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The Donguibogam Village upgrade and completion of the Daewonsa ecological healing road, the Namsa Yedamchon selection for Local100 — 'A Year-Round Festival Wave' to Lure Tourists Strengthening Content that Links Nature, Health, and Rest
Cradled by the mighty presence of Jirisan’s Cheonwangbong Peak and traced by the clear bends of the Gyeonghogang River, Sancheong County — known as Korea’s birthplace of anti-aging wellness — is gearing up this year to become more than a scenic spot. It’s aiming to be a national wellness pilgrimage. After last year’s sting from record rains and canceled festivals, the county turned that setback into fuel for resilience. Like soil that hardens after a storm, Sancheong is ready to welcome travelers with steadier, warmer hospitality than ever.
◇ Donguibogam Village, the wellspring of healing…named one of ‘Korea Tourism 100’
Donguibogam Village, the beating heart of Sancheong tourism, has been listed on the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Tourism Organization’s ‘2025–2026 Korea Tourism 100,’ cementing its status as a premier wellness destination. This year the village will blend deep tradition with contemporary touches to welcome visitors of all ages.
At the Hanbang energy experience site — where the spirit of the Baekdudaegan mountain range is said to gather — signature features like the Guigam stone and Seokgyeong will remain central, offering visitors a moment to recharge. But the village is also getting a digital boost: a mission-style tour called “Find the Immortality Herb!” aimed at Gen Z and families. Think of it as a playful, interactive scavenger hunt through the village that makes wellness feel active and fun instead of stodgy.
Plus, the suspension bridge Mureunggyo, spanning Wangsang and Pilbong mountains, will be one of the best spots to drink in Jirisan’s four seasons — a simple walk there feels like a mini cleansing for the mind. The county will also open a character goods shop in Donguibogam Village and introduce a friendly mascot line called ‘Friends Beyond the Mountain’ to give visitors a warmer welcome.
◇ A breathing space in nature — completing the ecological healing road…Daewonsa Valley trail extension to finish soon
This year Sancheong’s tourism map will be stitched together by trails. Not just routes to get from A to B, these ‘ecological healing roads’ turn walking into meditation and gentle therapy.
Flagship projects include the Baekdudaegan V-Healing Startup Road and the Bammeori-jae observatory landscape development. The route linking Bammeori-jae’s crimson maple path to the rise of Ungseokbong carries a budget of 27.5 billion KRW (about 20.6 million USD) and aims for completion in 2028. This year, key lookout points like the maple trail will begin to take shape and are expected to become major photo-worthy stops.
The warm, motherly trail through Jirisan’s Daewonsa Valley will get longer and cozier. The county is investing 3.6 billion KRW (about 2.7 million USD) to extend existing paths, add deck roads, and expand rest areas under the ‘Daewonsa Valley Trail Extension’ project, targeting completion in July. The trail will be a nature-first spot where visitors can fully soak in clean mountain air and the music of flowing water.
Meanwhile, Hwangmaesan — often called Korea’s ‘Alps’ — will see major upgrades to amenities like the Mirinae Park parking area, boosting its appeal as a must-see for spring azaleas and autumn silver grass. The county has fully repaired last year’s flood damage and turned recovery into an opportunity to add fresh attractions.
◇ Staying becomes the trip…pivot to longer-stay tourism
Sancheong’s tourism trend this year is shifting from quick stopovers to slow, immersive stays. To encourage longer visits and boost the local economy, the county is rolling out bold incentives and curated programs.
The county will host on-site promotional events that combine tourism, hands-on experiences, performances, and sales — pop-up promotion centers and trade fairs designed to showcase Sancheong’s assets and energize local businesses. The schedule starts with the Gyeongnam Tourism Fair from the 19th to the 21st, followed by a Sancheong tourism pop-up at LF Square in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do from April 18–26.
To further revive local vitality and grow domestic demand, the county will run the ‘Sancheong Wellness Regional City Tour.’ By linking local attractions into distinctive, stay-focused packages — pairing wellness, health themes, and festivals — Sancheong hopes to attract new visitors and create steady travel demand.
A marquee incentive is ‘Stay One Night in Sancheong!’ which refunds part of visitors’ travel costs as Sancheong Love Gift Certificates. Budget-minded travelers will enjoy the savings, and local small businesses will see welcome foot traffic.
Since last month, the ‘Lunar New Year Sancheong Lodging Sale Festa’ has promoted local accommodations and offered discount coupons to make stays more accessible, further pushing the county toward a stay-oriented tourism model.
Campers have reason to smile too. The ‘Changchon National Leisure Camping Site,’ set along the scenic Deokcheon River, is slated to begin construction in October. It’s being designed as a romantic family spot where you can count stars and fall asleep to the chorus of crickets.
◇ Luring tourists with a ‘year-round festival relay’
The county plans a year-round ‘festival relay’ to keep visitors coming — from spring azaleas to romantic summer night festivals to an autumn herbal medicine celebration.
△A sweet start…19th Jirisan Sancheong Dried Persimmon Festival
Sancheong kicked off the year with the ‘Jirisan Sancheong Dried Persimmon Festival.’ Held Jan. 8–11 at the Sancheong Dried Persimmon Distribution Center in Sicheon-myeon, the festival lived up to its reputation — having won the Korea Festival Content Grand Prize for 10 consecutive years — and wrapped with lively, participatory events like nationwide housewives’ singing contests and cooking competitions, giving 2026’s festival season a delightful jumpstart.
△A pink spring festival…Hwangmaesan Azalea Festival & Saengcho Moss Phlox Festival
Spring in Sancheong turns rosy. The ’42nd Sancheong Hwangmaesan Azalea Festival’ runs May 1–10 across the Hwangmaesan area in Chahwang-myeon. Set against Korea’s largest azalea fields, the festival includes azalea rites, local product markets, and a variety of events. In mid-April, the Saengcho International Sculpture Park will host the ‘Sancheong Saengcho International Moss Phlox Festival,’ where sculptures and vibrant moss phlox create a striking visual mix.
△Summer-night romance…ON Sancheong Shining Summer Night Festival & Jung-san Tourist Site night events
The county is expanding nighttime tourism to beat the heat. Around August, the ‘ON Sancheong Shining Summer Night Festival’ at Josan Park in Sancheong-eup will spotlight five nighttime pleasures — views, late-night eats, night markets, and more — to stir midsummer feelings. Around September, a new evening program at Jung-san Tourist Site, the gateway to Jirisan’s Cheonwangbong, will combine forest experiences with nighttime scenery for family-friendly healing activities.
△The breath of Jirisan…Jangdang Valley ESG trekking & Sancheong Herbal Medicine Festival
Eco-friendly programs will highlight Sancheong’s pristine values. The county will open a previously off-limits section of Jirisan’s Jangdang Valley for an ‘ESG Trekking’ event that blends environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G) principles into hiking. Activities include ‘plogging’ — picking up trash while walking or running — and guided forest talks, offering a sustainable travel model that balances conservation and tourism. In early October, the ’26th Sancheong Herbal Medicine Festival,’ a three-time honorary cultural tourism festival, will return to Donguibogam Village to close the season.
◇ Namsa Yedamchon selected for Local100
Namsa Yedamchon, chosen for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Local100 program, will offer calming walking tours along its stone-walled lanes and begin Saturday regular performances centered on the Gisan Gugak Hall next month. In May, the county will stage ‘The Royal Proclamation of Taejo,’ a reenactment of Yi Seong-gye granting a merit title to a founding general, and in October it will present ‘Namsa Yedam Yeon,’ featuring seniors’ poetry, stone-walled lanes, and traditional weddings to share Korea’s timeless charm with visitors.
◇ Sancheong — a city of emotion and healing
Sancheong truly lives up to its name: clear mountains, clear water. This year the county aims to go beyond natural purity and become a ‘city of healing’ that soothes the heart.
With a carefully woven slate of tourism offerings, the county is ready to treat every visitor as a cherished guest. Even amid challenges like population decline and regional contraction, Sancheong is turning to tourism to find new life and offer travelers rest, warmth, and comfort.
Gyeongnam = Jeong Do-jeong, reporter sos6831@viva100.com
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