ILSAN, KOREA — The useless, barren landfill turned into a chrysanthemum garden.
The largest ever Chrysanthemum Festival, held at Dream Park in the metropolitan area of Baekseok Dong, Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province has opened for its 11-day run. The 9th Dream Park Chrysanthemum Festival open is free for admission and held from October 11th to 21st at the 860 thousand square meter site of a wild flower garden in the metropolitan area. That is 120 times the size of the international standard soccer field, and almost two and a half times the size of Yeouido.
Dream Park wild flower garden, which was once a landfill, was reborn as an environmentally friendly theme park. It took four years to build the park as part of the environmental project designed to restore nature in the landfill. The area, which was once the wetlands, was reclaimed and used as a landfill for coal briquette ashes. After the creation of the park, since 2004 the Chrysanthemum Festival has been held to change people’s perception, and this year marks the 9th festival.
Seong-chil Kang, Manager at Park Management Division of Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corp. said, “Metropolitan landfill, the largest of its kind in the world, used to be a beautiful wetland. We are trying our best to serve a festival ground where local people as well as visitors can enjoy together by restoring the ecosystem and healing the locals’ broken heart.” Kang added, “This event will be an opportunity to better educate children about the environment and the park will be the perfect place for families and couples to make good memories.”
The scale of this year’s event is the largest ever and featured the most ever artwork. The total amount of artwork created using chrysanthemums alone amounted to 52,200. The event featured thirty six theme plants including a huge garden of chrysanthemums and cosmos flowers on the site of 71,000 square meters, wild flowers, nature exploring areas, silver grass and ecological ponds. Plus, a variety of programs for first-hand education were prepared for visitors. Many different performances, such as professional performances as well as amateur performances for local people are also featured to promote the local culture.
In addition, more interesting programs including rafting, flower art, traditional craft, electric car, elephant train, changing the soil in the pot are standing by waiting for visitors to see, feel and experience. During the festival, an event designed to promote the city of Incheon through “Radienteering” is held, too.
Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corp., the host of this event, estimated that 500,000 people will visit the event this year, marking the largest attendance ever. Last year’s event was said to have had 280,000 visitors in total.
Meanwhile, chrysanthemums, the main attraction of the festival, will suppose to be sent to North Korea to share their beauty. Sudokwon Landfill Site Management Corp. will send 5,000 artworks made of chrysanthemums to North Korea in ten 1-ton trucks on the 22nd, the day following the closing. Pyongyang requested the provision of the Gaesung Industrial Complex with autumn flowers while considering the emotional benefits and favorable environments for 50,000 workers in the complex.
