Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Takes Steps to Minimize Traffic Congestion

Dosa Seomjin Parking Free on Weekdays, Maehwa Paid

Free Festival Shuttle Bus Service (Dunchi~Dosa Parking Lot) Available

Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do announced that inquiries from tourists planning to visit the festival site are pouring in as the 22nd Gwangyang Maehwa Festival approaches.

The city plans to minimize traffic congestion and promote ESG practices by operating shuttle buses and introducing paid parking lots at the 22nd Gwangyang Maehwa Festival, officially held for the first time in four years.

[Image provided by Gwangyang-si]

Additionally, the city intends to provide real-time traffic information around the festival site and enhance the festive atmosphere from the parking lots by hosting a European-style flea market, ‘River Market@Seomjingang,’ set against the backdrop of the Seomjin River.

To address the biggest issue of parking at the festival site, the city will flexibly switch parking lots between free and paid depending on weekdays and weekends.

The Seomjingang riverside parking lot will be free throughout the festival period, while Dosaju Parking Lot and Seomjin Parking Lot will be free on weekdays and switch to paid parking on weekends when visitors flock in.

The Maehwa Parking Lot adjacent to the main event site will operate as a paid lot throughout the festival period.

Parking fees are 6,000 KRW for passenger cars and 12,000 KRW for large buses based on a 3-hour stay, with 5,000 KRW and 10,000 KRW coupons returned respectively. An additional fee of 1,000 KRW per 30 minutes applies after exceeding 3 hours.

Each parking lot can be searched on navigation systems as Sinwon Riverside Parking Lot, Maehwa Parking Lot, 77 Dosari, Daap-myeon (Dosaju Parking Lot), and San 82 Dosari (Seomjin Parking Lot).

Meanwhile, the city plans to provide convenience to tourists visiting the festival by operating free shuttle buses between the riverside and Dosaju Parking Lots on weekends (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) during the festival period.

Also, the city provides daily blooming status updates through the ‘Gwangyang City Culture and Tourism’ website and offers real-time traffic information focusing on major bottleneck areas such as Suwoljeong and Sinwon Intersection.

At the ‘River Market@Seomjingang,’ consisting of 112 booths, farmers and artists showcase their products and handmade works, raising expectations to enhance the enjoyment on the way to the festival site.

Jung Gu-young, head of the Tourism Division, said, “To minimize the chronic problems of traffic congestion and parking at the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival and to take the lead in practicing ESG, we decided to operate real-time traffic information services and free weekend shuttle buses.”

He added, “Near the riverside parking lot, the European-style flea market, River Market, will be held against the backdrop of the Seomjin River, allowing visitors to enjoy the journey to the festival site as part of the festival experience.”

Meanwhile, as of the 6th, four days before the 22nd Gwangyang Maehwa Festival, the blooming rate in Gwangyang Maehwa Village is about 40%, and it is expected to reach its peak during the festival period.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr