Wolyeonggyo Bridge Moonlight as the Stage... Transforming Andong into a Stay Tourism Destination

Kwon Kichang Pledges 11.6 Billion Won Waterfront Performance Hall
Permanent Local Troupe and Urban Tourism Belt for Downtown Revitalization

Kwon Kichang, a preliminary candidate for mayor of Andong, has presented a key strategy aimed at transforming Andong's long-standing tourism structure from a "pass-through tourism" model to a "stay tourism" model.

Kwon announced plans to establish a waterfront performance hall in the Wolyeonggyo Bridge area and to form a permanent local cultural and performing arts troupe, with the goal of making Andong's nighttime scene a leading tourism content.

With the night light of Wolyeonggyo as the stage, "Completing Andong Stay Tourism"
Photo by Kwon Kichang, Office of the Preliminary Candidate

Although Andong possesses tourist attractions with national recognition, such as Hahoe Village, Dosan Seowon, and Wolyeonggyo Bridge, it has long faced criticism for the lack of nighttime content, resulting in tourists not staying overnight. The recurring pattern has been for tourists to visit major spots during the day and then leave the same day, limiting the ripple effects on local accommodations, businesses, and revitalization of the old downtown area.

To address this, Kwon has pledged to successfully complete the construction of a waterfront performance hall in the Wolyeonggyo Bridge area at a scale of 11.6 billion won. This project, promoted as a major pledge of the 8th popularly elected administration, received river occupation approval in December 2025 and is currently in the process of installing the floating stage.

The waterfront performance hall will go beyond a simple performance facility, becoming a central venue for multimedia shows that combine fountains and media facade. The vision is to use Wolyeonggyo Bridge and the surrounding waterfront as a single stage and screen, thereby creating a unique nighttime tourism brand for Andong.

In addition, there are plans to establish an urban cultural tourism belt connecting Waryong Tunnel, Seongnak Railway Bridge, Theme Flower Street, Imcheonggak, and the Jungang Line 1942 Andong Station Cultural Platform. The strategy is not only to keep tourist traffic centered around Wolyeonggyo Bridge but also to expand it into the old downtown, fostering a structure where the local commercial district and cultural spaces can thrive together.

Local artists will play a central role in providing content. Kwon plans to form and permanently establish a performing arts troupe composed of skilled local cultural artists, who will be active not only at the waterfront performance hall but also across various venues in Andong, including the Korea Culture Theme Park, year-round festivals, and the Jungang Line 1942 Cultural Platform.

The local performance troupe has already demonstrated its potential: through a 2025 Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism project, it held a total of 16 successful performances and continues related activities in 2026 as part of the Republic of Korea Cultural City project.

1.16 Billion Won Project for Indoor and Outdoor Performance Venues and Permanent Regional Performance Groups to Revitalize the Old Downtown as a Cultural Tourism Belt in the City Center

Photo by Kwon Kichang, Office of Preliminary Candidate

Kwon's position is to provide a stable foundation for local artists by establishing a permanent performance system—moving beyond temporary troupes—and to link this to job creation in the cultural and artistic sectors.

Ultimately, the waterfront performance hall will become the stage for Wolyeonggyo Bridge's nighttime tourism, while the local performance troupe will serve as a "content factory," continually producing Andong-style content. Kwon's vision is to give tourists a compelling reason to stay an extra night in Andong.

Kwon Kichang stated, "I will make Andong a place where culture translates into livelihoods and art creates jobs," adding, "Building on proven execution, I will complete the waterfront performance hall by 2026, put the performing troupe into full-scale operation, and develop Andong into a global hub for cultural tourism."

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