[K-TRAVEL ⑭] Gochang Cheongnongwon… A fall healing destination where pink cumulus clouds rise

*This content was translated by AI.

As the number of travelers from around the world visiting various parts of Korea has surged amid the K-Hallyu trend, K-travel is also establishing itself as a new trend. StarNews introduces travel destinations where one can fully experience the unique charm and appeal of Korea without the heavy crowds. You can gain your own Korean-style charm and memories.

[K-TRAVEL ⑭] Gochang Cheongnongwon

Right now, pink cumulus clouds are softly rising above the land of Gochang. At times, their vividly spreading appearance evokes a pink mist.

As autumn deepens at Gochang Cheongnongwon, a private garden located in Gong-eum-myeon, Gochang, North Jeolla Province, the Pink Muhly Festival is in full swing. As Pink Muhly reaches its peak season, it displays a much deeper shade of pink, welcoming tourists.

Cheongnongwon has created a Pink Muhly flower field spanning over 5,000 pyeong (approximately 16,500 square meters), a rare sight in Korea. On the 4th, during the early October holiday, tourists who flocked from all over the country were busy walking along the paths of the Pink Muhly garden or taking photos and videos, fully enjoying the autumn turning pink. Families with children or elderly members, couples, friends, and relatives are making memories by taking pictures in various spots. The scenery, where soft pink blends with the autumn sky and the surrounding green pine forest, creates an atmosphere as if one has entered a fairy-tale garden. No matter what background you choose for a photo, it is likely to yield a stunning shot. Tourists who seem already familiar with the Cheongnongwon Pink Muhly Festival even come dressed in colorful outfits to capture their best shots. At that moment, the tourists themselves become flowers.

Pink waves filling a 5,000-pyeong garden

Pink Muhly is a perennial plant belonging to the grass family, and the pinkish parts are inflorescences composed of small flowers. The pink hue is said to evoke warmth, softness, romance, and happiness, and has an effect of relaxing and easing tension rather than being aggressive. Why not find inner peace in the Pink Muhly garden at Cheongnongwon and cultivate romance and happiness? One side of the Pink Muhly garden slopes upward like a hill, allowing for a wide view from the top down to the bottom. Pink Muhly grows well in sunny areas with good drainage, and Gochang Cheongnongwon is said to possess these geographical advantages, boasting a deeper pink color than anywhere else.

At this time of year, while Pink Muhly is the star at Cheongnongwon, surrounding cosmos and tree hydrangeas bloom brilliantly, further beautifying the autumn garden. Cosmos are densely planted over 1,200 pyeong (approximately 3,960 square meters), with red, pink, white, and colorful flowers blooming profusely, playing a significant supporting role to the Pink Muhly garden. Unlike regular hydrangeas with round flower shapes, tree hydrangea blossoms, which rise in conical shapes on branches grown that year, turn from snow-white to pink or red at different times. Over 1,300 pyeong (approximately 4,290 square meters), various tree hydrangeas and ornamental hydrangeas, including large-flowered Lime Light and Sun Deifrayze, which turns a deep rose color in autumn, Magical Candle, and Dharma Hydrangea, are enough to draw affectionate gazes.

In addition, pampas grass, a silvery sedge that grows taller than an adult’s height, zinnias with wide and brilliant petals, red threeseason zinnias with small, round ball-shaped flowers, and marigolds from the daisy family that bloom with abundant yellow and orange double flowers are planted in various spots, showcasing another charm alongside the Pink Muhly. Since the flower language of the marigold is “happiness that will surely come,” it is worth taking a shot with it as a background. Foxglove celosia, characterized by long, soft inflorescences resembling fox tails, has the flower language of “undying love” and “eternal love,” making it likely to become an essential photo spot for couples and lovers.

Cheongnongwon’s autumn features a flower garden centered on Pink Muhly, but in spring, it transforms brilliantly again into a purple lavender garden. A lavender garden spanning over 5,000 pyeong (approximately 16,500 square meters) is created on another side of the farm, and around June, it presents a magnificent scene with waves of rippling lavender flowers. It is mainly planted with English lavender, known for its difficult management, and the scent carried by the spring breeze is strong. Even now in autumn, the lavender stems strongly retain their green color, and some of the vigorous stems are even blooming. Next to the lavender garden, a field of Veronica persica flowers, which have an image similar to lavender, has also been created; while not brilliant, it blooms with small, cute purple flowers.

