Story Content Development and More Planned Through 2026
Cheongyang County in South Chungcheong Province is accelerating the development of tourism content that highlights the region's unique characteristics in celebration of the "Year of Creating a Tourism City 2025."
According to Cheongyang County on May 21, as part of the "Western Inland Tourism Promotion Project" led by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the county is advancing the "Seongji Hyeyum-gil" initiative and has introduced a new pilgrimage tourism product that combines religious resources with healing content.
"Seongji Hyeyum-gil" is a healing journey concept where visitors "Hyeyum" (a pure Korean word meaning "to think") as they follow sites imbued with religious significance, emptying, filling, and reflecting along the way.
This project, running from last year through 2026, is being implemented in stages: discovering story content and developing healing pilgrimage products, operating regionally specialized products, and establishing a digital commentary system.
Last year, the county focused on uncovering story content centered around local religious resources such as Janggoksa Temple and the Darakgol Stripe Tomb Holy Site.
Based on this, two programs that blend religion and healing?"Darakgol Holy Site and Mind Healing Pilgrimage" and "Temple and Vegan Journey for Physical Renewal"?are scheduled to begin operation at the end of this month.
The "Darakgol Holy Site and Mind Healing Pilgrimage" follows in the footsteps of Father Choi Yang-eop, the second Catholic priest in Korea.
Through a variety of programs?including forest pilgrimage, walking the Way of the Cross, conversations with priests, moonlight trekking, making clay soap, and climbing experiences?participants can experience the history and spirit of Catholic persecution and seek emotional recovery.
The "Temple and Vegan Journey for Physical Renewal" includes a tour of Janggoksa Temple, nature trekking, aroma foot baths, and a vegan cooking class with a Buddhist nun.
Participants will have the opportunity to empty and heal both body and mind through nature and food.
In particular, the county plans to establish a smart commentary system linked to the Korea Tourism Organization's audio guide app "Odi," enabling individual tourists to easily enjoy healing journeys. Through this system, the history and significance of each religious tourism resource will be delivered as digital content.
County Governor Kim Dongon stated, "Seongji Hyeyum-gil will grow beyond simple religious tourism to become healing content that provides modern people with essential opportunities for physical and mental healing and reflection," adding, "We will build a sustainable tourism foundation to foster Cheongyang as a leading tourism city in the central region."
Meanwhile, the Western Inland Tourism Promotion Project is a large-scale regional cooperation initiative involving 18 cities and counties across three provinces?Sejong, North Jeolla, and South Chungcheong?with the goal of strengthening tourism competitiveness in the western inland region through interregional collaboration.
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