The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo) announced that the 「2026 Busan Garden Show」 kicked off today (the 15th) and will run through October 18 at Busan Nakdonggang Garden.

The opening ceremony, held today starting at 11:00 AM, was attended by key dignitaries including the city's Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs, the Head of Sasang-gu Office, members of the National Assembly, and city council members, alongside citizens, to celebrate the opening and mark the beginning of the garden culture festival.

This year’s Busan Garden Show is held under the theme of , embodying the meaning of connecting nature with people, and people with people, through gardens.

The event has been designed to allow citizens to appreciate various gardens, experience garden culture firsthand, and feel the value and beauty of gardens in their daily lives.

A total of 40 garden art pieces are exhibited at the venue, offering visitors a diverse visual feast, including specialized gardens, ESG corporate companion gardens, exchange gardens, local designer gardens, and citizen-participation gardens.

Notable exhibits include the garden 'Haven' by garden designer Hwang Ji-hae, ESG corporate companion gardens created through corporate participation and cooperation, and local designer gardens containing regional characteristics and stories. Each garden showcases different themes and personalities through plants, natural materials, and creative designs, conveying the diverse charms of gardens to visitors.

In particular, the garden featuring a garden exchange with Seoul Metropolitan Government and local designer gardens highlighting the distinct traits of each autonomous district demonstrate how cities and regions communicate through gardens. Visitors can also experience the diverse possibilities of garden culture through these joint creations by corporations, designers, and local communities.

Spaces where citizens can directly participate in creating and cultivating gardens have also been prepared. Spaces such as the 'Introduction to Gardening 101 Garden' involving five institutions including Pusan National University, 10 'Large Palm-sized Gardens' created through public contest, and 6 'I Am a Gardener Gardens' participated by citizen gardeners are spaces where the ideas and participation of citizens and local communities are realized into gardens.

Alongside these, a variety of programs including garden schools, garden culture experiences, and performances are operated so that visitors can go beyond merely viewing gardens to directly experience and enjoy them. It is expected that families and neighbors will be able to stroll through gardens together, relax and communicate in nature, and experience everyday garden culture.

Meanwhile, Busan Nakdonggang Garden is a space where visitors can enjoy the beauty of gardens based on Nakdonggang River's natural scenery and ecological value. The city plans to widely publicize the charm of Busan Nakdonggang Garden through this garden show and spread a culture where citizens create and cultivate gardens together.

Furthermore, based on the interest and support of citizens, the city intends to expand the foundation of garden culture so that Busan Nakdonggang Garden can grow into a beloved garden culture space for citizens and ultimately leap forward to become a national garden.

Kim Chang-deok, Director-General of the Green City Bureau of the city, stated, "We hope that the Busan Garden Show becomes a time for citizens to encounter gardens up close and share the beauty and value of gardens together," adding, "We will strive to spread garden culture so that Busan Nakdonggang Garden can unlock greater potential and leap forward as a national garden amid the interest and support of citizens."

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