Pohang Cheolgil Forest! Immersed in Urban Tourism! ... 'This Year's Healing Feeling Pohang Cheolgil Forest Night Tour' a Great Success

Enjoy Urban Tourism and Cultural Civic Events by Utilizing the Railway Forest in Daily Life as It Is

The '2022 Healing Feeling Pohang Cheolgil Forest Night Tour' event concluded successfully.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] The ‘2022 Healing Feeling Pohang Cheolgilsup Night Walk,’ held over two days on the 26th and 27th at the Pohang Cheolgilsup area in Gyeongbuk, attracted 50,000 visitors and concluded successfully.

Held on a late summer night with considerably cooler weather, the event took place along a 5.6 km section from Cheolgilsup (Hyoja Church) to under the Bangjangsan Tunnel, featuring five theme stations utilizing ‘light’ (Sangsaeng Station, Gamseong Station, Gajok Station, Dongsim Station, and Hope Station) where abundant cultural experiences and side events were held.

Without altering or processing the ecological green space of Cheolgilsup, the event content naturally blended into the space, offering citizens a new charm in their everyday environment and providing tourists with a comfortable opportunity to immerse themselves in Pohang.

Along the railway, the five theme stations were appropriately arranged with various target programs such as healing busking, mat performances, flea markets, and Greenway exhibition halls, allowing couples, families, and even middle-aged and older visitors to enjoy together.

Among the five theme stations, the most popular were undoubtedly Gajok Station and Dongsim Station! The magic shows and balloon performances at the mat performance area were filled with the innocent laughter of children, while the K-Breakdance performances and healing busking attracted crowds of teenagers and young couples.

At the generational empathy play zone, families were seen making ‘ttakji’?a traditional Korean game popular with the father’s generation?and getting absorbed in the charm of ttakji flipping. Scenes of plaster mime artists, clowns, and 12 reenactment actors strolling along the walking path and performing parade-like segments brought smiles to citizens and tourists alike.

At the event’s far end, the ‘Pohang Plogging Experience’ booth operated a ‘Snack Shop Where Trash Becomes Money,’ exchanging snacks equivalent to the weight of collected trash. This creative idea combined the festival with trash picking, helping to keep everyday spaces clean even after large-scale events, achieving a twofold effect.

The mid-mountain area was filled with 25 experiences and events across five theme zones, including a laser show that transformed the space into a sketchbook, a hope message zone, moon lantern making experiences, and stories of Daldongsan, keeping visitors engaged throughout the 5.6 km route without a moment of boredom.

At the Greenway flea market booth, experiential products and tourist goods sold out over the two days, and the ‘Yeongilman Friends Love Market,’ held every Saturday since May under the Daejam Overpass at Hanteo Madang, was extended, marking a rare busy season.

A citizen who visited with family on a weekend evening said, “Usually, when I come out to exercise, I’m busy just looking ahead while walking, but today I enjoyed a wonderful time with my children exploring the surroundings, experiencing traditional games, and picking up trash.”

Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, said, “Despite being the region’s first night walk festival, the strong response from citizens and tourists encourages us to thoroughly improve the shortcomings and further strengthen the well-received parts so that it can become a representative regional festival encompassing summer and nighttime.”

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Healing Feeling Cheolgilsup Night Walk featured a forest light vocal performance and a sand art show expressing the history of Pohang Cheolgilsup, followed by invited performances by emotional balladeers Kyungseo and Kassy, gifting citizens and tourists a midsummer night’s special time.

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