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The spectacular opening ceremony of the ‘Gangjin Seobu Haedanghwa Spring Flower Festival,’ held for the first time this year in Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do, took place on the 6th at the Nam Mireuksa event hall.
According to the county on the 8th, the ceremony was attended by Gangjin-gun Governor Gang Jinwon, Festival Promotion Committee Chairman Lee Honam, Nam Mireuksa Beopheung Chief Monk, Gangjin County Council Chairperson Kim Bomi, Gangjin Education Director Lee Byungsam, and Gun-dong-myeon Regional Development Council Chairperson Kim Geumsu, who participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
After the cutting ceremony, a balloon release event wishing for the festival’s success decorated the sky with about 200 balloons around the festival site. Afterwards, participants strolled along the trails, walking through the pink-hued forest path of the Seobu Haedanghwa, which had just begun to bloom.
At the opening ceremony of the Seobu Haedanghwa Spring Flower Festival, a balloon release event signaling the start of the festival is taking place. [Photo by Gangjin-gun]
Despite being the first day of the festival, tourists from all over the country gathered from early morning, filling the temporary parking lot quickly. However, orderly parking guidance was provided along the roadside edges, preventing the anticipated parking congestion.
Tourists entering the festival site were all captivated by the flowers, busily capturing the best moments of their lives with family and friends, and enjoying a cup of tea while taking in the pink garden scenery at the ‘Spring Flower Healing Cafeteria.’
Nam Mireuksa, where the festival is held, attracts 2 million visitors annually with its beauty, including the spectacular 10,000 azalea trees that will be in full bloom a month later alongside the Seobu Haedanghwa, the largest brass Amitabha Buddha statue in East Asia, and 500 Arhat statues, proving its value as a tourist resource.
At the Flower Village Joomakchon set up at the entrance of Nam Mireuksa, the ‘Tamjinsain Women’s Association’ from Gun-dong-myeon welcomed tourists with simple local dishes. The Gun-dong-myeon Volunteer Fire Brigade managed the trail sections, and elders from Bongsan and Pungdong villages worked together to maintain the environment and organize congested village areas, with 20 people participating daily, showing the community’s united will for a successful festival.
Gangjin-gun plans to hold more than ten large and small festivals and events throughout the year to incorporate local tourism resources into official county festivals and create opportunities for local residents to participate, completing a ‘package of festival, tourism, and regional economic revitalization.’
Tourists visiting the event site on the morning of the first day of the festival are walking along the Seobu Haedanghwa Road. [Photo by Gangjin-gun]
Lee Honam, Chairman of the Gangjin-gun Festival Promotion Committee, said, “Every spring, many tourists visit Nam Mireuksa, but there were not many ways for local residents to directly participate in the festival. However, starting with this festival, not only residents of Gun-dong-myeon but also all Gangjin citizens will take ownership and participate in various roles, which is expected to strengthen community bonds and positively impact the local economy.”
Governor Gang Jinwon said, “Utilizing local cultural tourism resources to create festivals and attracting more tourists through these festivals is the way to achieve ‘Gangjin’s development through a large influx of tourists.’ We hope many people come to experience the beauty of Seobu Haedanghwa firsthand.”
The 1st Gangjin Seobu Haedanghwa Spring Flower Festival welcomes tourists for nine days from the 6th to the 14th under the theme ‘The Pink Smile of Spring.’
*Photo description 1. At the opening ceremony of the Seobu Haedanghwa Spring Flower Festival, a balloon release event marks the start of the festival.
2. From early morning on the first day of the festival, tourists visiting the event site are busy taking photos.
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