Seoul's First Forest Healing-type Wellness Tourism Focused Development... Experience Programs at 6 Major Attractions
Experience Programs Operated at 6 Major Attractions Centered Around Bukhansan
Gangbuk-gu in Seoul announced on the 17th that it will operate the ‘Gangbuk-type Wellness Week’ centered around Bukhansan until next month. This is the full-scale implementation phase of the ‘Gangbuk-type Bukhansan Wellness Tourism Activation Plan’ established this year, marking Seoul's first wellness tourism project themed on forest healing.
Experience Programs Operated at 6 Major Attractions Centered Around Bukhansan
Gangbuk-gu Wellness Week will take place at 6 representative attractions in Gangbuk-gu: ▲Ui-cheon Riverside Vitality Hub (Jaeganjeong) ▲Hwajeongsa ▲Seoul Mountain Tourism Center Bukhansan ▲Ui-dong Mountain Culture HUB ▲Ui-dong Family Camping Site ▲Park Eul-bok Embroidery Museum.
Key programs include ▷‘Finding Hidden Sounds in Bukhansan’ focusing on the sounds of nature while walking on forest paths ▷‘Finding the Hidden Resonance in My Heart’ using singing bowls ▷Customized walking experience based on Nordic walking ‘Finding 1cm Hidden in My Body’ ▷‘Finding the Hidden Color in Me’ to discover personal unique colors ▷Embroidery pattern punch needle experience ‘Stitching a Color into My Heart’.
Differentiation from Existing Wellness Tourism... Specialization in Forest Healing
While existing wellness tourism in Seoul has focused on indoor content centered around traditional medicine, spas, and beauty, Gangbuk-gu is focusing on nature-based wellness with ‘forest healing’ as its core theme, making it the first in Seoul.
The district utilized its regional characteristics as a nature-friendly city, with about 60% of its total area consisting of parks and green spaces. In particular, Bukhansan is a popular tourist destination visited by 7 million people annually, featuring various historical sites such as the National Cemetery for the Fallen Patriots, Bonghwanggak, Modern History Memorial Hall, and the National 4.19 Democracy Cemetery.
Systematization through Permanent and Specialized Programs
Gangbuk-gu will operate permanent and specialized programs separately to systematize wellness tourism.
Permanent programs include ▲‘Forest Wellness’ utilizing forest resources for digital detox, emotional therapy, walking meditation, and Nordic walking ▲‘Simple Wellness’ where tourists and residents can learn meditation and yoga without burden ▲‘Living Welfare Wellness’ for the recovery of residents' daily lives.
Specialized programs will include experiences, seminars, and lectures linked to nearby tourist resources such as Bongdo Youth Training Center, Bonghwanggak, and Ui-dong Family Camping Site.
Special Temple Stay Program Operated Jointly with Hwajeongsa
Seoul's Hwajeongsa (Head Monk Ubong) is operating a special temple stay program as part of the ‘Gangbuk-type Wellness WEEK’. It is planning wellness content that anyone, including residents and tourists, can participate in, based on the region's unique nature and cultural resources such as Bukhansan and Ui-gu-gok. In particular, Hwajeongsa will help relax the body and mind through various meditation programs it has developed. Participants will be able to experience emotional stability and stress relief through auditory stimulation and immersion in nature via ‘Sound Therapy’ walking meditation, where they walk while listening to the sounds of nature. The program will be conducted over 4 sessions, expecting effects such as sensory stimulation, emotional stability, balance improvement, stress reduction, and lower body circulation improvement.
Expecting International Promotion Effects through Collaboration with Local Institutions
Some programs will be operated in collaboration with local institutions such as Hwajeongsa Temple Stay, Seoul Mountain Tourism Center Bukhansan, and Ui-dong Family Camping Site. Experiences targeting foreign tourists are also included, expecting international promotional effects for Gangbuk-gu tourism.
The district plans to minimize the gap until the wellness tourism anchor facilities are established through this program operation and to investigate actual tourism demand and participant responses to build a differentiated wellness tourism brand unique to the district.
Promoting Regional Balanced Development through Long-term Development Plans
Gangbuk-gu will enact the Wellness Tourism Promotion and Support Ordinance in December 2023 and has completed a strategic research service for activating Gangbuk-type Bukhansan wellness tourism by February this year.
The district plans to enhance the spatial value of Bukhansan and Ui-cheon through this wellness tourism policy and expand it to tourism, residence, urban space, industry, and living infrastructure across all fields.
Lee Soon-hee, the head of Gangbuk-gu Office, stated, “Gangbuk-gu is the only area in Seoul that can preemptively establish a forest healing-type wellness tourism image,” and added, “Through Gangbuk-type wellness tourism, where nature, history, and culture are harmonized, we will leap forward as a future city where both residents and visitors can recover health and happiness in their daily lives.”
Detailed program information can be found on the Gangbuk-gu Office website.
Written by/ Healing News Editor Hyesun Oh Ji-hyun
