The Goyang International Flower Exhibition, which opened on April 24, filled with families over the first weekend that included May Day and kicked off a long holiday.
The fair served up a lively mix of programs, from a visitor-driven "Citizen Singing Contest" to a quirky "No-Judgment" talk series (taglined "We Always Empathize") that invited people to share everyday concerns.
There was also a family-friendly fan meet-and-greet with EBS sensation Pengsu.
At "Pengsu's Flower Garden" in Hanul Plaza at Ilsan Lake Park, kids flocked to a photo zone centered on the roughly 5 m (about 16 ft) Pengsu sculpture called "Pengha."
The showpiece is a towering 13 m (about 43 ft) installation called The Time Traveler's Garden — a large, rotating floral sculpture inspired by the traditional Korean astronomical instrument, the honcheongui. It acts as the exhibition's symbolic landmark.
Inside the Floral Exchange Hall, exhibitors from some 30 countries showcased ultra-rare specimens — from a 1.2 m (about 4 ft) giant rose to dahlias measuring roughly 15 cm (about 6 in) — turning heads throughout the hall.
Under sunny skies, tulips, hydrangeas, and other spring blooms around Ilsan Lake Park are at their peak. Visitors are soaking in the festival — enjoying, viewing, and taking part among what organizers bill as 100 million flowers.
Running through the 10th, the 17-day Goyang International Flower Exhibition — themed "Flowers Dye Time" — spans roughly 250,000 m² (about 62 acres) of Ilsan Lake Park and combines outdoor gardens, indoor exhibits, cultural performances, and hands-on activities.
/Goyang = Kim Jaeyoung, Reporter kjyeong@incheonilbo.com
