3,500 people at the Meditation & Vegan Festival
‘Geochang, a great city for meditation’ image engraved
Geochang County’s ‘Flower+Meditation+Vegan’ Healing Festival attracted 3,500 people… “completely different from existing festivals”
Unique wellness festival held at the Windmill Square in full bloom of yellow irises
Geochang County in Gyeongnam is gaining national attention with a unique festival that combines meditation and vegan culture. It provided a special experience for 3,500 participants through healing-centered programs that break away from traditional local festivals.
Meditation in the flower field, presenting a new festival trend
The **‘2025 Geochang Meditation & Vegan Festival’** held from May 17 to 18 at the Geochang Iris Garden Windmill Square took place on a unique stage set against the backdrop of blooming yellow irises.
In particular, various meditation programs conducted under a beautiful art shade provided participants with visual beauty and mental healing, receiving great responses.
The festival was planned with the theme of ‘flowers’ and showcased a variety of meditation experiences such as flower therapy, flower mandala meditation, and sound bath. On the second day, it concluded with vegetable and fruit meditation and group flower mandala meditation, creating a touching moment where participants and facilitators became one.
Maximizing immersion through careful operation using personal earphones
Geochang County showed careful consideration for participants by operating more than 70% through pre-registration and creating a meditation environment using personal earphones to enhance the quality of the festival.
This operational method minimized noise and distractions commonly found in large festivals, creating an environment where participants could fully concentrate on meditation, leading to high satisfaction.
Vegan experience zone for all age groups
In the festival's vegan zone, various programs were operated for all age groups, from children to adults. Through Vegan OX quizzes, vegetarian food tasting, and little chef vegan burger making, participants were provided with opportunities to experience healthy food culture along with meditation.
This is evaluated as an integrated approach that suggests changes in overall lifestyle beyond simple meditation experiences.
“Geochang, a great city for meditation” branding in full swing
Gu In-mo, the mayor of Geochang County, stated, “Geochang has a natural environment with attractions such as Susungdae Tourist Area, Anti-Aging Healing Land, and Gamaksan Star Wind Hill, and this festival has become an opportunity to promote the image of ‘Geochang, a great city for meditation’ nationwide.”
In fact, Geochang County is actively utilizing the natural conditions of existing tourist sites to transform into a wellness tourism hub, and this festival is evaluated as its first achievement.
Participants say “completely different experience from existing festivals”
A tourist who participated in the festival said, “It was a completely fresh and special experience compared to existing festivals,” and added, “It will be a differentiated festival that can only be experienced in Geochang, and it will remain in my memory for a long time.”
This shows that a new festival model centered on mental healing and wellness has successfully settled, breaking away from traditional local festivals focused on food and performances.
Presenting a new paradigm for local festivals
This meditation and vegan festival in Geochang County is gaining attention as a successful case of combining local characteristics with the needs of modern people. It focused on participatory experiences and inner growth rather than simply providing sights, which acted as a differentiating factor. It is expected to serve as a model for various local events that can alleviate the side effects of monotonous large-scale festivals and enhance participant satisfaction.
Written by: Oh Ji-hyun, Editor