City, you can see the Yu Gwan-soon memorial hall, birthplace, and memorial site.
The area around Yu Gwan-sun Martyr’s Historic Site also features Byeongcheon Sundae Street, where you can sample byeongcheon sundae, the signature local food of the Byeongcheon area of Cheonan. The itinerary works well: explore historical sites during the day and finish the evening amid the lights of the Maple Forest Path.
October and November are the seasons when the maple forests transform into a vibrant red tunnel. In particular, during the first week of November, visitors can experience daytime maple leaf viewing, nighttime illumination, media facade displays, and guided tours all at once.
Here’s how you should handle the address and transportation:
The event will be held at the following locations: the Independence Hall of Korea, located at 1, Independence Hall Road, Mokcheon-eup, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, specifically in the Ginkgo Tree Forest area and the “House of the People” area. If you are driving, please go to the address of the Independence Hall of Korea: 1, Independence Hall Road, Mokcheon-eup, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungcheongnam-do.
If you use public transportation, during the festival period, nine city bus routes in Cheonan City that pass through the Independence Hall will operate until 10:00 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It is a welcome feature that transportation options are available late into the evening, especially considering the nighttime media facade and night tours.
Parking is available at the Independence Hall of Korea parking lot. On weekend evenings, visitors may converge around the times of performances and commentary, so arriving with a little time to spare before the program you want to see is a way to avoid rushing along the forest trail.
Admission is free, but registration is required only for the nighttime guided tour.
The festival entrance and nighttime viewing are free events that do not require reservations. If you plan to enjoy the autumn foliage and nighttime illuminations briefly, you can simply visit at the scheduled time without any prior registration.
Nighttime guided tours at the Joseon Government-General Demolition Materials Exhibition Park are available by online advance reservation or on-site registration. If you would like to hear the historical story as well, it is recommended that you plan your schedule around the guided tour times of 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The festival is not open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The Independence Hall’s permanent exhibition hall is also closed at night, so visitors at night will primarily experience the forest trails, nighttime lighting, media facade, performances, and guided tours.
Please make sure to note the operating hours and contact information.
The night market will operate from October 16th to November 15th, 2026, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Cultural performances are generally held on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 5:00 PM. The performances scheduled for November 7th and 8th, 2026, are announced to take place from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
For inquiries, please call 041-560-0114. To enjoy the autumn foliage during the day and participate in the evening programs, please bring comfortable shoes, warm clothing, and follow the schedule for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
