[Seoul District News] Nowon-gu Bulamsan Forest Healing Center operates weekdays (Tue-Fri) 10am-12pm, 2pm-4pm, weekends (Sat, Sun) 10am-12pm; regular program fee 10,000 KRW, next month reservations open on the 9th on Nowon-gu website... Jongno-gu runs adult forest healing program "With the Forest" using Waryong Park ecological resources... Jungnang-gu holds physical activity video contest "Break Time, What If We Play?"... Geumcheon-gu promotes education projects themed on Siheung Haenggung and King Jeongjo from Aug to Dec.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating summer-tailored programs at Bulamsan Forest Healing Center to help residents exhausted by the heat.
The regular programs operated at Bulamsan Forest Healing Center include six types: ▲Vitality Forest ▲Rest Forest ▲Health Forest ▲Happiness Forest ▲Five Senses Forest ▲Family Forest.
During August, the district adds special activities such as herbal cold foot baths and ice balloon exercises to the regular programs to help participants escape the hot daily life and heal their mind and body more refreshingly.
The ‘Vitality Forest’ program mainly consists of stress checks, herbal cold foot baths, and barefoot walking. Participants check their condition through autonomic nervous system and stress tests, then recover vitality by engaging in activities such as cold foot baths and loess barefoot walking while receiving abundant phytoncides and sunlight, which are most common in summer. This program is recommended for those who need stress or depression management.
‘Rest Forest’ is a program to experience the tranquility of the forest through stopping and relaxing. The representative experience is “forest gazing.” Wearing a cool scarf, participants gaze blankly at the forest (photo), focus on breathing, and let go of the weight of their minds. The ‘Health Forest’ program uses equipment to check physical imbalances and helps participants realize the importance of correct posture. It also includes full-body stretching and muscle strengthening exercises using ice balloons.
The ‘Happiness Forest’ program stimulates the brain through laughter to activate hormones. It includes ice balloon play, balloon breathing, and body shaking to enjoy laughing heartily in the forest. The ‘Five Senses Forest’ stimulates the five senses in the forest to restore attention. Through immersive activities such as wood burning and making healthy soap, participants forget complicated thoughts and reduce stress.
Lastly, the ‘Family Forest’ program is open to children and aims to promote communication and happiness experiences among family members. Participants can lie down together and rest while enjoying the cool view of Bulamsan from the center’s rooftop yard.
All programs operate on a reservation basis with 10 people per session. Reservations for the next month’s programs can be made on the Nowon-gu website on the 9th of each month. The participation fee is 10,000 KRW per program, and participants can choose from weekday sessions Tuesday to Friday from 10 AM to 12 PM or 2 PM to 4 PM, and weekend sessions (Saturday and Sunday) from 10 AM to 12 PM.
Additionally, every Saturday at 10 AM, there is a ‘Cool Forest Path Walk’ program where participants walk along refreshing forest trails with a professional forest healing instructor while listening to stories about insects and plants. This 1 hour 30 minutes program is free and open to all ages. Participants gather in front of the butterfly garden fountain at Bulamsan and can register on-site or by phone.
Bulamsan Forest Healing Center, opened in August 2020, is Seoul’s first urban forest healing center. It has gained great popularity recently in line with the ‘healing’ trend, with over 12,000 users in the first half of this year.
District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I hope many people feel the unique charm of Bulamsan Forest Healing Center where they can fully experience nature and rest in the city.” He added, “We will continue to accelerate the completion of a healing city, which has been promoted since the 7th local government, by utilizing the natural blessings unique to Nowon.”
Jongno-gu (District Mayor Jeong Moon-heon) has prepared a special time to take a mental break in the forest and catch two rabbits of body health and mental health.
From this month until November, the forest healing program ‘With the Forest’ is offered using various ecological resources of Waryong Park.
Started last year with the purpose of contributing to residents’ health improvement and emotional stability, it received positive reviews from participants as a time to soothe the mind and body tired from COVID-19 and to cultivate ecological sensitivity.
This year, the program will be held eight times from August to November under the subtitle ‘Questioning Me, Answering Me.’ It is designed as a place to fully feel, observe, understand, and comfort oneself while inhaling the scent of trees and meditating in the urban forest.
During the period, from 10 AM to 12 PM at Waryong Park, two classes are operated: ‘Woodpecker Class (Tuesday)’ for lively and dynamic forest activities, and ‘Cornus Class (Thursday)’ for soft, gentle, and static forest activities.
