"Try 'Kkotmeong' and 'Sopmeong' During Chuseok Holiday?"... Baekdudaegan Arboretum Hosts Native Plant Festival

From the 30th of this month to October 9th, the ‘2023 Baekdudaegan Autumn Bongja Festival (Bonghwa Regional Native Plants)’ will be held at the Bonghwa National Baekdudaegan Arboretum under the subtitle ‘One Flower for Relaxation, One Tree for Forest Healing.’

This festival, which utilizes native Korean flower plants growing in the Baekdudaegan region, has been held annually since 2019 and is now in its fifth year. Local farms produce native plants through contract cultivation, providing valuable materials for exhibitions and the festival.

National Baekdudaegan Arboretum

From 2019 to 2023, 145 farms participated in contract cultivation, producing 2.79 million plants and generating 3 billion KRW in farm income. The cumulative number of visitors during the festival period reached 186,278.

Through this income generation, the festival has contributed to revitalizing the local economy and has established itself as a regional win-win festival that raises public interest in forest biodiversity. This year, 32 farms participated in contract cultivation, producing 410,000 plants of 41 species including Teolbucheo, resulting in 500 million KRW in farm income.

This event offers various experiential programs alongside the Bongja Festival, such as the Baekdudaegan AR Treasure Hunt to find treasures, ‘Drawing KIT Rental’ for children, ‘Flower Relaxation DJ’ where visitors can request music on the grass hill, the garden stay ‘Relaxing with Flowers at the Arboretum’ combining lodging and education, an autumn concert with the Gyeongbuk Provincial Symphony Orchestra, and a regional win-win program featuring the flea market ‘Sup Man Ple.’

During the festival, the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum will offer free admission and remain open until 9 PM. On weekends and public holidays, free shuttle buses will operate from Seoul, Daegu, and Yeongju to provide convenience for public transportation users.

Cho Hyun-ae, Director of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Environmental Forestry Resources Bureau, stated, “The Bongja Festival is a meaningful event where national institutions and local communities cooperate for mutual benefit. We will continue to support income generation for local residents and regional revitalization.”

Director Cho also said, “With Chuseok and the golden holidays in October approaching, we hope visitors will create special memories not only at the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum, filled with diverse native plants, but also in Gyeongbuk and Bonghwa, blessed with pristine nature.”

Located in Chunyang-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk, the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum is Asia’s largest arboretum specializing in forest biological resources of the Baekdudaegan and high mountain areas. It was established with an investment of 220 billion KRW from 2009 to 2015 to research and preserve native plants of Korea, including those of the Baekdudaegan. Since its temporary opening in September 2016, it has become a regional landmark with 1.05 million visitors as of last August.