On the 20th, Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do announced that 'Hwasun Dolmen Mosan Village (Hyosan-ri)' was selected as the 3rd Best Tourism Village in the World at the 25th United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly held on the 18th in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
The 3rd Best Tourism Villages Pilot Initiative saw participation from 260 villages across 60 countries worldwide.
Mosan Village will be awarded a certificate and will engage in global network activities through the dissemination of best practices.
The Best Tourism Villages competition, hosted by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), was held from June to September to address regional imbalances and population decline in rural areas through tourism, and to discover and promote excellent cultural and natural tourism resources in rural communities.
The competition targeted villages with populations under 15,000 based on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and livestock industries. The UNWTO advisory committee comprehensively evaluated nine assessment areas including the village’s cultural and natural resources, tourism potential, economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and community-centered tourism governance.
In June, Hwasun-gun conducted on-site inspections, in-depth interviews with local stakeholders, and professional consulting in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization and consulting firms, thoroughly preparing for the nine evaluation areas required by the UNWTO advisory committee, including cultural and natural resources, tourism potential, sustainability, and community-based tourism governance.
The UN World Tourism Organization highly appreciated the village’s preservation and utilization of abundant cultural and natural resources, innovative initiatives carried out in cooperation with local governments during the evaluation process.
■ Background of Mosan Village’s Selection as the World’s Best Tourism Village
▲ Abundant Cultural and Natural Resources
Mosan Village is located in Hyosan 2-ri, Dogok-myeon, Hwasun-gun.
With about 110 residents, the village features dolmen ruins registered as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site No. 410 in December 2000, and a prehistoric experience center offering various programs such as experiencing the food, shelter, and tools of prehistoric people.
The World Megalith Theme Park provides attractions for tourists, consisting of seven types of megalithic sculptures including Moai statues and ten features such as Stonehenge, serving as a resting area and park.
The village seodang (traditional Confucian school), Samjijae, designated as Hwasun-gun Local Cultural Heritage No. 15, was an old seodang where scholars like Yang Paengson studied.
Influenced by Samjijae, an elementary school was established in the village.
Additionally, the village utilizes cultural spaces such as the National Folk Cultural Heritage No. 154 Hakjae Old House and No. 152 Yang Chamsa Residence, hosting various programs including experiential activities, concerts, and exhibitions.
The village ritual Dangsan-je, praying for a bountiful harvest, includes Baekjungnori (traditional folk play). Also, the birthplace of the late Hong Namsun, a prominent human rights lawyer and a leading figure in the grassroots democratization movement in Korea, is located here.
The area around the dolmen ruins was officially certified as a National Geopark in December 2014 and as part of the Mudeungsan UNESCO Global Geopark in April 2018.
Following the 2020 Dorang Saligi (stream restoration) project, the restored village ecological stream is home to the Eurasian otter, Natural Monument No. 330 of Korea.
▲ Promotion and Preservation of Cultural Resources
The Dolmen Agricultural Cooperative has developed and sells black food lunchboxes, a local specialty (geo-food), maintains and strengthens the village community through collective labor, operates the traditional village ritual Dangsan-je, and strives to preserve hanok (traditional Korean houses) culture, thereby inheriting traditional culture well.
Through cooperation with local governments, cultural resources such as the dolmen ruins prehistoric experience center and the World Megalith Theme Park have been attracted and operated as tourism resources, with prehistoric experience events conducted with resident participation.
▲ Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability
Since being designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, significant annual budgets have been invested in building tourism infrastructure and maintaining village tourism facilities. The village actively participates in national projects such as protecting the dolmen excavation site, maintaining the dolmen prehistoric experience center, the World Megalith Theme Park, visitor center, and dolmen automobile camping site (auto camping ground).
Village residents are transitioning from primary industries like agriculture to secondary and tertiary industries. Through the agricultural cooperative, residents produce and sell village lunchboxes and side dishes, actively participating in tourism revitalization by starting their own businesses, leading to an overall increase in income for residents and the village.
Moreover, on February 9, 2021, Hwasun-gun was approved to join the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC), showing great interest and efforts to improve the quality of life for the elderly.
Since the dolmen ruins area was registered as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2018, residents have been raising environmental awareness through monthly trash collection events, education on nature protection and conservation, and ecological stream maintenance. The village was selected for the 2018 Dorang Saligi project competition.
▲ Tourism Development and Integrated Value Chain Operation
The village’s dolmen ruins belong to the UNESCO Global Geopark (Mudeungsan Global Geopark).
Formed by volcanic eruptions at the end of the Cretaceous period in the Mesozoic era, the area covers 1,051 km² with 20 geological sites, 4 preliminary geological sites, and 42 historical and cultural sites.
▲ Governance and Priority Tourism Operation
To develop and manage tourism, the Dolmen Agricultural Cooperative was established in 2012 with participation from 32 households, operating in a way that allows residents outside the cooperative to participate in projects.
Meanwhile, the Dolmen Rural Experience and Recreation Village Council was formed, working closely with Hwasun-gun to create unique festivals such as small-scale rural experience events and outdoor (picnic) programs for tourism development and promotion.
▲ Infrastructure and Transportation Convenience
Mosan Village is located 10 minutes from a four-lane national highway, making it easily accessible. It is 29 km from Songjeong Station on the high-speed rail and 27 km from Gwangju Airport, providing excellent accessibility from Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
Notably, the nearby major cities of Gwangju Metropolitan City and Naju Innovation City are within 19 km, connecting the transportation network nationwide.
▲ Excellence in Health and Safety
The village is managed under public health, safety, and security systems.
According to public health policies, 90% of residents have received the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Automated external defibrillators and fire extinguishers are installed at the dolmen ruins, tourist information center, and village hall for rapid response in emergencies.
The police station and fire station are located within 4 km, enabling quick emergency response. A health center is located within the village, and a general hospital is 14 km away, providing excellent access to medical services.
Hwasun-gun Governor Kubokgyu stated, “The selection of Mosan Village as the 3rd Best Tourism Village by the UNWTO is the result of the active participation and efforts of Mosan residents. Going forward, we plan to lead the globalization era by exchanging Mosan Village’s excellent cases of innovative change with many villages worldwide through cooperation with Hwasun-gun.”
Meanwhile, previous winners of the UNWTO Best Tourism Villages include Sinan Purple Island, Gochang Ungok Wetland, and Hadong Agyang-myeon Pyeongsari Village.
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