Daecheong Lake Area Poised to Become a Leading Ecotourism Hub
Launching Key Projects: Digital Transformation of the Ecology Center, Large-Scale Rose Park Development, and Regulatory Improvements
Park Heejo, Mayor of Dong-gu, Daejeon, stated, "Daecheong Lake is a precious resource that occupies half of Dong-gu's area, and we aim to make it a sustainable space where environmental conservation and regional development are harmonized."
In an interview on October 29, Mayor Park said, "We will steadily promote the revitalization of the Daecheong Lake area, including the creation of a rose park and regulatory improvements centered around the Ecology Center, so that residents can experience real change and revitalization of the local economy."
He particularly emphasized that the core projects of the 8th popularly elected administration, such as the digital transformation of the Daecheongho Natural Ecology Center, the creation of a rose park, and regulatory improvements, are being fully implemented, accelerating the ecological and tourism revitalization centered around Daecheong Lake.
View of the 2nd floor Digital Immersive Video Hall at Daecheongho Natural Ecology Center (Photo by Mo Seokbong)
The digital transformation project of the Daecheongho Natural Ecology Center, completed last year, was carried out with a total budget of 1.1 billion won, aiming to convert the center into an experiential ecological facility incorporating digital technology.
Through this project, a "digital immersive video hall" vividly depicting the four seasons and waterfront ecology of Daecheong Lake was newly established on the second floor, while a "media ecology hall," where visitors can explore and draw ecological information themselves, was created on the third floor.
As a result, as of September this year, the number of visitors exceeded 60,000, marking a 57% increase compared to last year. The number of family visitors continues to rise every weekend, solidifying the center's status as a leading ecological tourism destination in Daejeon.
View of the digital immersive video hall on the 2nd floor of the Daecheongho Natural Ecology Center (Photo by Mo Seokbong)
The project to create the "Daecheong Lake Rose Park" in connection with the Ecology Center is also in full swing. This large-scale project covers an area of 202,000 square meters in the Chudong Garaeul Village area and includes a rose road, themed gardens, landscape lighting, and an ecological parking lot. It is being implemented in two phases.
Currently, the procedures for urban management plan approval and park development planning are underway. The project aims for completion in 2028, following detailed design and compensation stages.
The pilot project and exhibition of the rose garden held last year already received positive responses from local residents and tourists. Upon completion, Daecheong Lake is expected to expand as a "rose healing tourism zone."
To support the revitalization of ecology and tourism, active efforts are also being made to improve regulations on Daecheong Lake.
Since Daecheong Lake was designated as a water source protection area in 1980, seven overlapping regulations, including special countermeasure zones and waterfront areas, have restricted residents' property rights for over 40 years.
In response, the district launched the "Daecheong Lake Watershed Joint Development Council" together with five neighboring local governments, including Daedeok-gu and Cheongju, Okcheon-gun, and Boeun-gun in North Chungcheong Province, to jointly address these issues.
As a result, practical achievements have been made, such as the regulatory relaxation in August last year that expanded the permissible area of restaurants within the environmental maintenance zone from 100 square meters to 150 square meters.
Currently, the district has officially proposed to the Ministry of Environment an improvement of the Daecheong Lake water source management area system and is seeking reasonable reform measures by referencing the case of Paldang Lake.
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