Shinan-gun, Heuksando Cultural Tourism Hotel Grand Opening

Blessing Ceremony Held with the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju

The cultural tourism hotel on Heuksando has opened. / Photo by Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] The cultural tourism hotel on Heuksando Island in Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, has completed major renovations and officially opened on the 30th.

According to Sinan-gun, a blessing ceremony for the 'Heuksan Cultural Tourism Hotel and Retreat House (hereafter Retreat House)' was held on Heuksando Island in collaboration with the Catholic Gwangju Archdiocese Office (Archbishop Kim Hee-jung).

The blessing ceremony was attended by Archbishop Kim Hee-jung of the Catholic Gwangju Archdiocese Office, Jeollanam-do Governor Kim Young-rok, National Assembly member Seo Sam-seok, Sinan-gun Mayor Park Woo-ryang, among others, and was conducted simply under the supervision of the Catholic Church while adhering to COVID-19 quarantine guidelines.

Heuksan Catholic Church in Sinan-gun is the first Catholic parish in Sinan-gun, elevated from a chapel of Mokpo Sanjeong-dong Church in 1958. Beyond being a simple religious facility, it has had a significant impact on the modern and contemporary history of Heuksando Island, recognized for its regional historical and architectural value, and was designated as Registered Cultural Heritage No. 759 in August 2019.

Accordingly, Sinan-gun is promoting the 'Heuksan Church Sanctuary Project and Heuksando Tourism Revitalization Project' in cooperation with the Catholic Gwangju Archdiocese Office.

The Retreat House, which held the blessing ceremony, serves as the purpose of this project. It was acquired and extensively renovated from the Heuksan Family Tourism Hotel built in 2000 and is currently in operation. The building has a total floor area of 4,010㎡, with one basement floor and five above-ground floors, and contains 49 guest rooms. Ancillary facilities include a restaurant, reception room, banquet hall, seminar room, and a convention room (scheduled to open next year).

Mayor Park Woo-ryang stated in his congratulatory speech, "Once the Heuksando sanctuary project is completed, a pilgrimage course connecting to Mokpo Sanjeong-dong Church will be established, attracting not only 5 million Catholic believers nationwide but also many tourists visiting Heuksando." He added, "The Retreat House, which is being blessed today, will be an excellent resting place for many visitors to Heuksando."

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