Jeonnam Hwasun 'Gukhwahyangyeon' Fully Canceled Again This Year Due to COVID-19 Impact

2020 Hwasun Chrysanthemum Festival. Photo by Hwasun County.

[Hwasun=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Ji-woon] Jeollanam-do Hwasun-gun (Governor Gu Chung-gon) announced on the 7th that the representative festival, ‘Hwasun Chrysanthemum Festival,’ has been canceled again this year following last year.

According to the Hwasun-gun Festival Promotion Committee (Chairman Kim Tae-ryong), it was announced that the ‘2021 Hwasun Chrysanthemum Festival’ will be canceled for the safety of residents and tourists.

The Festival Promotion Committee held a meeting on the 6th and decided to cancel the festival considering the spread of the 4th wave, the rapid increase of the highly contagious Delta variant, and the extension of social distancing level 3 for 4 weeks in non-metropolitan areas amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Festival Promotion Committee stated, “We had prepared a lot to provide comfort and joy to residents and tourists who have suffered many difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation, but we ask for your understanding as this decision prioritizes the safety of the residents,” and added, “We will do our best to make next year’s festival one that everyone can enjoy together, using this year’s disappointment as a stepping stone.”

Instead of holding the festival, Hwasun-gun plans to proceed with the chrysanthemum flower viewing at Namsan Park to comfort residents and tourists exhausted by COVID-19.

As in last year, a thorough quarantine management plan will be established and implemented, including a reservation system, limiting the number of visitors per hour, and a one-way viewing route.

A Hwasun-gun official said, “Although the festival has been canceled, we will establish a thorough quarantine management plan so that visitors to view the chrysanthemums at Namsan Park can safely enjoy the autumn atmosphere,” and added, “We hope that residents can momentarily forget COVID-19 and find peace of mind through the chrysanthemums.”

He continued, “Next year, we will actively introduce online programs reflecting the changed cultural consumption trends after COVID-19 and use this as an opportunity to transform the festival into a paradigm where all generations communicate.”

The ‘Dolmen Culture Festival’ and ‘Unju Culture Festival,’ which were postponed once in the first half of this year, and the ‘Jeokbyeok Culture Festival,’ scheduled to be held in October, were also canceled due to the impact of COVID-19.

Hwasun=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Ji-woon rosaria0704@asiae.co.kr

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