Boseong-gun Cultivates Nation's Largest Azalea Colony

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Cheon-seok] Boseong County announced on the 19th that it will invest a total project cost of 150 million KRW to maintain the largest Rhododendron colony in Korea across three famous mountains: Ilimsan, Choamsan, and Gyedangsan, in order to cultivate future forest assets and enhance their value.

The Rhododendron colony maintenance project involves removing underbrush such as bamboo grass and broom trees that hinder rhododendron growth, improving inconvenient forest trails, and enhancing the growth environment of the rhododendrons. It is also carried out to improve the safety and convenience of hikers. The work is planned to be completed before the end of next month, which is the peak blooming period of the mountain rhododendrons.

The Ilimsan (elevation 667.5m) Rhododendron colony covers about 100 hectares, making it the largest rhododendron colony nationwide.

In particular, in spring, the entire mountain is dyed light pink, creating a fantastic spectacle in contrast with the phytoncide-rich cypress forest, making it a must-visit famous mountain popular among hikers during the spring season.

Last year, Boseong County completed an ecological restoration project by installing a wetland observation deck that combines protection of biological genetic resources and hiking trails in the forest wetland at the mid-point of Ilimsan, with a project cost of 550 million KRW secured through a public contest, thereby enhancing sightseeing and experiential opportunities.

Additionally, Choamsan (elevation 576m) features towering bizarre rock formations and stunning dawn fog scenery in its Rhododendron colony, while the Gyedangsan (elevation 580m) Rhododendron colony located in Boknae-myeon is praised for its majestic pine forest and the Boseong River, which together resemble a picturesque painting.

Kim Cheol-woo, Governor of Boseong County, stated, “There is no Rhododendron colony in the country that combines such a large area and beauty as Boseong.” He added, “Since forest resources cannot be obtained overnight, we ask for efforts to preserve and manage the Rhododendron colonies with a view to the future, investing to develop them into world-class forest tourism resources.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.