Sinan-gun Pilgrims' Island, Visitor Numbers Increase 20-Fold

Sinan-gun Jeungdo-myeon Gijeom Soakdo Sipisado Chapel Health House ⓒ Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Seo Young-seo] In 2021 alone, more than 54,000 tourists visited Gijeom Soakdo, a small island in Jeungdo-myeon, Sinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, marking a 20-fold increase compared to 2018.

According to the county on the 11th, since 2017, Jeollanam-do has selected small islands to develop as tourist resources by expanding vulnerable living infrastructure and cultural tourism facilities. Gijeom Soakdo, affiliated with Byeongpungdo in Jeungdo-myeon, was selected for the "Island Beautification Project" aimed at making it a desirable island to visit.

Gijeom Soakdo is a small island with about 100 residents. The reason it attracts visitors is due to the Nodutgil (stepping stone path) and the architectural art pieces called the Twelve Islands Chapel.

The artworks located along the Nodutgil, on the hill, and in the forest all face the sea amidst beautiful scenery.

Walking the serene 12 km pilgrimage path, which connects the chapels like a string, brings peace to the mind. The chapels resemble churches from Greece, Russia, and France, while also evoking Korean Buddhist culture.

Although the artists express diverse ideas, visitors also use this place as a space for their own feelings and reflections.

Sinan-gun is actively investing in small islands to expand vulnerable cultural facilities and maximize the value of the islands by planning and realizing island-specific development strategies that consider each island's characteristics.

Meanwhile, Purple Island in Anjwa-myeon was selected as the UN WTO World’s Best Tourism Village and Korea’s Tourism Star in 2021, and it has rapidly emerged as a top domestic and international tourist destination with about 290,000 visitors in 2021 alone.

A county official stated, “Following Purple Island, we plan to develop Gijeom Soakdo into a premier tourist destination. Once the new pilgrimage path, which harmonizes the coastal road, Nodutgil, and pine forest trail, opens in the first half of this year, it will attract visitors as a path dedicated entirely to pilgrims.”

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