Theme: "Iksan Baekje, Blossoming with Chrysanthemums"
A Variety of Attractions Including Pop-up Playgrounds for Children and Teenagers
Iksan City in North Jeolla Province will hold the "22nd Iksan Ten Million Chrysanthemums Festival" for 10 days, starting with the opening on the 24th and running until the 2nd of next month at the Central Sports Park area.
Iksan City will hold the "22nd Iksan Ten Million Chrysanthemums Festival" for 10 days from the opening on the 24th until the 2nd of next month at the Central Sports Park area. Photo by Iksan City
According to the city on the 23rd, this year's festival is themed "Iksan Baekje, Blossoming with Chrysanthemums." The Baekje Golden Bell Hanji Lantern, which recreates the splendor of Baekje culture, and a large 8-meter-tall phoenix sculpture are drawing significant attention.
In addition, with the opening of the pedestrian bridge at Sinheung Park, the festival area has been expanded to the waterfront garden of Sinheung Park, creating an autumn urban retreat along the waterway. This year, more than 1,000 chrysanthemum sculptures and over 60,000 autumn flowering plants, including chrysanthemums, will be displayed throughout Central Sports Park and Sinheung Park. Citizens and tourists can enjoy a leisurely autumn outing along the newly opened waterfront promenade.
This year's festival also offers a variety of hands-on experiences and events for people of all ages. Activities include the "Flower Flower Hide-and-Seek" mobile stamp tour, the Ten Million Chrysanthemums Experience Playground, a pop-up playground for children and teenagers, urban agriculture experiences, bouquet-making, and a forest experience program for young children, among many others.
At the sales and promotional booths, where citizens and local organizations participate directly, visitors can find over 400 types of local agricultural products, a jewelry market, Iksan-style yukhoe bibimbap, sweet potato stem chicken soup, Maryongi bread, and other signature Iksan foods to delight all five senses.
This year, in particular, marks the 30th anniversary of the merger between Iri City and Iksan County, and to commemorate this, a variety of discount events and reductions in public facility usage fees will be offered outside the festival grounds, providing citizen participation benefits. In addition, a range of related events such as the Gemstone Grand Festival, the National Stone Culture Industry Exhibition, and the Treasure Hunt Festival will be held, offering a wealth of attractions and experiences.
The Iksan Ten Million Chrysanthemums Festival originated from the "Farmers’ Chrysanthemum Exhibition," which began after the merger of Iri City and Iksan County in 1995, using the chrysanthemum-the official city flower of Iksan-as its theme. In 2004, the event moved to Central Sports Park and was relaunched as the "Ten Million Chrysanthemums Festival." Since then, it has grown into a leading national flower festival enjoyed by citizens and tourists every autumn.
Mayor Jung Heon-yul stated, "This year’s Chrysanthemum Festival connects the traditions of Iksan Baekje with the present and expresses the beautiful bonds that connect people. Like the blooming chrysanthemums, I hope everyone who visits Iksan will share in happy memories and the special emotions of autumn."
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