"See the 'Rose of the East,' Peony Flowers" … Yeongcheon City Opens Peony Flower Fields

'The 3rd Peony Flower Festival' from the 12th to 19th at 10 locations including Sinnyeong-myeon

A peony flower field in the Hwanam-ri area of Sinnyeong-myeon, Yeongcheon-si.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-ho] Yeongcheon City, Gyeongbuk Province, will hold the '3rd Yeongcheon Peony Flower Festival' at 10 locations centered around Hwanam-ri, Sin-nyeong-myeon for 8 days from the 12th to the 19th.

Started in 2018 as an event independently planned by members of the Korean Herbal Crop Group, the Yeongcheon Peony Flower Festival has expanded into an annual festival as it became famous as a photo spot through visitors' SNS activities.

Called the "Rose of the East" and also known as "Hambak Flower" because it is as lush as a large bowl called hamjibak, peony flowers bloom in mid-May every year. It is a medicinal crop harvested in the fall of the 3rd to 4th year after transplanting the rhizomes. The root part has medicinal effects and is used as tea or herbal medicine. Recently, it has become popular as an ornamental plant.

The cultivation area of medicinal crops in the Yeongcheon area is 153 hectares across about 290 farms in the region, having increased by about 40 hectares over the past three years. Among them, peonies account for 100 hectares, or 67%, and are recognized as a key item for agricultural income.

Jeon Ju-taek, president of the Korean Herbal Crop Group, expressed regret, saying, "Due to the practice of social distancing for COVID-19, we are unable to hold various events such as peony flower picking experiences and flower tea tasting." However, he added, "We will open peony flower fields throughout Yeongcheon City so that visitors can enjoy flower viewing while driving anytime."

Choi Ki-moon, mayor of Yeongcheon City, emphasized, "By preserving the seasonal agricultural landscapes such as the 100-ri cherry blossom road around Yeongcheon Dam, flower fields in the Geumho River floodplain, peach blossoms, and peony flowers, we will provide citizens exhausted by COVID-19 with opportunities to enjoy flowers."

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