Yongin Green City Offers Pleasant Living
(Published July 26, 2012)

Fountain of Korea’s new growth energy
South Gyeonggi Province

Yongin is located at the very center of Gyeonggi Province and is relatively near the capital city of Seoul. Comfortable country homes have started to fill up the city, attracting the largest group of new residents in all of Korea. Accordingly, Yongin is expected to develop into a city of 1.3 million inhabitants by 2020. The city has also introduced the nation’s first light-rail system, thereby paving the way for green mass transportation and offering a new model in the line of future cities. The city is also filled with cultural and tourist facilities such as Korea Folk Village, the amusement park Everland, twenty-six golf courses, eighteen museums and art museums, ski resorts, and vacation condominiums.

◇ Close to the capital city, Yongin has become the hub of country homes, attracting people from all over the nation. ⓒ Respective city/county authorities

Yongin City Tour Introduces Five Different Faces of the City

Yongin launched the Yongin City Tour in 2010 to support the city’s culture and tourist industries and stimulate the local economy. Patrons can choose from five themes and six courses depending on their taste. Each course consists of five to six tourist spots packed into a one-day trip.

The first course (Culture and Arts Tour) set off from Suji Lespia and moves on to the Korea Art Gallery, Paik Nam June Art Center, Gyeonggi Provincial Museum, Korea Folk Village, and finally the Leyoung Contemporary Art Museum. The tour visits all the major cultural spots in Yongin, notably the Paik Nam June Art Center, which is dedicated to the late internationally acclaimed video artist.

The second course (History Tour) also starts at Suji Lespia, and takes tourists to the Yongin Cultural Heritage Museum, Wawujeongsa Temple, and Byeomnyunsa Temple. The tour continues with a visit to the Yongin Agricultural Theme Park and Wentteok Village, where participants can make rice cakes and take part in other county-side activities.

The 3rd Course (Natural Ecology Tour A) takes tourists to Hobak Deungbul Village, Korean Deung-Jan Museum, and the Yongin Natural Recreation Forest. The 4th Course (Natural Ecology Tour B) visits Hangaek Botanical Garden, Yongin MBC Dramia, and Sejoong Museum; the 5th Course (Hands-on Experience Tour) goes to the Yongin City Soccer Center, Yeonmihyang Village, Nongdowon Farm, and Baegam Pottery. The 6th course (Relaxing Tour) allows tourists to choose which locations to visit as well as the travel date and starting location.

The tour prices range from KRW 4,500 to KRW 27,000, including entrance fees. Those who are interested can book through a travel agency or Yongin’s Cultural Tourism page at www.tour.younginsi.net via the City Tour reservation system. The tours take place every Saturday and Sunday of the second and fourth weeks of the month. The Relaxing Tour is custom and must be booked two weeks in advance by more than twenty people.
◇ The Korea’s largest private arboretum, Hantaek Botanical Garden. ⓒ Respective city/county authorities

Experience rural life at Yongin Agricultural Theme Park

Established by the Yongin City Agricultural Technology Center, the Agricultural Theme Park, built on a 266,098㎡ lot, consists of exhibitions on agricultural life and special booths where visitors can experience the agricultural lifestyle firsthand. There are all sorts of programs to choose from depending on the time of year. Visitors can try their hand at sketching insect specimens, search for insects in the surrounding vegetation, learn about the environment, explore the forest, produce environmentally-friendly soap, visit the terrarium, pot plants, make pickles, or go on a cultural tour.

Yongin has asked a number of regional farms to participate in providing countryside living experiences as part of the programs offered at the Yongin Agricultural Theme Park. For instance, Neungwon-myeon has established a tourist spot at Hobak Deungbul Village where visitors can make pumpkin lanterns, venture out into the woods, and learn how to make pumpkin dishes.

Hwangtohyeon Village in Wonsam-myeon has been designated as a “health and long life farming village.” Its residents grow organic rice, oriental pears, and peaches, and offer various programs designed to teach tourists how to make straw ware, pick sweet potatoes, make and grill traditional rice cakes, and pound rice into rice cakes. Cheongjeong Aruem Village in Wonsam-myeon introduced a program about how to make traditional sauces, which has proven very popular with women. Wentteok Village, Cheonggye Farmland, and Hanteo Pony Village are also ideal destinations for those wishing to experience similar agricultural life programs.
◇ Caribbean Bay, Everland ⓒ Cities and provinces

ⓒ G-News Plus News | G Life Editing Team

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