(C) Reporter Hong Moon-hwa
Famous singers including Lee Chan-won, Ahn Seong-hoon, and Gummy to appear at the opening ceremony on the 25th.
Simultaneous experience of horticultural, forest, and marine healing at 6 exhibition halls, including special pavilions.
A single ticket offers free admission to the expo grounds, arboretum, and provincial gardens.
The world's first internationally approved horticultural healing expo, prepared over two years, is set to make its grand debut at Kkotji Beach Park in Anmyeon-do, Taean-gun, Chungnam—a famous spot for sunsets.
The Organizing Committee for the 2026 Taean International Horticultural Healing Expo (hereinafter referred to as the Organizing Committee) announced that the expo, a future-oriented event where nature, technology (AI), and industry harmonize, will open for 30 days starting at 9:00 AM on April 25 at Kkotji Beach Park.
The opening ceremony will be held at 6:00 PM, consisting of an official ceremony and post-event festivities. It will feature a 1,000-drone show, a flying performance, and a star-studded lineup including Lee Chan-won, Kim Yong-bin, Ahn Seong-hoon, Gummy, Kim Jang-hoon, Dynamic Duo, Lim Hyun-jung, and Jang Sa-ik.
Following the successful flower expos held in Anmyeon-do in 2002 and 2009, this expo—held after 17 years—expands beyond simple flower displays to include experiences and healing set against the backdrop of the sea. It is designed as a space for tourism, experience, and healing, combining coastal scenery with the horticultural industry and AI technology.
The Special Pavilion (Theme Pavilion) consists of six zones: Invitation to the Garden, Golden Flower Garden, Raindrop Garden, Whisper of Flowers, Siesta in the Flower Bed, and Forest of Butterflies. It is an immersive space where visitors can sensory-experience horticultural healing as if they were butterflies, with media art providing a sense of a fantasy world.
The International Exchange Pavilion (Fairytale Land), themed after major world fairy tales, features six gardens: The Garden of Black Tulips (Netherlands), Phra Aphai Mani (Thai traditional folklore), The Little Match Girl (Denmark), Town Musicians of Bremen (Germany), The Brother and Sister Who Became the Sun and Moon (Korea), and The Wizard of Oz (USA).
The Healing Agriculture Pavilion, an integrated space for Chungnam-style healing agriculture, offers six programs combining exhibition, experience, and healing services. Experiences take 10 to 30 minutes with a fee of 1,000 KRW. Large eggplant and chili trees, as well as a 100-year-old wolfberry tree, are notable highlights.
The Industry Pavilion features 95 companies and public institutions from the horticulture, health, beauty, and food sectors. It serves as a space to introduce technologies and products from top domestic and international horticultural healing companies and to promote Chungnam's smart agriculture policies.
The Horticultural Healing Experience Pavilion offers hands-on programs such as growing grass-head dolls, repotting succulents, making pressed flower postcards, Taean flower tea ceremonies, making air-purifying frames, and healing terrariums. Experience fees range from 3,000 to 5,000 KRW.
Additionally, a KidZania Pavilion offers career experiences for children for 2,000 KRW. The "AI Harmony Garden" is also drawing attention—a new type of healing garden that measures visitors' emotions using AI pianos and kiosks to generate personalized music and experiences.
The outdoor display features a photo zone with 1 million flowers of 80 species, including tulips. It includes 22 gardens such as "Garden of Flowery Sleep" by popular artist Lee Seul-ro, "Greeting of Flowers," "Fragrance Garden," "Herb Garden," and "Italian Garden." Facilities such as three food courts, food trucks, cafes, and restrooms are also available.
With a single ticket (15,000 KRW for adults), visitors can explore the main venue and use a shuttle bus to visit the Anmyeon-do Arboretum and Anmyeon-do Provincial Garden for free. Furthermore, the Taean Marine Healing Center offers a 40% discount on weekdays and 30% on weekends for ticket holders.
Secretary-General Oh Jin-gi of the Organizing Committee stated, "This expo is not just an exhibition to look at flowers; it is designed so that walking through the gardens, feeling the scents, and staying in nature becomes healing in itself by adding horticultural, forest, and marine healing elements. We hope you come to the expo grounds to relax, enjoy, and take home wonderful memories of healing."
The 2026 Taean International Horticultural Healing Expo will be held for one month from April 25 to May 24 at Kkotji Beach Park, Anmyeon-do, under the theme "Healthy Future Found in Nature: Horticulture & Healing."
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