Suncheon Garden Expo, Ice Sculpture Exhibition in the Secret Garden

by Heo Seonsik

Published 28 Jun.2023 17:26(KST)

Updated 15 Aug.2025 13:25(KST)

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Mid-Summer Temperature Minus 18 Degrees

Exhibition of 9 Ice Sculptures Including Polar Bears and Penguins

The Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo Organizing Committee (Chairman Noh Gwan-gyu, Mayor of Suncheon) announced that, to provide visitors with unique experiences and special attractions during the summer vacation season, nine ice sculptures will be exhibited in the Secret Garden Ice Cave until August 31.

This exhibition offers a unique experience of feeling midwinter cold during the summer and delivers a message about preserving the Earth's environment in the future amid climate change. Ice sculptures of polar bears, Arctic foxes, and penguins?animals that are now familiar but gradually disappearing?are displayed in the Secret Garden Ice Cave.

[Photo by Suncheon City]

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has been publishing the "Red List," which classifies wild species worldwide into nine categories such as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, and Near Threatened every 2 to 5 years since 1964, based on their risk of extinction. According to the latest announcement, polar bears are classified as "Endangered," Arctic foxes as "Least Concern," and penguins as "Near Threatened."

Through the exhibition of endangered wild animals at the Expo, it is expected to raise visitors' awareness of climate change and the Earth's environment and convey a special message about a future of coexistence with nature.

A visitor from Seoul who came to the Garden Expo said, "The view of the ice cave reminded me of a pure white snowy field, which was so fantastic and helped me beat the heat all at once." They added, "It was not only a unique experience but also a great opportunity for children to think once again about our Earth while looking at the ice sculptures of endangered species."

An official from the Organizing Committee said, "The best summer vacation spot is the garden," adding, "We hope visitors come to the 'Ice Cave,' which is only available at the Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo, to experience the extreme cold and have a chance to think about the Earth's future environment amid climate change."

The Secret Garden is an underground garden that can be reached by descending a spiral deck road in the National Garden Botanical Garden. It consists of the Plant Theater, Glacier Garden, and Sunlight Garden. In particular, the Ice Cave in the Glacier Garden is receiving great attention from visitors during the summer season.