Shinan-gun Creates 1004 Forest Garden, Sparks Special Donation Worth 21 Billion KRW 'Hot Topic'

Dochog Pangnamu 10-ri-gil ⓒ Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] As Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, gains global attention by creating the 1004 Islands Garden that blooms flowers all year round with the theme of one island, one themed tree species, a ‘special donation’ is also becoming a hot topic.

According to Shinan-gun on the 8th, aiming to become the world’s largest island nation garden, they are creating distinctive sea flower gardens by combining the natural scenery and cultural resources of each island.

With the creation of the 1004 Islands blooming all year round and the island garden project during the 7th elected administration progressing for over three years, Shinan-gun, enriched with many attractions, has seen a surge in visitors seeking to soothe their bodies and minds exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, drawing increased media interest in the achievements of the island garden project.

As major island garden projects in Shinan-gun such as Purple Island, Hydrangea Island, Fantasy Garden, Narcissus Island, and Celosia Island have become known nationwide, Mr. Jung, residing in Seoul, donated land worth about 300 million KRW (10,000 pyeong in Jangsan) saying, “I hope to contribute even a little to creating beautiful islands blooming flowers all year round.” Additionally, donations of 20,000 pyeong (worth 200 million KRW) in Dochodo and 3,400 pyeong (worth 100 million KRW) in Anjwa followed.

The Zelkova trees planted along the ‘Dochodo Zelkova 10-ri Road,’ which won the ‘2020 Jeollanam-do Urban Forest Division Grand Prize’ and the ‘2021 Korea Forest Service Green City Best Practice Award in the Street Tree Division,’ are trees aged between 60 and over 100 years. They were planted in the Balma-ri area of Dochodo with 760 trees donated from all over the country by many people who sympathized with Shinan-gun’s island garden policy. The market value of the donated trees is an astonishing 11.4 billion KRW.

In the case of a farm in Haenam, facing the need to transplant a large number of trees, 3,761 trees (worth 1.7 billion KRW) including Camptotheca and Holly Oak were donated with the wish that “many people can enjoy the benefits of the trees.” The donated trees have been planted in major urban forest projects such as fine dust blocking forests and living environment forests, faithfully fulfilling the donor’s intentions.

Also, 1,300 plum trees with a base diameter of over 30 cm, donated from a plum farm in Haenam, are being planted in places like the Tulip Park around Imja Beach.

In particular, 343 rare native Korean red plum trees, which bloom more than a month earlier than the Chinese plum called Hwamu-sipilhong, were donated to Shinan-gun by Korean painter Kim. The painter said, “Drawing the clear scent and energy of the plum blossom makes my body feel clean,” and decided to support the creation of Imjado, the exile site of painter Jo Hee-ryong of U-bong, as the island of red plum blossoms.

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