Suncheon exposition emerges favorite destination for Chinese, Japanese

The 184-day Suncheon Bay Garden Expo has become a favorite destination for Chinese and Japanese tourists, the event's organizer said Monday. According to the organizers, around 2,000 Chinese tourists visited the venue, located 415 kilometers south of Seoul, on Monday by using a cruise ship that arrived at South Korea's second-largest southwestern port of Gwangyang. The organizer said it dispatched seven tour guides and seven other Chinese-speaking volunteers for the convenience of the visitors. The Suncheon exposition, which kicked off on April 20, offers a wide range of exhibitions through four major districts -- the Arboretum Zone, the Wetland Center Zone, the World Garden Zone and the Wetland Zone -- in its venue of 1.11 million square meters. Around 80 Chinese visitors from Tianjin, northeastern China, also came to the venue through Muan International Airport, located 385 kilometers south of Seoul, by a chartered plane arranged for the global exposition. Suncheon, along with Gwangyang and Muan, is located in South Jeolla Province, the southwestern part of the country. The organizers said around 720 Chinese visitors are anticipated to visit Suncheon through the irregular flight, which is scheduled to be in operation until Aug. 20 of this year. Another 140 visitors from the Chinese city of Qiqihar are also slated to visit the exposition Thursday. Meanwhile, the organizer said it also plans to greet 50 Japanese visitors on Saturday to celebrate "Japanese Day."  "In the past week, around 1,300 foreign tourists visited the venue," an official from the organizing committee said. "The number of tourists visiting the exposition via irregular flights and cruise ships is expected to continue to grow down the road." The venue includes 83 types of gardens, including 11 sites boasting exotic views, as well as the ECOGEO Greenhouse, the Suncheon Literary Museum and the Suncheon Bay International Wetland Center. The 2.6 million square meters of Suncheon Bay, located near the exhibition site, is also anticipated to be a major tourist destination during the six-month event, the organizer added.