South Jeolla's regional festivals hope to go global

South Jeolla’s regional festivals are hoping to go global by collaborating with Thailand’s Songkran Water Festival and Vietnam’s Dalat Flower Festival.

Tourists and locals participate in the annual Jangheung Water Festival in Jangheung County, South Jeolla. Shown in the image is the festival's 2022 edition. [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

South Jeolla’s regional festivals are vying to go global by collaborating with Thailand’s Songkran Water Festival and Vietnam’s Dalat Flower Festival.

Under the province’s three-year plan to boost tourism announced Wednesday, officials from each of the foreign fiestas have been invited to the Jangheung County’s Water Festival in the summer and Hampyeong County’s Grand Chrysanthemum Festival in the fall, respectively, to exchange cultural insights.

The provincial government has especially high hopes strung on the annual Jangheung County’s Water Festival which drew some 660,000 tourists last year, both in and out of Korea. South Jeolla government’s regional impact analysis for the 2023 edition of the event reports that it generated some 60.5 billion won ($45.9 million).

In previous years, the festival started at the county hall with a large-scale water parade and water gun battles. The water is from the Tamjin River and the Jangheung Dam which has an excess amount due to heavy rain that annually pours a few weeks prior.

This year's Jangheung County Water Festival is slated for July 27 to Aug. 4.

People participate in the annual Jangheung Water Festival in Jangheung County, South Jeolla. Shown in the image is the festival's 2022 edition. [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

Hampyeong County’s Grand Chrysanthemum Festival is an annual flower festival that features some 450 works made with real flowers, mainly chrysanthemum, according to Hampyeong County. This year, it is slated to begin in late October at Hampyeong Expo Park.

South Jeolla is also looking to promote its gastro culture to the global audience through the Namdo Food Festival, which added “international” in front of its name as of last year. Already on its 30th event, it will be held in Mokpo sometime this fall. It especially plans to promote locally made alcoholic beverages like makgeolli (Korean traditional rice wine) and beer, according to the government.

Grand Chrysanthemum Festival is held every fall in Hampyeong County, South Jeolla. Shown in the image is the festival's 2022 edition. [YONHAP]

To bump up overnight tourism, South Jeolla is expected to offer more temple stays and food experiences this year. It will also partner with some 20 natural recreational locations, including regional beaches, trails and forests, to curate events for visitors wanting to relax.

South Jeolla plans to further facilitate these activities to the public by hosting a Global Travel YouTuber and Tiktoker Festival and partnering with the province’s tourism platform and various online travel agencies.

“We will strive to let the world know of South Jeolla’s charms by turning it into a global city that tourists want to return to," the Director of the Department of Sports and Tourism of South Jeolla Province Joo Sun-seon told the press Wednesday.

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