Anyone aged 19 or older residing in Jongno-gu who wishes to participate can apply through the Green Education Center website via a Google form.
The recruitment is for 15 people per class, totaling 30 people. A deposit of 30,000 KRW per person is required and will be fully refunded upon participation in six or more sessions. More detailed information is available at the Green Education Center.
District Mayor Jeong Moon-heon stated, “I recommend taking time to heal and let go of daily fatigue in the urban forest, which is perfect for soothing the body and mind tired from COVID-19.”
Jungnang-gu (District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) is hosting a video contest titled ‘What Do You Do During Break Time?’ to encourage students’ physical activity and promote healthy lifestyle habits.
The district holds an annual physical activity video contest to stimulate students’ interest in physical activity and allow local youth to express their abundant energy and talents by creating content that cares for health.
Especially with the increase in non-face-to-face classes and the decrease in outdoor and indoor activities raising concerns about obesity rates, the plan is to encourage voluntary physical activity among youth and support healthy school life.
The theme of this contest is ‘Spending a Healthy Break Time with Physical Activity.’ Participants can produce short videos under 5 minutes in any format such as dance, short films, music videos, or advertisements. Any content related to physical activities that can be practiced during break time, such as healthy dances to overcome post-meal drowsiness or morning exercises for the class, is acceptable.
The submission period is until September 9, and any elementary, middle, or high school students in the area interested in healthy living can participate. Submissions can be individual or team-based. Applicants download the application form from the Jungnang-gu website and submit the original video along with the form via email to the person in charge.
Entries will undergo a first round of document screening and a second round of evaluation based on public favorability such as likes, comments, and views on Jungnang-gu’s official YouTube channel. Final results will be announced on the 28th of next month. Two teams will receive grand prizes of 600,000 KRW in cultural gift certificates, and four teams will receive excellence awards of 300,000 KRW each.
District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi said, “This video contest is a great opportunity to spread awareness and promote healthy living practices among students. We look forward to creative and lively videos from the students.”
Geumcheon-gu (District Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) will officially launch the ‘2022 Local Cultural Heritage Education Project’ in August, operating various programs such as education, performances, exhibitions, and experiences utilizing historical resources of Siheung Haenggung and King Jeongjo.
The local cultural heritage education project is a public contest project hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration and was selected for the first time this year. It is divided into ‘Geumcheon Archaeology School,’ an education program about the overall history of Geumcheon-gu, and ‘King Jeongjo the Communicator and Siheung Haenggung,’ themed on Siheung Haenggung.
At Geumcheon Archaeology School, theoretical, field exploration, and experiential education about the district’s history are conducted through ▲a VR tour of Geumcheon-gu cultural assets ▲hidden picture finding ▲exploration of Siheung Haenggung Exhibition Hall and presumed Haenggung site ▲and puppet shows featuring King Jeongjo.
The ‘King Jeongjo the Communicator and Siheung Haenggung’ program consists of ▲training guides for Siheung Haenggung Exhibition Hall (for adults) and ▲‘Making My Own Siheung Haenggung’ (for elementary school students).
Especially, ‘Making My Own Siheung Haenggung’ is a meaningful experiential program where participants create a model music box of the Jeongdang (main hall) of Siheung Haenggung, which was a resting place for King Jeongjo during his Hwaseong royal procession and a communication space with the people. Currently, only the site remains in Siheung 5-dong, Geumcheon-gu.
The ‘Siheung Haenggung Exhibition Hall Guide Training’ course was conducted in advance from June to July to coincide with the opening of the exhibition hall at the end of July.
Geumcheon-gu plans to re-evaluate the value of the district’s cultural heritage and promote the historical significance and importance of Siheung Haenggung to residents through various participatory programs linked with the exhibition hall.
The education will be conducted from August to December. For detailed program inquiries and participation applications, interested parties can visit the internet cafe of the Education Sharing Cooperative, the project operator.
District Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon said, “We will continuously promote education projects themed on Siheung Haenggung, King Jeongjo, and the district’s cultural heritage to advance Geumcheon-gu as a historical and cultural city. I hope many residents take this opportunity to enjoy our cultural assets and have time to heal their minds.”
For more information, contact Geumcheon-gu Office’s Culture and Sports Division or the Education Sharing Cooperative.
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