November 2023
Local
People1
Creating Something Special
Tongyeong was long a city famous for tourism, yet the city had no attractions that made it unique. That¡¯s why many tourists would just stay in the city for a day or one night and two days at the most. But the city has plenty of attractions hidden here and there and on islands nearby. If tourists want to get a deep sense of the area, they have to stay there for more than just a day or two. Staying in the city for more than just a little while means that tourists need something to enjoy during the nighttime. Son Yeong-Suk found an interesting way to keep people engaged in something fun at night while also fully experiencing the local culture.
She decided to create a special place at the ¡°Nammangsan Sculpture Park,¡± a site full of memories for local people. The wall paintings at the Dongpirang and Seopirang villages are changed every two years, so Son planned to turn the new park into a place where the old wall paintings could ¡°come alive once again.¡± She called the site ¡°DPIRANG,¡± a word formed from the ¡°D¡± from ¡°digital¡± and ¡°pirang,¡± which is a word for ¡°cliff¡± in the local dialect. Son also decided to give tourists a taste of Tongyeong along with the wall paintings. She installed media art at the park, including paintings from one of the area¡¯s prominent artists, Jeon Hyuck Lim, along with mother-of-pearl lacquerware and Ogwangdae mask dance. Music was also needed to maximize the immersive experience. Songs from musician Yun I-sang and local music styles such as the Byeolsingut (Korean mask dance) of the Namhae region were added to create a mysterious atmosphere. ¡°Everything at DPIRANG is connected with Tongyeong. If you pay DPIRANG a visit with that in mind, you¡¯ll be able to subtly enjoy the city.¡±
In 2020, DPIRANG―an outdoor digital media theme park stretched over 1.5 km―was opened to the public. Despite the fact that it was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people visited the park. DPIRANG immediately became one of Korea¡¯s most popular tourist destinations. After DPIRANG¡¯s debut, many similar digital media theme parks and exhibitions were built, but DPIRANG is still unique because it has media content that can only be found in Tongyeong and nowhere else. ¡°Starting from the planning phase, we questioned everything: ¡®Why create artwork to view just at night? Why does the park have to be built in this particular place? What kind of things should we put in the park?¡¯ We asked these questions to ensure that DPIRANG became a platform to show off the things that best represent Tongyeong. We believed that tourists would visit the park only if they could intuitively understand why DPIRANG existed.¡±
Preparing the Next Legend
The process of creating the park was a series of new challenges. Planners had to create different media content for each section of the park, and the park¡¯s narrative had to flow without any awkward spots. DPIRANG also required space to harmonize with the natural scenery, so a new space was created exclusively for the new park. Everything had to be made from scratch. There were many twists and turns in the process, but ultimately DPIRANG was something that gave Son happiness. ¡°I wondered if things would work out. No one had ever tried to make such a large park in Korea before. I was full of worry when we conducted a trial run of the park. But as I stared at the beautiful sight before me, my fears suddenly disappeared. The park¡¯s stories seemed to awaken from slumber. I was happy because I had put effort into creating this place from start to finish.¡±
With her experience of planning DPIRANG, Son now plans to create another legendary tourist site. ¡°I¡¯m working on a project to add nighttime tourist attractions in the Gangguan Harbor area, which can be viewed from the entrance to DPIRANG. We¡¯ll soon be opening up attractions such as a fountain and laser shows that will captivate the public. The park will be connected with DPIRANG to create a great amount of synergy.¡± Gangguan Harbor and DPIRANG will become even more powerful symbols of Tongyeong thanks to Son¡¯s efforts.
On a walk through DPIRANG, Son shared more about herself. She is not from Tongyeong, but says that the city is more familiar to her than her hometown, and that the city has allowed her to enjoy life. While she was speaking, she gently caressed the park she had seen countless times with her eyes. Her attitude showed how much she loves the park. Tongyeong and DPIRANG are symbols of pride for her. The city¡¯s future will shine even brighter in the future thanks to people like her.
Local
People2
Nighttime Tour Provides Opportunity for Interaction
The Tongyeong Night Sea Tour is a prominent tour program that takes tourists from Donamhang Harbor to Gangguan Harbor, Chungmugyo Bridge and Tongyeongdaegyo Bridge before returning to Donamhang Harbor. The tour has even been designated as one of Korea¡¯s 100 best nighttime tourist attractions. There have been many tourists who returned to take the tour several times. Why is this tour program so popular? It¡¯s an interesting question, particularly given that the city¡¯s nighttime scenery is not particularly overwhelming, and because the tour takes place not on a cruise ship, but on a small boat.
The program, however, does boast the opportunity for people to interact with each other. People who get on the boat share conversations with each other, which increases the ¡°specialness¡± of the calm and ordinary-looking nighttime scenery. The tour features music that fits with views of the sea, which changes in appearance depending on the season and weather, along with the cultural and historical stories that allow tourists to get a deeper understanding of the city. All of these things come together to harmonize with one another. ¡°As I¡¯m piloting the boat, I can see that everything―nature, the music and the people―are coming together in harmony. That¡¯s when I see the guests are touched in the same way I have when I look at the sea. Even without looking at their eyes, I know that they are all sharing the same feelings I have felt and that everyone on the boat is feeling the same.¡±
A Sea Adventure Born from Love and Pride
Evidence of Cho¡¯s pride and love of Tongyeong can be found in his nighttime sea tour. All aspects of the tour reflect his love of the city: from the coziness of Gangguan Harbor, where he played during his childhood and the beautiful sight created by the fishing boats in the sunset, to the noisy fish wholesale market replete with the chattering of local folks. ¡°Tongyeong is like my own life. My work and my family are all connected to this place, so much so that I wonder what it would¡¯ve been like if I hadn¡¯t been born here. I feel such a sense of pride about living here. That¡¯s why my own perspectives about this city that I love are part of the tour program.¡±
It is out of love for the city that Cho created and operates the nighttime sea tour. His love for the city also gives him the desire to show people curious about Tongyeong a different side of the city through an ¡°island hopping tour.¡± Going forward, he wants to attract even more people by offering a private maritime tour, along with a tourism package that allows visitors to enjoy the sights with their ears and eyes and even their ¡°tastebuds.¡± ¡°I hope that people have the desire to come back to Tongyeong after they¡¯ve experienced the tour program. The city is far away from where they live, but I hope they leave here after experiencing the city¡¯s attractions so much that they would be glad to come again.¡±
You can hear in his voice how deeply he cares about the city. Cho gets on his boat and pilots it through the rolling sea. The scenery of the sea was quiet and beautifully illuminated. It seems obvious why he loves this city so much.
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