Wando County to Invest 8 Billion KRW in Establishing 'Wood Culture Experience Center'

Linked with Campgrounds, Recreation Forests, and Leisure Sports
...Expectations for Extended-Stay Tourism

Wando County in South Jeolla Province is establishing a 'Wood Culture Experience Center' within the Cypress Forest Healing Complex in Gayong-ri, Wando-eup, aiming to expand the region's wood culture infrastructure.

On December 11, the county announced that it will invest a total project budget of 8 billion KRW (6.4 billion KRW from the provincial government and 1.6 billion KRW from the county) to carry out the project over three years starting in 2026. The experience center will operate programs based on the region's unique wood culture and will also serve as a training facility for professional woodworking skills.

Wando County is investing a total of 8 billion KRW to establish a 'Wood Culture Experience Center' within the Hinoki Cypress Forest Healing Complex in Gayong-ri, Wando-eup. Provided by Wando County

The project will cover a 5,000-square-meter site with a total floor area of 1,500 square meters. The first floor will house a wood experience room, woodworking workshop, and materials storage, while the second floor will feature a wood imagination playground, a rest area, exhibition, and sales spaces. Outdoors, there will be a wood garden and exhibition area.

Wando County is home to the nation’s largest natural Dendropanax forest, and it is known that Dendropanax lacquer crafts have been practiced here since before the Three Kingdoms period. By leveraging these local resources, the county plans to develop specialized experience content based on 'Wando Dendropanax,' creating a differentiated model for wood culture experience centers compared to other regions.

The county also plans to hold a 'Woodcraft Festival' using woodcraft items made at the center to increase community participation and boost related industries. Additional efforts will be made to discover more traditional wood culture resources in the region, such as charcoal made from Quercus acuta.

Currently, the county is pursuing the development of the forest healing complex in line with its strategy to expand the healing industry. Facilities such as a forest campground, recreation forest, forest leisure facilities, and a healing forest are being established in phases within the complex. The addition of the Wood Culture Experience Center is expected to greatly enhance the diversity of forest healing programs.

Park Eunjae, head of the Forest Recreation Division, stated, "We will use the establishment of the Wood Culture Experience Center as an opportunity to preserve Wando's traditional culture and revitalize the local healing industry," adding, "We will do our best to ensure that both residents and visitors can enjoy the benefits of forest welfare."

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