Taean Cheollipo Arboretum — A Coastal Garden of 926 Magnolia Taxa Created by Min Byeong-gal
Located on Cheollipo Beach in Sowon-myeon, Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, Cheollipo Arboretum is Korea’s first private arboretum, established by Dr. Min Byeong-gal, a naturalized Korean originally from the United States, who began acquiring land in 1962. It is home to the world’s largest collection of magnolias, with 926 taxa, as well as sunsets over Nangsae Island in the Yellow Sea, drawing crowds for its Magnolia Festival in spring and Maple Festival in autumn.
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In 1962, Banker Min Byeong-gal Purchased a Wasteland Shore
Chollipo Arboretum began when Dr. Min Byeong-gal (Carl Ferris Miller), a Pennsylvania native who worked at the Bank of Korea and remained single throughout his life, began purchasing the Chollipo coast in the early 1960s and developed a full-scale arboretum there.
The late founder Min Byeong-gal purchased 20,000 square meters of land along the Chollipo coast in 1962 and began developing the arboretum in earnest in 1970. It was approved as a nonprofit foundation corporation under the Korea Forest Service in 1979 and registered as a public-interest foundation corporation in 1996. He became a naturalized Korean citizen in 1979, taking the name Min Byeong-gal, and continued planting trees on this land until his death in 2002.
An Arboretum Once Open Only to Researchers: Miller Garden Finally Opened in 2009
Chollipo Arboretum is divided into seven areas, including Miller Garden, the main garden; Magnolia Garden; Nangsae Island; the Conifer Garden; the General Garden; Keungol; and the area containing the Garden Stay accommodations. Various plant species are appropriately arranged and managed according to each area's environment.
On March 1, 2009, Miller Garden, the first of the seven managed areas, was opened to the public for the first time, followed by Miller's Path of Contemplation and Magnolia Path in 2010. The Conifer Garden, developed in 1970 and never before opened to the public, finally opened for the first time during the autumn festival period in 2025. 
Why It Is Called the “Magnolia Paradise”: 926 Taxa
Chollipo Arboretum is recognized as world-class for its collection of 926 magnolia taxa.
Magnolia Garden and the Mountain Magnolia Garden are normally closed areas, but during the magnolia festival they are temporarily opened to participants who reserve the paid program, allowing them to walk with a gardener. 
From Wando Holly to Nationally Registered Cultural Heritage: Its Legacy as a Research Institution
In 1978, the year before the foundation was established, Min Byeong-gal discovered a new plant species created through natural hybridization between holly and Japanese holly during an expedition along the southern coast. This rare species grows only in Wando, Korea, and he registered the scientific name “Ilex x Wandoensis C. F. Miller” with an international academic society. Based on these research achievements, Chollipo Arboretum was selected in 2000 as one of the “World's Most Beautiful Arboretums” by the International Dendrology Society, becoming the 12th institution worldwide and the first in Asia to receive the designation.
It was subsequently designated by the Ministry of Environment in 2006 as an institution for ex situ habitat conservation, and in 2013 as an institution for managing forest biological resources, an institution for training forest education specialists, and a forest education center. In 2014, it was designated by the Ministry of Environment as an institution for managing biodiversity. 
How to Reach 187 Cheonlipo 1-gil — Bus Services Are Limited
By public transportation, there are two options: take a local bus bound for Chollipo from Taean Public Bus Terminal and get off at the Chollipo Arboretum stop, or get off at the Manripo Intercity Bus Stop and walk approximately 20 minutes.
The arboretum's parking facilities are divided among Parking Lots 1 and 2 (976-14 Uihang-ri, Sowon-myeon, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do) and Parking Lot 3 (977-40 Uihang-ri), and they are free to use. Because public transportation services run at relatively long intervals, visitor reviews repeatedly mention that getting there without a car is somewhat inconvenient, while also describing it as a satisfying driving route.
Admission Tickets with Different Prices in Peak and Off-Peak Seasons
Operating hours are 
Admission for adults aged 20–69 is 13,000 won during the regular season and 15,000 won during the peak season in April and May. Discounted admission for middle and high school students, people aged 70 and over, and national merit recipients is 10,000 won (11,000 won during the peak season), while the special discounted rate for elementary school students and younger is 6,000 won. Children under 36 months, residents of Sowon-myeon, accommodation guests, and people with severe disabilities (grades 1–3) receive free admission. Arboretum tickets can be reserved in advance through Naver Place or purchased on-site, and online reservations receive a partial discount. Groups of 30 or more receive an additional discount of 1,000 won per person at the on-site ticket window.
Garden Stay — Spending a Night in a Garden House or Accommodation Building
Garden Stay at Chollipo Arboretum is broadly divided into two types: private “garden houses,” offering privacy in traditional tiled-roof, thatched-roof, or Western-style houses, and an accommodation building in a youth-hostel style. Overlooking the Chollipo Sea, the accommodation building is a modern three-story building with eight double rooms, ten four-person rooms, four ten-person rooms, a large lecture hall accommodating 100 people, and small lecture rooms accommodating 15 and 27 people. It is located 800 meters from Miller Garden.
Check-in is from 15:00 to 18:00, and check-out is before 11:00. Guests who reserve either a garden house or the accommodation building receive free admission to Chollipo Arboretum (Miller Garden), allowing them to freely explore the arboretum before check-in or after check-out. 
Nangsae Island Sunsets and Solbaram Path — What to Bring and What Is Not Allowed
Following Solbaram Path leads to the West Sea Observatory, where visitors can admire the sunset descending over Nangsae Island.
There are also a few things to keep in mind before visiting. The entire arboretum is a no-alcohol and no-smoking area, pets are not permitted, and camera tripods, picnic mats, and food (excluding drinking water and beverages) are restricted. Reviews from autumn 2025 repeatedly mention that visitors found themselves continuing to take photos less than 10 minutes after entering, while also noting that traveling there solely by public transportation can be somewhat cumbersome.
Before You Go
- Address
- 187 Cheonlipo 1-gil, Sowon-myeon, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
- Hours
- March–October 09:00–18:00 (last admission 17:00); November–February 09:00–17:00 (last admission 16:00). From the third Saturday of July to the third Sunday of August, hours are extended until 19:00 (last admission 18:00).
- Closed
- Open year-round
- Admission
- Adults (ages 20–69) 13,000 won (15,000 won during the April–May peak season) / Youth, ages 70 and over, and national merit recipients 10,000 won (11,000 won during peak season) / Special discount for elementary school students and younger 6,000 won / Under 36 months, accommodation guests, and Sowon-myeon residents free
- Phone
- 041-672-9985 (visitor inquiries, 09:00–18:00) / 041-672-9982 (Garden Stay accommodation inquiries)
- Official site
- https://www.chollipo.org
- Transport
- Take a local bus bound for Chollipo from Taean Public Bus Terminal and get off at Chollipo Arboretum, or get off at Manripo Intercity Bus Stop and walk approximately 20 minutes. By car, travel via Seosan IC on the West Coast Expressway; the drive from Seoul takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.
- Parking
- Free use of the arboretum's parking lots (Parking Lots 1 and 2: 976-14 Uihang-ri, Sowon-myeon, Taean-gun; Parking Lot 3: 977-40 Uihang-ri)
- Time needed
- Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes (based on Miller Garden)
The information above is based on conditions at the time of writing. Check the official announcements again before visiting.
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