Events During Lunar New Year Holiday:
Photo Certification and Travel Review Contests
Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do announced on the 21st that Gwangyang Maehwa Village, known as the gateway to spring in Korea, has been selected for the '2025~2026 Korea Tourism Top 100'.
The 'Korea Tourism Top 100' is a project launched in 2012 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, which selects and promotes 100 of the country's leading tourist destinations every two years.
Gwangyang Maehwa Village has been selected as one of the '2025-2026 Korea Tourism 100' organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization. Provided by Gwangyang City
After the Gwangyang Seomjingang Maehwa was selected for the first '2013~2014 Korea Tourism Top 100', Gwangyang Maehwa Village had not been included in the list for some time. However, for the seventh edition, the '2025~2026 Korea Tourism Top 100', it was chosen as a preliminary candidate through recommendations from local governments and big data analysis, and after passing rigorous procedures such as document evaluation, on-site evaluation, and field monitoring, it regained the honor after 12 years.
For the next two years, Gwangyang Maehwa Village will be featured on 'Korea Travel Guide', the country's leading travel information website, and will also be listed on the 'Korea Tourism Top 100 Map' distributed at domestic and international tourist information centers.
Additionally, as the Korea Tourism Organization promotes the site both online and offline through its overseas branches (32 offices in 20 countries), information about Gwangyang Maehwa Village will be translated into English, Japanese, and Chinese, which is expected to help realize its vision as a global tourist city attracting 10 million visitors.
Gwangyang Maehwa Village is a vibrant space where master Hong Ssangri, who has spent a lifetime cultivating plum orchards and writing poetry, has left her touch, and where over 2,000 earthenware jars breathe life, creating a beautiful landscape in harmony with the Seomjingang River.
In 2019, it was selected by MSN, a portal site operated by Microsoft, as one of '23 Asian Destinations for Beautiful Spring Scenery', and by digital travel platform Agoda as one of 'Six Domestic and International Spring Flower Destinations Filled with Blossoms', drawing attention from around the world.
It is also famous as a filming location for the movie 'Chihwaseon', which won director Im Kwon-taek the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as for dramas like 'Damo'. It has captivated TV producers, including shows like KBS 2 Days & 1 Night Season 4 and MBN & LG HelloVision's 'Kang Seokwoo's Last Stop Travel Season 2'.
Every March, the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival held in and around Gwangyang Maehwa Village is the first place people want to visit after the bleak winter, attracting over one million tourists each year.
The 23rd Gwangyang Maehwa Festival, held last year, received rave reviews from various media outlets as a 'three-no' festival?no cars, affordable food, and the use of reusable containers. The 24th Gwangyang Maehwa Festival is also raising expectations with even more innovative and differentiated content.
In particular, to celebrate the extended Lunar New Year holiday due to the designation of a temporary public holiday, nationwide visitor certification events for the 'Korea Tourism Top 100' will be held, such as the 'Seolprise Photo Event' and 'Special Travel Review Event'.
Kim Miran, Director of Tourism, said, "The excellence of Gwangyang Maehwa Village, along with the city's ongoing projects such as the construction of the Seomjingang Toad Footbridge and the creation of an integrated tourism belt in the Seomjingang area, played a decisive role in demonstrating its potential for further development."
She added, "We will continue to promote balanced, region-specific tourism projects that highlight the unique resources of Gwangyang, such as Baegunsan, Gubongsan, and the Seomjingang River, and strive to become a leading tourist city worthy of the Korea Tourism Top 100."
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