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goyang taught me to hate cold mornings and love weird flower festivals

@Violette Berg2/6/2026blog

i woke up in gotyeong and immediately wanted to escape because the sky was gray and it was like -10 degrees. this wasn’t the place i’d imagined for a photo session. but here i was, dragging my camera around like a tired dog, trying to find light before it all froze over. the weather app said it was -9.97c, but i just checked and it’s even colder than that right now. maybe Folgenberg’s ghost is mad at me. hope you like frosty breath in your face.

let’s start with the hills. i took a bus to buhan-san-seong fortress because i heard the light was good at dusk. it wasn’t. everything was so stark white under the grey sky, and the fortress looked like a crumbling cake. probably better for a Mel Gibson movie than photography. i moved on to ilsan lake park, which someone told me was a ‘hidden gem.’ they’d obviously not been there at 2am. the lake was dark and the fish were probably not photogenic. i gave up and found a coffee shop with a view. the barista gave me the strongest black coffee they had and told me the lake park was ‘good for picnics in spring.’ i almost believed them. maybe i should check tripadvisor later. like, if there are reviews about how cold it is. i heard that somewhere.

gojang’s a city that’s very… suburban. like, if seoul is a robot, go jang is the robot’s sleepwalking cousin. it’s clean, orderly, and kind of boring. but also has this weird charm? i met a guy who sold handmade clay pipes at a market and he didn’t know what a camera was. when i asked where goyang’s famous food was, he just nodded and said ‘you mean the street food? it’s whatever is cheapest.’ which is fair. i ordered something with kimchi and rice and it tasted like regret. but hey, that’s budget backpacker living.

the flower festival thing is a thing, right? someone told me it was a real festival, not just a sick person’s fantasy. it happens in april at ilsan lake park. sounds boring. i checked the seoul metro map (yep, the ride to seoul feels like a monastic retreat) and saw that daejeon is also nearby. if you get bored, daejeon is just a short drive away. though i don’t know why anyone would go to daejeon when they could stay here and pretend they’re in a national park. which you technically are, i guess? buchansan-seong is a fortress in a mountain. but nothing there is a national park. more like a mud puddle with rocks.

i found a fake wasabi stall in a mall during the day. the wasabi tasted like seaweed soaked in regret. but the lights in the mall were good for photos. that’s always my priority. even if the subject is a person who doesn’t want to be photographed. i also took a pic of a ferris wheel that was orange and gray, which doesn’t sound exciting but looked decent under the blue sky. i tried to get a reflection in the lake but the water was frozen at the edges. it was stupid.

people here are chill. or maybe they just don’t care. i asked a local about the historical sites and she said ‘we built this city after a war. we don’t do history anymore.’ which is… a take. there’s a memorial park here that’s basically just a big park with statues of soldiers. i didn’t stay long. too many flowers. the goyang international flower festival is a thing. in april. i’ll probably forget about it until then.

the bike-sharing system is free? someone said that. i haven’t tried it yet because my legs are stiff from walking. but if someone tells me that, i believe them. probably. i heard that from someone who saw it on a flyer. which is credible.

i left goyang at night because the sky was still so cold it felt like i was standing in a freezer. the lake park had fireworks for some festival, but they looked like broken balloons. maybe it was the gongyang lake art festival? i don’t care. i just wanted to leave. and i did. seoul is just a metro ride away. though i heard that the line is packed with people who want to escape the cold. which is ironic, right?

if you come here, check the local tourism board website. probably has a map of where to throw your camera. or don’t. just wander and take bad photos. that’s my plan. the maps app i used is probably outdated because the city changes so fast. like the flowers or the cold.

i’ll probably forget this place by next week. which is fine. i’m a freelance photographer. i take pics, move on. but goyang taught me that sometimes the best shots are the ones where the light is gone and you’re just standing there, wondering why you came. and also that wasabi is a lie.

links: check out the review on tripadvisor for goyang’s best coffee shops. or don’t. just drink whatever’s cheapest. the local tourism board has a page about the flower festival. maybe it’s worth it. if you’re into bad nights and cold weather.

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About the author: Violette Berg

Passionate about clarity, kindness, and good design.

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