Red Flower Paths in Full Bloom This September... An Autumn Journey to Bulgapsan in Yeonggwang

The 26th Yeonggwang Bulgapsan Lycoris Festival: September 18–27
From Flower Path Walks to Temple Cuisine, Wellness Lectures, and Outdoor Cinema

The flower stalk emerges where the leaves have disappeared. Though both grow from the same soil, the flower and leaves never meet each other. This is why Lycoris, or "Sangsa-hwa," has long symbolized yearning, waiting, and unfulfilled love. Every September, the Bulgapsan Mountain area in Yeonggwang is dyed red with the blooming Lycoris.

The landscape, where clusters of flowers stretch along the mountainside and the thousand-year-old Bulgapsa Temple stands in harmony, defines autumn in Yeonggwang. Designated and cultivated as the county flower by Yeonggwang County, Lycoris now welcomes travelers by combining not just the pleasure of viewing flowers, but also diverse cultural and hands-on experiences.

Lycoris radiata holding light flowing through large trees. Photo provided by Yeonggwang-gun.

The 26th Yeonggwang Bulgapsan Lycoris Festival will take place for ten days from September 18 to 27, at the Bulgapsa Tourist District. This year’s festival focuses on "immersing in the flowers and lingering at a leisurely pace."

The event has moved away from performances and stage-based programs, instead reorganizing its spaces and schedules to allow visitors to directly experience local attractions such as Lycoris, Bulgapsan, and Bulgapsa Temple.

The intention is to shift from simply rushing through the flower paths, encouraging visitors to spend more time walking, participating in experiences, and relaxing. The festival also incorporates a stay-type tourism policy, so that visits to Bulgapsan and Bulgapsa lead to further exploration of Yeonggwang’s history, culture, and cuisine.

Walking with the Flowers, Sending Your Heart in a Letter

At the heart of the festival lies Lycoris. Signature programs include the "Lycoris Flower Trail Walk," a photo certification event, Lycoris mailbox letter-writing, and craft workshops. The experience goes beyond just seeing and walking among flowers, allowing visitors to preserve memories through photos, letters, and handmade crafts.

Flower trails and rest areas will be arranged throughout the festival grounds.

This arrangement is designed to let visitors leisurely enjoy the autumn scenery of Bulgapsan without rushing. This year’s festival further expands the experience with traditional culture, wellness, and nighttime tourism programs to encourage longer stays.

Visitors gathered at the previous Red Spider Lily Festival event. Photo by Yeonggwang-gun

On September 20, a temple food experience will be held at the Bulgapsa Traditional Culture Experience Center. This program offers a chance to learn the meaning and value behind temple cuisine and to directly experience traditional foods, providing insight into Bulgapsa's culture and traditions.

On the same day, in front of the Geumgangmun Gate at Bulgapsa, the "Bulgapsa Accompaniment Wedding" will take place. This program creates special memories for couples from socially vulnerable groups in the region who were unable to have a proper wedding ceremony.

Commemorating precious relationships amid the backdrop of Bulgapsa, the enduring stories of longing and love associated with Lycoris are carried on as "accompaniment."

Peaceful Days, Evenings Filled with Cinema

Time for personal reflection amidst nature is also provided.

From September 20 to 23, the Lycoris Promotion Hall will host "Lycoris: Connecting Flowers and the Heart," a wellness lecture program. Using the meaning and beauty of Lycoris as inspiration, the program is designed to encourage self-reflection and inner peace.

The festival continues into the evening. From September 24 to 26, "Love Blooms at Night: Lycoris Cinema" will take place at Sangsa Lake Hill. This is an opportunity to watch films outdoors, in a setting blooming with Lycoris. By extending activities into the evening, visitors are encouraged to remain at the festival longer and enjoy a richer experience.

The festival mascot "Sangsaho" will also greet visitors. The name embodies "the tiger of Bulgapsan who loved Lycoris." According to the story, the tiger was so moved by comforting the lonely Lycoris leaves and embracing the flowers that even its fur and stripes turned red. The longing between flower and leaf is expressed as love that remembers and embraces each other.

Yeonggwang County seeks to share the stories of Lycoris and Bulgapsan in a friendly way through Sangsaho. By weaving stories into natural resources, the aim is to reinforce the festival’s identity as well as Yeonggwang’s tourism brand.

From Bulgapsan’s Flower Paths to All Corners of Yeonggwang

The Yeonggwang Bulgapsan Lycoris Festival began in 2001 as the "Yeonggwang Bulgapsan Lycoris Flower Trail Hiking Competition." It was renamed in 2005, and since then has grown into Yeonggwang’s representative autumn festival.

Recently, it was listed as part of the "2nd Local 100" selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and in 2026 it won the top prize in the festival tourism category at the 14th Korea Festival Content Awards.

The festival has received positive reviews for connecting nature, culture, and tourism through local resources such as Lycoris colonies and Bulgapsa, and for expanding experience-based, emotionally resonant content and regional cooperation programs.

Sangsa flowers blooming on a slope of Bulgapsan Mountain. Provided by Yeonggwang County

Based on these achievements, Yeonggwang County is developing the Lycoris Festival as a key content platform connecting local tourism resources. Plans include expanding experiential tourism—such as the "Yeonggwang Rest Trip"—linking Bulgapsa tourist sites and religious pilgrimage themes, and connecting the region’s history, culture, and food to encourage longer and repeat stays.

The challenge is to expand visitor routes so that tourist flows, previously concentrated at Bulgapsan and Bulgapsa during the festival, reach other parts of Yeonggwang. The county aims to ensure that trips to see the flowers also drive visitors to local restaurants, accommodations, and other attractions, thereby enhancing local business cooperation and broadening tourism itineraries.

Conditions for accommodating tourists—including transportation, parking, and convenience facilities—will be continuously improved. At the same time, the county will strengthen efforts to preserve Lycoris colonies and ensure environmentally friendly festival management, aiming to raise visitor satisfaction, length of stay, and local spending together.

This autumn, Yeonggwang’s travel offerings begin along the Lycoris flower paths and extend to traditional culture experiences, inner wellness, and outdoor cinema. Yeonggwang County plans to guide visitors beyond Bulgapsan and Bulgapsa toward a journey that encompasses local nature, history, culture, and cuisine.

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