Nationwide Top Spring Festival Regains Prestige: 'Nabi Grand Festival' Attracts 170,000 Visitors

The 24th Hampyeong Butterfly Festival Concludes Successfully... Boosting Local Economic Vitality

Expo Park's 3 Halls Open for Viewing Until the 15th

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] The 24th Hampyeong Butterfly Festival, the first local festival since the lifting of social distancing and held for the first time in three years due to COVID-19, concluded its ten-day journey with a total of 166,726 visitors and ticket revenue of approximately 720 million KRW.

According to the county on the 9th, the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival, resumed after three years due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, ended with a closing ceremony held on the 8th at the Central Square amid favorable reviews from visitors.

Under the theme "Hampyeong Butterfly! Spreading the Wings of Hope!", this year’s festival once again solidified its position and status as Korea’s representative spring festival.

The agricultural and specialty product sales booth, participated in by county residents, earned 171 million KRW, and combined sales from various booths and rental fees reached approximately 767 million KRW.

The festival welcomed tourists with 230,000 butterflies of 23 species including the tiger butterfly, 420,000 flowering plants of 33 species such as Shapinia, and over 40 diverse performances and experience programs.

Along the riverside path of Hampyeongcheon and the Expo Park area, where colorful spring flowers like canola, radish, and poppies were in full bloom, the delighted exclamations of spring visitors intoxicated by the floral scents never ceased.

The Butterfly and Insect Ecology Center, where visitors could observe the festival’s main attraction?the splendid butterflies?up close, was packed with visitors throughout the festival period.

Especially, various programs such as ‘EDM Kids’ and ‘Air Slide’ were prepared for children to play, capturing the attention of family tourists on spring outings. On May 5th, the 100th anniversary of Children’s Day, over 36,000 visitors came in a single day.

The outdoor butterfly release, considered the most popular program at every festival, was crowded again this year, and activities like ‘Caterpillar Experience’ and ‘Butterfly Trampoline’ saw enthusiastic participation from children.

The newly introduced ‘VR Experience Zone’ this year attracted high interest from children and became one of the festival’s top stars along with the butterflies.

Not only children but also adults enjoyed various programs and fully embraced the festival atmosphere. Over 20 rich cultural and artistic performances were held, including ‘EDM Night’ featuring popular DJs, ‘Hampyeong Butterfly Popera’, ‘Namdo Labor Songs’, as well as nightly events like ‘Nostalgic GOGO Party’ and ‘Pobusang Recreation’ that evoked memories for adults.

Local businesses and major tourist spots in Hampyeong also regained vitality after a long time. With the lifting of social distancing, restaurants, coffee shops, and major tourist attractions such as Dolmori Beach and Jupo Hanok Village were crowded with tourists during the festival period. This revitalized local small business owners and self-employed individuals who had suffered from the impact of COVID-19.

Acting Mayor of Hampyeong County, Lee Byung-yong, said, “The successful and accident-free conclusion of this year’s Butterfly Festival was thanks to the volunteers, public officials, and county residents who worked tirelessly behind the scenes,” and emphasized, “We will prepare from now on to improve the shortcomings of this year and ensure that next year’s Butterfly Festival returns with better environments and programs.”

Meanwhile, the three facilities within Expo Park?the Butterfly and Insect Ecology Center, the Succulent Plant Center, and the Aquatic Plant Center?where the festival’s lingering atmosphere remains, will be open for viewing until the 15th.

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