'Discovering the Story of Hantangang Columnar Joints'… Gyeonggi-do Aims to Make It a World-Class Attraction

On-site Inspection in Pocheon and Yeoncheon... Discussion on Content Discovery and Utilization with Experts

Creation of Hantangang Columnar Jointing Trail [Yeoncheon-gun]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gyeonggi Province, which is promoting the global landmark project of the 'Hantan River Columnar Jointing,' registered as a UNESCO World Geopark, has begun discovering storytelling content.

According to the province on the 30th, since 2017, the province has been carrying out the 'Hantan River Columnar Jointing Trail Construction Project,' planning to complete a total 120 km long trail connecting Pocheon and Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province to Cheorwon in Gangwon Province, with a total project cost of 61 billion KRW.

They are currently working on connecting the 49 km of disconnected sections (Yeoncheon 15.3 km, Pocheon 30.1 km, Cheorwon 3.6 km) to the already established 71 km trail. The Pocheon section is expected to be completed within this year, and the Yeoncheon section by next year.

Along with checking the progress of the project, they listened to the opinions of experts and city/county officials and sought support measures at the provincial level. In particular, they focused on discussing ways to discover and utilize content for storytelling tourism.

The Hantan River, flowing across Yeoncheon and Pocheon in northern Gyeonggi, is famous for its beautiful geological formations and landscapes such as columnar joints, canyons, and waterfalls formed by lava solidified from volcanic eruptions that occurred between 540,000 and 120,000 years ago.

It is widely known as the only place in the inland region where columnar joints can be observed, and it was recognized for its geological, natural ecological, and historical value, leading to its registration as a UNESCO World Geopark in July 2020.

Yeon Je-chan, Director of the Balanced Development Planning Office, said, "Since the Hantan River Columnar Jointing Trail boasts very unique geology and beautiful scenery, it is important to actively utilize it as a key tourism resource in the Gyeonggi-Gangwon border area."

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