Suncheon-si to Operate Major Tourist Attractions Normally During Lunar New Year Holiday

Suncheonman Wetland and Nagan Eupseong Fortress Operating Normally

Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu) announced that during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, major tourist attractions such as Suncheonman Wetland, Suncheon Nagan Eupseong, and the Drama Filming Set will operate normally without any closures.

To provide a pleasant and safe travel environment for returning visitors and tourists during the holiday period, the city will conduct thorough environmental cleanups, re-inspect facilities, and operate a variety of programs that families can enjoy together.

[Photo by Suncheon City]

In particular, visitors wearing hanbok during the Lunar New Year holiday will be granted free admission to Suncheonman Wetland, Suncheon Nagan Eupseong, the Ppurigipeunnamu Museum, and the Drama Filming Set.

▲ Suncheonman Wetland, a wintering site for migratory birds

Suncheonman Wetland is a World Heritage site and a wintering ground for migratory birds, making it one of South Korea’s representative winter tourist destinations. Visitors can enjoy birdwatching and stargazing at the observatory amidst the vast reed fields and S-shaped waterways that create a coastal ecological landscape on the mudflats.

Additionally, from February 2 to March 31, a special series program titled “Suncheonman, What Are You Doing!” will be held in commemoration of the 2024 World Wetlands Day throughout the Suncheonman Wetland area.

Especially, the “What Are You Doing at Dawn? Suncheonman Dawn Birdwatching” program offers a chance to witness tens of thousands of winter migratory birds flying in formation toward their feeding grounds on the pristine mudflats of Suncheonman. The program features reed fences that block city lights from reaching the wetland, creating the warmest and most touching experience in the world.

▲ Suncheon Nagan Eupseong and Ppurigipeunnamu Museum

Suncheon Nagan Eupseong, one of Korea’s three major eupseongs (walled towns) and the first in the country to have both the fortress and the entire village designated as a historic site, offers various experiential programs such as rice threshing, traditional weddings, weaving crafts, the large spring laundry site, and wish writing.

Wishes written during the wish writing experience will be burned together at the Jeongwol Daeboreum (First Full Moon Festival) bonfire event on the 24th, praying for the fulfillment of hopes and desires for the year.

Located right next to Suncheon Nagan Eupseong, the Ppurigipeunnamu Museum offers programs including making dragon-shaped keyrings to celebrate the Year of the Blue Dragon, writing New Year wishes, free photo events, and fortune-telling for the new year.

The Suncheon Ppurigipeunnamu Museum preserves and exhibits about 6,500 items collected throughout his lifetime by Mr. Han Chang-gi, who loved and sought to preserve traditional Korean culture. The collection includes old Korean books, folk paintings, ceramics, traditional clothing, and traditional musical instruments.

▲ Suncheon Drama Filming Set full of memories and experiences

The Suncheon Drama Filming Set, which recreates the 1960s Seoul Bongcheon-dong shantytown and the 1980s Suncheon cityscape, allows visitors to enjoy traditional cultural experiences such as wearing school uniforms, playing yutnori (traditional board game), hoop rolling, and spinning tops.

On the 11th and 12th, in celebration of the Year of the Blue Dragon (Gapjin year), activities such as dragon rubbings, kite making, jegi (shuttlecock) making, and wish writing will be held.

The Suncheon Drama Filming Set has become one of Korea’s representative filming locations, having hosted over 80 films and dramas including “Love and Ambition,” “Giant,” “King of Baking, Kim Takgu,” “Pachinko,” “Curtain Call,” and “The Police Station Next to the Fire Station.”

▲ Modern cultural heritage: Christian History Museum and Maesandong Pilgrimage Trail

The Christian History Museum, which holds over 100 years of historical materials, allows visitors to experience the history of Korean modern culture and Christian missionary work through artifacts and documents of missionaries.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, visitors can participate in making Maesandong landscape boxes, wildflower tumblers, drawing Florence plant guides, and creating their own gardens.

The Maesandong area is a cradle of Christianity in eastern Jeollanam-do, well-preserved as a modern cultural heritage site, and a center of modern medicine and education. Walking the Maesandong pilgrimage trail offers a time travel experience back 110 years to Suncheon.

The Christian History Museum will be closed for two days on the 10th (Saturday) and 11th (Sunday), the Lunar New Year days.

In addition, visitors can enjoy the serene winter atmosphere throughout Suncheon at the thousand-year-old Seonamsa Temple, the Seungbojongchal Songgwangsa Temple, the beautiful sunset scenery at Waon Beach, and at Ocheon Green Plaza and Green Island.

Meanwhile, after nearly 10 million visitors last year, the Suncheonman National Garden has entered a renovation phase following the expo’s closing, with preparations underway to unveil a new look harmonizing analog and digital elements on April 1.

A city official said, “We have organized various programs and will operate tourist information centers and cultural tourism interpretation services normally to ensure a comfortable trip for visitors to Suncheon during the Lunar New Year holiday. We hope everyone creates joyful memories.”

Suncheon = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Lee Yeon-kyung hss79@asiae.co.kr