Barefoot Walking Even in Midwinter... Sokcho Reopens Red Clay Path at Flower Nursery

Added 30 meters to the walking path inside the greenhouse
Open until 9 p.m. starting in December

Sokcho City in Gangwon Province reopened the red-clay barefoot walking path inside a greenhouse at its flower nursery on November 2, allowing people to enjoy barefoot walking even in winter.

Red clay path inside a greenhouse at a flower nursery. Photo provided by Sokcho City.

Last year, the city built a 160-meter-long, 1.5-meter-wide circular red-clay barefoot walking path inside one greenhouse used to produce and manage flower seedlings. It also installed a red-clay ball area and shoe lockers, and added a warm-water foot-washing station so visitors can wash their feet with warm water even on cold days.

This year, ahead of the reopening, the city spent about 14 million won to repair the existing path and add a 30-meter section.

In November, the path is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Starting in December, its hours are scheduled to extend into the evening, until 9 p.m. The hours are the same on weekdays and weekends.

During the previous operating period, the city installed electrical and lighting facilities in response to residents who wanted to use the path at night, and extended its closing time from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. A total of 5,020 people visited during that period.

The flower nursery's red-clay path will serve as a place for residents and tourists to walk barefoot while the barefoot walking paths at Yeongnangho and Cheongchoho are closed for the winter due to safety concerns from cold waves and icy conditions.

Sokcho Mayor Lee Byeong-seon said, "I hope the flower nursery's red-clay barefoot walking path will be a place where residents and tourists can enjoy walking and add vitality to their daily lives, even in winter." He added, "We will continue to improve the facilities so that they can be enjoyed as a health and leisure space throughout the year."

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