Maehyangri Peace Memorial Hall Selected as Hwaseong's First Wellness Tourism Destination
Hwaseong Special City (Mayor Jung Myeong-geun) announced on the 26th that Maehyangri Peace Memorial Hall has been selected as Hwaseong's first ‘Gyeonggi-style Wellness Tourism Destination.’
As travel purposes have evolved beyond simple sightseeing and rest to encompass caring for physical and mental health and experiencing everyday recovery, ‘wellness tourism’ has emerged as a new tourism sector. In particular, with the implementation of the Healing Tourism Industry Act in April of this year, the value of healing and recovery through tourism has become increasingly important.
This year, seven new locations in Gyeonggi Province were selected as Gyeonggi-style Wellness Tourism Destinations, with Maehyangri Peace Memorial Hall being the first from Hwaseong City. With this selection, Maehyangri Peace Memorial Hall will serve as the first tourism hub for wellness in Hwaseong, officially unveiling healing and recovery-focused tourism content that leverages the region's unique history and natural environment.
Maehyangri Peace Memorial Hall is a space that has transformed the historical pain of Maehyangri, which was used as a U.S. Air Force firing range for approximately 50 years, into the values of ‘peace and recovery.’
In particular, at a location once defined by bombing and fighter jet noise, the facility operates programs such as ‘sound walking’ that encourages listening to the sounds of nature and everyday life, as well as yoga and singing bowl sessions that help relieve tension and promote recovery for body and mind. These experiences allow visitors to engage with Maehyangri's distinctive character through diverse sensory experiences.
During the selection process, the facility's sound walking program, which utilizes the natural environment surrounding the memorial hall and former military facilities to transform a space marked by bombing memories into a place for healing and recovery, received positive evaluation.
This year's sound walking can be experienced at the ‘1st Maehyangri Peace Memorial Hall M:UTE CAMP,’ which will be held at Maehyangri Peace Memorial Hall on September 19. The program will be divided into daytime and nighttime sessions to showcase the varying sounds and atmosphere of Maehyangri throughout the day and night, with participation available through on-site reservations on the day of the event.
Through this year's program operations, Maehyangri Peace Memorial Hall plans to examine participant responses, visitor flow patterns, and experiential elements. Taking advantage of this ‘Gyeonggi-style Wellness Tourism Destination’ selection, the facility aims to develop sound walking into a signature wellness content representing Maehyangri. Based on customized consulting from Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, the facility will enhance program composition, movement routes, and experiential elements, organically connecting Maehyangri's history, natural environment, and ‘sound’ as a sensory resource to create a differentiated program. The upgraded offering is scheduled to debut at the memorial hall in 2027.
Baek Young-mi, Director of Culture and Tourism, stated, “Maehyangri is a place where residents' efforts have transformed memories of long bombing and noise into a space of peace and daily life,” adding, “Leveraging this selection, we will develop the history, nature, and value of quietude unique to Maehyangri into tourism content, allowing visitors to directly experience the meaning of peace and recovery in this place.”