The Taehwa River flows through the centre of Ulsan, and its banks have been developed into one of the city's more pleasant surprises. The stretch between Samho Bridge and Taehwa Bridge is lined with a thick bamboo grove — tens of thousands of bamboo stalks that rustle in even the slightest breeze and filter the light into something green and cool. In winter, white-naped cranes and other migratory birds gather here, making it a genuine wildlife spot within a major industrial city.
A paved path runs the length of the riverside, popular with joggers and cyclists in the early morning and families in the evenings. The walk from Samho Bridge to the city centre takes about forty minutes at a relaxed pace. Cherry trees along parts of the route make spring visits particularly attractive. This is Ulsan at its most liveable — an industrial city that has done real work to make its river an asset rather than an afterthought.