Hampyeong-gun Invites You to See the 'Golden Bat' Approaching 14 Billion Won

Published 20 Apr.2023 20:51(KST)

Updated 15 Aug.2025 16:52(KST)

General Public Access During the 25th Nabi Festival Period

Recently, as the price of gold has soared to unprecedented heights, the Hwanggeumbat (Golden Bat) statue in Hampyeong-gun is once again attracting attention.

According to the county on the 20th, the Hwanggeumbat Ecological Exhibition Hall will be operated in line with the opening of the 25th Butterfly Grand Festival on the 28th.

The Hwanggeumbat Ecological Exhibition Hall displays the Golden Bat statue made in 2005 at a cost of 2.8 billion KRW, consisting of 162 kg of pure gold and 281 kg of silver.

Golden Bat Sculpture. [Photo by Hampyeong-gun]

The Golden Bat statue was created to protect the endangered species of the golden bat, which was believed to be extinct on the Korean Peninsula but was found in large numbers in Daedong-myeon in 1999, and to enhance the image of ‘Ecological Hampyeong’ by utilizing the rarity of its habitat.

Weighing nearly 460 kg, the Golden Bat statue features five golden bats majestically posed inside a circular sculpture.

According to the county, with the recent record-high gold prices, the current estimated market value of the Golden Bat statue is about 14 billion KRW.

Additionally, materials leftover from making the Golden Bat statue were used to create the Golden Bat Obokporan, based on the legend of egg birth, which is expected to captivate visitors’ attention.

A county official said, “The Golden Bat statue is undergoing refurbishment to welcome visitors after a long time,” and added, “We hope many people will visit during the Butterfly Grand Festival.”