Suwon Holds 6th Anniversary Commemoration for 'Eco-Traffic Suwon 2013'

[Suwon Ilbo=Correspondent Seo Dong-young] Suwon City will hold a commemoration event marking the 6th anniversary of hosting 'Eco-Traffic Suwon 2013' on the 21st from noon to 8 p.m. in the Haengung-dong area of Paldal-gu.

A commemoration ceremony will be held on a stage in front of Haengung-dong Administrative Welfare Center. The Haengung-dong area will operate an eco-friendly transportation exhibit hall, experience zone, and eco-traffic promotion booths.

The eco-friendly transportation exhibit hall allows visitors to view the evolution of transportation modes at a glance. A variety of transportation modes will be displayed, ranging from palanquins, carts, rickshaws, rafts, and ferries to electric bicycles, electric vehicles, and hydrogen vehicles. At the eco-friendly transportation experience zone, visitors can try human-powered rickshaws, electric wheelchairs, electric kickboards, and electric bicycles.

Promotion booths for eco-friendly transportation modes (shared bicycles, electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, etc.) and experience booths featuring eco-bag and tumbler making will also operate. A 'cotton candy making with bicycle generators' activity is also planned.

The commemoration event will conclude with the 'Haengung-dong Village Film Festival' at the Suwon Cultural Foundation's underground cinema at 6 p.m. On the day of the event, the Hwaseomun-ro and Shinpung-ro areas in Haengung-dong will operate as 'car-free streets' from noon to 5 p.m.

The city revitalized the underdeveloped and stagnant Haengung-dong area and held the 'Eco-Traffic Suwon 2013' festival in September 2013, the world's first of its kind. During the month-long festival, automobiles disappeared from Haengung-dong. All residents and participants lived using only non-motorized transportation such as bicycles and public transit. Approximately one million domestic and international visitors came to Haengung-dong during the festival period.

The eco-traffic festival spread internationally. It was held in Johannesburg, South Africa in October 2015 and in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in October 2017.

Lee Gwi-man, director of Suwon City's Eco-Traffic Division, said, "We will continue efforts to create a people-centered eco-friendly transportation city."