[One Day 10,000 Steps One Day 1,000 Characters] A Different Kind of Walking... Regional Harmony and Tourism Resources, Two Birds with One Stone

On the 10th, the '2nd Purple Island Healing Walking Competition' held in Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, attracted over 1,300 participants from all over the country. A purple procession stretching 6km took place on Purple Island, where the willow primrose flowers were in full bloom. Kim Eonnyeon (80), the oldest participant from Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, said, "I applied because I wanted to visit Purple Island at least once before I die." Purple Island, where the event was held, currently has the largest scale of willow primrose in the country, blooming across a 39,000㎡ area, and the flower paths blooming throughout the island along the coastal promenade became a place of healing for the participants. Park Woo-ryang, the mayor of Sinan-gun, said, "We welcome the participants of the walking competition who visited Purple Island, and hope this healing time will bring great emotion and comfort in the purple feast with 45 million willow primrose and French lavender flowers."

Scenic View of Namhae Bridge
Photo by Namhae-gun

Unique walking competitions that differentiate themselves from typical walking events are being held one after another nationwide. Namhae-gun will hold a commemorative event for the 50th anniversary of the opening of Namhae Bridge on the 22nd from 10:30 AM around Namhae Bridge and Namhae-gak. Namhae Bridge began construction in May 1968 and was completed in June 1973. It is the oldest suspension bridge in Korea, connecting Noryang-ri, Seolcheon-myeon, Namhae-gun, and Noryang-ri, Geumnam-myeon, Hadong-gun. At the time of construction, it boasted the largest scale in East Asia. It was also the starting point for Namhae-gun's rise as a tourist city and has been loved by the residents of Namhae-gun for the past 50 years. The 'Namhae Bridge Walking Event' is an event to recreate the scene of the bridge's opening, which was crowded due to the belief that crossing the bridge once would bring longevity and good health. In particular, the Noryang Shopping District Promotion Association, centered in Seolcheon-myeon, is expected to hold a 'Seaweed Soup Day' to celebrate the 50th 'birthday' of Namhae Bridge, making it an event with the participation of residents. Restaurants in the Noryang Shopping District Promotion Association plan to provide seaweed soup as a side dish.

Gangwon-do will hold the '2023 Gangwon World Forest Expo Success Prayer D-100 Days Forest Trail Walking Competition' on the 17th around the Solbangul Observatory in Goseong-gun. This event includes experiences at the Solbangul Observatory, walking the Hwaamsa forest trail, a children's forest love drawing contest, woodworking craft experiences, mushroom tasting, and a forest expo VR experience. Mountaineer Captain Um Hong-gil and broadcaster Ahn Hye-kyung will participate, experiencing the 45m-high Solbangul Observatory, the landmark of the Forest Expo, and walking the Hwaamsa forest trail together.

Solbangol Observatory
Photo by Gangwon-do

The Solbangul Observatory is a facility that will be opened to the general public for the first time before the opening of the Forest Expo. From the top floor, the 10th floor (40m), visitors can see the East Sea and Ulsan Rock at a glance. Walking the Hwaamsa forest trail, one can see Seongindae (Sinsendae), where ancient immortals are said to have descended from the sky to play, as well as Seonginbong, the first peak of the 12,000 peaks of Geumgangsan, Ulsan Rock, Dalma Peak, the cities of Goseong and Sokcho, and the blue East Sea.

Kim Jin-tae, chairman of the Gangwon World Forest Expo Organizing Committee, said, "As this is the first international event held since the launch of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, the interest and participation of not only the residents of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province but also the people of South Korea are necessary for the successful hosting of the 2023 Gangwon World Forest Expo." He added, "With the hope for the success of the Forest Expo held in September, I will walk the Hwaamsa forest trail together with everyone participating in the event."

The 2023 Gangwon World Forest Expo will be held under the theme "Finding the Future Forest of Humanity" for 31 days from September 22 to October 22 at the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province World Jamboree Training Center and four cities/counties (Goseong-gun, Sokcho-si, Inje-gun, Yangyang-gun).