Day and Night Along the Hantan River, Colored by Flowers and Lights... 'Pocheon Garden Festa' Opens on the 1st

Korea’s Longest Y-shaped Suspension Bridge
Nighttime Media Show Experience
Ascending as a Stay-type Tourist Destination
Held for 38 Days Until June 7

Pocheon Hantan River, a UNESCO Global Geopark in Gyeonggi Province, will be reborn this spring as a vibrant garden of flowers and lights.

Pocheon Hantan River, offering a shining night with Garden Night Tour. Provided by Pocheon City

According to Pocheon City on May 1, the city will host the '2026 Pocheon Hantan River Spring Garden Festa' for 38 days from today until June 7 across the Hantan River Ecological Landscape Complex.

This year's festival, themed "Garden-Night: An Invitation to Secrets," has evolved into a stay-type tourism festival by significantly enhancing nighttime attractions beyond the traditional flower-centered events, allowing visitors to enjoy the festivities into the night. This year, the festival has expanded from a daytime flower event to one where visitors can stay and enjoy the atmosphere well into the evening, offering a new dimension of Pocheon Hantan River's appeal.

Pocheon Hantangang River Presents a Shining Night with Garden Night Tour. Courtesy of Pocheon City

Seasonal Flower Gardens and Tulip Gardens: A Festival Where Every Step Brings Spring

The greatest charm of this spring's Garden Festa is the diverse garden content harmonizing with the picturesque natural scenery of the Hantan River.

The festival site features a seasonal flower garden decorated with colorful spring blooms, an exotic tropical garden filled with tropical plants, and themed gardens that showcase the local characteristics using Hantan River's natural resources and basalt, promising visitors a wealth of sights to enjoy.

In addition, large topiaries shaped like various animals and a Pororo and Friends photo zone will offer special fun and memorable experiences, especially for children and families.

Strolling along the garden paths, visitors can fully experience Pocheon's spring as it blends with the breathtaking scenery of the Hantan River. Photo zones and rest areas throughout the venue will provide special memories not only for families but also for couples and friends. In particular, flowers representing the colors of the season—snapdragons, lupines, marigolds, canola blossoms, and more—will fill the festival grounds, creating an even more vibrant spring landscape along the Hantan River.

'Hantan River Garden Festa Pocheon 2024' Y-shaped Suspension Bridge. Photo by Pocheon City

The Overwhelming Scenery of Hantan River from the Y-shaped Suspension Bridge

The Y-shaped suspension bridge, a symbol of the Garden Festa, is not to be missed.

The Hantan River Y-shaped suspension bridge, the longest in Korea at 410 meters, is a landmark where visitors can take in the Hantan River gorge, striking rock cliffs, and garden landscapes at a glance. It provides one of the most impressive scenes for festival-goers. Walking through the gardens and standing atop the bridge to look out over the refreshing scenery of the Hantan River is considered a uniquely special experience at the Pocheon Hantan River Spring Garden Festa.

With the addition of nighttime attraction content, the festival's excitement will extend into the night. Pocheon City plans to further enhance the nighttime landscape of the Hantan River by incorporating elements such as a hologram alive park, Forest Lumina, scenic lighting on the footbridge, and media show content.

Under the theme "Garden-Night: An Invitation to Secrets," nighttime attractions featuring scenic lighting, music, and ICT technology will unfold, presenting an atmosphere distinct from the daytime Hantan River.

'Hantan River Night Garden' will feature unique photo zones and walking trails, and with nighttime scenic lighting installed at major facilities such as the Y-shaped suspension bridge and the Mugunghwa Garden, it is expected to become a new nighttime landmark in Pocheon.

'Hantan River Night Garden'. Provided by Pocheon City

From Garden Experiences to the River Market: A Spring Outing for All Five Senses

The enjoyment of the festival is not limited to gardens and nightscapes. The venue will offer garden experience programs and busking performances, while the Hantan River Market will feature local agricultural and specialty products, food, flower sales, and food trucks, further enriching the festival experience.

Especially during this Garden Festa, various affiliated events such as the 2026 Spring Edition Pocheon Petstar and the Holstein Show will also be held, adding even more fun to the festival. With programs to suit all generations and tastes, the Hantan River Ecological Landscape Complex will transform into a multi-experience festival ground, offering more than just flower viewing.

There will also be a dog playground and electric bicycle rentals, allowing everyone, regardless of age or gender, to enjoy the festival in their preferred way. From enjoying nature, walking, experiencing, eating, to savoring the illuminated garden at night, this Garden Festa is expected to become a spring outing festival that fills an entire day.

Hantan River Spring Garden Festa. Provided by Pocheon City

Pocheon's Signature Spring Festival: A Destination You'll Want to Stay Longer

The Pocheon Hantan River Garden Festa has already become a signature festival of Pocheon, loved by many tourists. Last year, 450,000 people visited, proving its popularity. In response, this year’s festival has greatly expanded its convenience facilities. Over 500 additional parking spaces have been secured, and separate entrance and exit routes have been established to alleviate chronic traffic congestion. Furthermore, 25 more electric bicycles—one of the most popular modes of transportation within the festival—have been added to make it more comfortable to explore the spacious grounds.

This year, with the addition of nighttime attractions to the existing gardens, suspension bridge, and river market, the charms of Pocheon Hantan River are expected to be showcased even more vividly.

A Pocheon City official remarked, "The 2026 Spring Garden Festa is a unique festival that combines Pocheon's natural beauty during the day with digital technology at night. We hope you will enjoy an unforgettable day at the Hantan River with your family, loved ones, and pets."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.