Why Do Foreigners Also Visit Nowon-gu's Healing Spot 'Bulamsan Forest Healing Center'?

Experience Korea's Rest Culture through Various Specialized Programs Utilizing Natural Environments like Barefoot Walking and Herbal Foot Baths... Plans to Continuously Develop Diverse 'K-Healing' Content Tailored to Foreigners' Preferences

Dyeing a Handkerchief with Turmeric Water

Seoul Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok)'s 'Bulgamsan Forest Healing Center' is gaining attention as a unique destination where foreigners can experience Korea's relaxation culture.

Opened in 2020 within the Bulgamsan Healing Town, the Forest Healing Center quickly established itself as a local healing spot by offering various specialized programs utilizing the pristine natural environment.

The Forest Healing Center first caught the attention of foreigners when Jamboree participants visiting Nowon in August last year visited the center. The district prepared a schedule for the participants to visit the center on the first day of activities to help them recover from long travel, providing healing programs such as herbal foot baths and forest exercises, which received great responses from the participants.

This year, students from Japan's Fujimura Girls' High School visited Nowon to experience Korean culture. The healing programs at the 'Nowon-gu Bulgamsan Forest Healing Center,' which the students most anticipated, were organized the same way as the programs usually available to local residents.

Through six experiential programs operated by the center, including ▲Vitality Forest ▲Health Forest ▲Five Senses Forest, the students were able to experience forest healing programs that are hard to encounter in the city, such as barefoot walking, herbal foot baths, cypress forest phytoncide showers, and moonlight walking.

Yura Fukuda, a student who participated in the program, said, “The experience of walking barefoot in the forest away from the noisy city was the best. I felt healed through experiences I usually cannot have, and I liked the feeling of my mind calming down in the cool and quiet forest.”

Kim Joo-yeon, director of the Bulgamsan Forest Healing Center who oversaw the program, said, “In Korea, where it is safe even at night, many people use forests or green spaces for exercise or participate in healing programs. We will widely promote this Korean culture to foreigners and further develop various healing products targeting foreigners.”

Meanwhile, with the 2024 World Forest Healing Forum to be held in Korea, in October, policymakers, forest healing instructors, and medical experts from over 20 countries including China, Japan, Taiwan, the United States, Canada, Australia, and European countries are scheduled to visit the Bulgamsan Forest Healing Center to experience the urban forest healing programs spreading in Korea.

Walking Barefoot on the Loess Path Experience

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Nowon-gu has beautiful mountains and parks, as well as infrastructure and content that can offer diverse cultures. As the number of foreigners visiting Korea increases, we will strive to develop various ‘K-Healing’ products tailored to foreigners' tastes.”