The Cheongnongwon Pink Muhly Festival, now in its 7th year, will run until November 1. During the festival period, an admission fee (5,000 won) is charged, but it is free for elementary school students.

Baek Tae-hoo, representative of Cheongnongwon, says, “I hope you can set aside your daily routine for a moment, walk with someone precious against the backdrop of Pink Muhly rippling in pink under the autumn sunlight, and fully enjoy the leisure that this autumn offers.”

At Cafe “Cheong (),” you can rest while enjoying various beverages including coffee. It is currently offering a “Lavender Americano,” made with lavender harvested last spring, as a limited-time item for the Pink Muhly season. You can choose from various types of mini diffusers, including those with lavender scent, and purchase keychains and pillows made with lavender directly cultivated at the farm.

Gochang Cheongnongwon, which receives 100,000 visitors annually, was selected as a certified business under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food’s Rural Convergence 6th Industry Certification Program, and recently designated as a private garden by North Jeolla Province. In this way, it is developing rural natural environments into tourism resources using seasonal flower and garden content, and is also drawing attention as an example of so-called “6th industry,” which combines processing, tourism, and experience with agricultural production.

The tiled-roof house on one side of Cheongnongwon also catches the eye. The quiet Hanok (traditional Korean house) named “Sul-am-je (),” a wide grassy front yard, and a yellow car are also popular photo spots. Sitting on the main floor of the traditional Hanok Sul-am-je and blankly looking at the front yard naturally makes one nostalgic for old times and brings to mind ancestors one misses. The jars behind Sul-am-je and tall persimmon trees with persimmons hanging in clusters are also endearing.

Now, Cheongnongwon provides us with a space for rest and healing, but knowing its history naturally evokes a solemn feeling. This is because it holds the painful history of the Korean nation.

Nam-gye Bae Hwan-jeong, a descendant of the Daeseong Bae clan who had settled in this area for a long time, led the first Donghak Peasant Revolution in 1894 together with Jeon Bong-jun, Son Hwa-ju, and others, who were leaders of the agricultural peasant movement. He was later elevated to the position of Jipju (leader) and participated in several battles, including the Ugeumchi Battle, but was captured and suffered hardships. The bamboo forests remaining abundantly around Cheongnongwon are also historical traces that served as weapons for the Donghak Peasant Army.

Sul-am Bae Jong-hyuk, grandson of Bae Hwan-jeong, built a memorial pavilion (Jegak) in 1943 using pine trees from the Jangseong area in South Jeolla Province and surrounding materials to honor his grandfather. Bae Tae-hu (CEO), grandson of Bae Jong-hyuk, later repaired the memorial pavilion and prepared flower gardens on the surrounding 20,000 pyeong (approximately 66,000 square meters) of land, giving birth to today’s Cheongnongwon.

Bae Tae-hu (CEO) says, “If you can fully heal here and briefly reflect on our painful history, I feel a sense of fulfillment and gratitude for having cultivated today’s Cheongnongwon, where my sweat and sincerity are infused in every corner.”

Cheongnongwon is named after “Cheongcheon Village,” which means “village by a clear stream,” the old name of the village. Near Cheongnongwon, there are the green barley fields and sunflower fields of “Bori Nara Hakhwon Farm,” as well as Byeongbawi (Vase Rock), a 35-meter-high rock that looks precarious as if a vase has been placed upside down, all located nearby.

The nearby Guam Village is said to have derived its name from “Guam (Nine Rocks)” because nine large strange rocks are located there, including Byeongbawi, Sobanbawi, Anjangbawi, Seonbawi, Hyeongjebawi, Beolbawi, Tanggeonbawi, Sijabawi, and Byeongpungbawi.

In addition to Hakhwon Farm, there are quite a few surrounding tourist attractions, including Seonun Mountain with its autumn foliage and beauty in all four seasons, Seonun Temple, Gochang Eupseong (fortress), Mujang Eupseong, the Gochang Dolmen Site, Gusi-po Beach, Ungok Ramsar Wetland, and Sangha Farm. Also, a local taxi driver who has lived here until his mid-70s says, “This place has good soil, so it has developed agriculture and livestock rather than industry for a long time, and Gochang watermelons and melons, as well as mulberries and eels, still boast national fame,” smiling healthily in a way that inspires trust.

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*This content was translated by AI.