'Yeosu’s Night Garden Embracing Islands'... Yeosu to Host 2026 Namdo K-Garden Festival Through Late October

【Financial News Yeosu = Hwang Tae-jong】Yeosu will present citizens and tourists with “Yeosu’s Night Garden Embracing Islands.”
 According to Yeosu on the 10th, the city will host the 2026 Namdo K-Garden Festival for 51 days, from the 11th through October 31, around Yeomun Culture Street and Yeoseomi Tourist Plaza.
 Under the theme “Yeosu’s Night Garden Embracing Islands,” the festival will interpret the stories of Yeosu’s islands and sea, as well as nature and the city, through gardens. The aim is to allow citizens and tourists to encounter and enjoy gardens up close in the heart of the city.
 A Yeosu official said, "We hope citizens and tourists will enjoy the beauty of the gardens during the day and their unique nighttime appeal combined with lighting. We also hope visitors to Yeosu for the 2026 World Island Exhibition Yeosu Korea will stop by the garden festival and experience Yeosu’s autumn and its new attractions."
 At the 2026 Namdo K-Garden Festival, the main “Artists’ Gardens” program will feature 10 teams of domestic garden designers, each expressing inspiration drawn from nature and life from their own perspective.
 At Yeoseomi Tourist Plaza, visitors can see Jihae Hwang’s signature garden “Thorn Tree Reverie” and the “Citizen Participation Garden.” At Yeomun Culture Street, they can explore the “Artists’ Gardens” and “Commercial-Area Gardens.” Jihae Hwang, who is from Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City (Gwangju Special City), is a world-renowned garden designer. She won a gold medal at the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show and presented “Aeyangdan,” a traditional garden from the southern region of Korea, at Korean Cultural Center New York in 2024. “Thorn Tree Reverie” depicts the red sun, a warm-temperate forest, and the future of the city and its islands.
 After sunset, lighting throughout the gardens will softly illuminate the plants and installations, creating a distinctive nighttime view of “Yeosu’s Night Garden.” Various programs will also be offered, including garden commentary, a stamp tour, busking performances, and a garden flea market.
 The opening ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. on the 11th at Yeoseomi Tourist Plaza. It will include awards for outstanding garden works, the “Filling the Garden” performance, and a tape-cutting ceremony for the signature garden. Singer Car, the Garden will also give a special congratulatory performance.
 In connection with the 2026 World Island Exhibition Yeosu Korea, Yeosu plans to operate shuttle buses every 30 minutes between Yeomun Parking Lot, Yeoseomi Tourist Plaza, and the exhibition’s main event venue to make it easier for visitors to get around.

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