Suncheonman International Garden Expo to give visitors a glimpse of the future

Food & Travel

Published: 10 Feb. 2023, 15:04 Updated: 10 Feb. 2023, 16:14

Suncheonman International Garden Expo to give visitors a glimpse of the future

Floating gardens of the 2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo in Suncheon, South Jeolla [SUNCHEONMAN INTERNATIONAL GARDEN EXPO]

The city of Suncheon in South Jeolla is showing that the sustainable future of urban cities lies in gardens.

"Gardens are the most pragmatic alternative to the zero-carbon era," Suncheon city mayor Roh Kwan-kyu told the press on Friday. As the director of the upcoming Suncheonman International Garden Expo, Roh as well as four expo ambassadors — Italian TV personality Alberto Mondi, Indian TV personality Abhishek Gupta (also known as Lucky), German TV personality Daniel Lindemann and Korean pansori (traditional Korean narrative singing) performer Bae Il-dong — held a press conference at the Korea Press Center in Jongno District, central Seoul.

From left, Italian TV personality Alberto Mondi, Suncheon city mayor Roh Kwan-kyu, Indian TV personality Abhishek Gupta (also known as Lucky), Korean pansori (traditional Korean narrative singing) performer Bae Il-dong and German TV personality Daniel Lindemann pose for photos after the press event for the 2023 Suncheonman Garden Expo at the Korea Press Center in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Friday. [YONHAP]

Under the theme "Life Inside Gardens" (translated), the upcoming expo set to begin in April will offer visitors various ways to revel in the city's gardens, according to the briefing given by Roh.

Activities center around the wellness of mind and body such as the "Earthing Road" which is a 12-kilometer-long (7.4 miles) trail designed for people to walk on barefoot; an overnight "garden stay" with meals cooked by Michelin-starred chefs; a floating garden; and a "Sunset Garden" where visitors can enjoy the sunset from grassy hills. The expo is pet friendly and there is also a service to take care of pets when owners want to look around parts of the event that don't allow four-legged friends.

"City life is inevitably stressful for so many people," said Roh, "but being surrounded by gardens in daily life can significantly alleviate that."

The entire expo is held across 548 hectares of land in Suncheon, spanning across the city's iconic natural landmarks such as the Suncheon Bay National Garden and Suncheon Bay Nature Reserve. Some 294 kilometers south of Seoul, Suncheon today is known as a rising eco-friendly city, harboring some of the country's most valuable natural sites such as its mud flats that are recognized as a Unesco World Natural Heritage site as of last July.

The total operating cost of the expo is estimated to be 200 billion won ($158 million).

What this sizable event ultimately aims to achieve is to suggest a model of a possible future city, said Roh.

"The 2023 Garden Expo isn't just an event for the city of Suncheon. We are hosting this year's event to show other cities in Korea as well as the world how Suncheon is achieving new milestones in urban development. We've turned asphalt roads and abandoned reservoirs into gardens. There is more potential use for gardens than to simply see and appreciate them."

Air view of the 2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo in Suncheon, South Jeolla [SUNCHEONMAN INTERNATIONAL GARDEN EXPO]

In 2013, the first expo was held with the aim of preserving Suncheonman Bay. The bay is now part of a national park and attracts up to 5 million visitors each year from all around the world. This year is its second event, hosted by Korea Forest Service and the Suncheon city government.

The 2023 Suncheonman International Garden Expo runs from April 1 to October 31.

Early ticket purchases are available until March 31. Single-day passes are 14,000 won for adults; 11,000 won for adolescents and 7,000 won for children. They are available on the local ticketing platform Interpark and the official website of the expo.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]