The large-scale sculptures of “National Chrysanthemum Festival” and media art will reappear in the darkened park. Will you walk with your child, or take pictures of the lights with your friends?
From the end of November 2026 to the beginning of January 2027, over a period of 50 days, the large sculptures used in the National Chrysanthemum Festival and the nighttime landscape lighting of Hampyeong Expo Park will be re-created as a winter light festival. Even after the autumn chrysanthemums have faded, the sculptures will once again take center stage as the main attraction of the winter nights.
The Hampyeong Winter Light Festival is a nighttime illumination festival held in Hampyeong Expo Park and the Hampyeong-eup urban area. It features chrysanthemum sculptures illuminated with lights, and also includes media art, hands-on activities, performances, and food, offering a different atmosphere from the daytime flower festival. It is also noteworthy that the festival extends its illumination not only within the park but also into the surrounding urban area.
Chrysanthemum sculptures will be the main attraction during winter nights.
At Hampyeong Expo Park, the Central Plaza and the lawn plaza will be illuminated with nighttime landscape lighting, and large sculptures used in the 2026 Korea National Chrysanthemum Festival will be re-exhibited as winter light sculptures. The plan is to expand the landscape lighting from the Expo Park to the Hampyeong-eup downtown area, and to also operate citizen participation programs, such as tree installations for each commercial district.
The key feature of this place is that it is not just a light show. Large-scale media art by the artist Lee Lee-nam, the Hampyeong Memory Workshop, the Butterfly Insect Specimen Exhibition Hall, the Succulent Plant Hall and the Natural Ecology Hall, and planned exhibitions from the Hampyeong County Art Museum are interspersed throughout the evening stroll. The chrysanthemum sculptures maintain a full schedule, regardless of the changing seasons.
The hands-on programs include activities such as a light maze, making reindeer headbands, creating Christmas trees, wearing Santa costumes, and making glow-in-the-dark bracelets. For those waiting for the performances, there are a Christmas marching band, a Christmas carol busking performance, and a theatrical performance, which add music and stories to the sculptures.
A different kind of walk awaits you, one that is distinct from the urban light festivals.
The Seoul Lantern Festival and the Busan Haeundae Light Festival feature light sculptures centered around urban waterfront areas, beaches, and commercial districts. The Hampyeong Winter Light Festival incorporates the Expo Park’s natural and ecological exhibits, as well as sculptures from the National Chrysanthemum Festival, to enhance the park’s walking experience. It is a place where visitors can see the lights, view the exhibits, and then return to the sculptures.
While the “Osaek Byeolbit Garden Exhibition” light festival at the Achim Goyo Arboretum in Gapyeong focuses on the arboretum’s scenery, the festival in Hampyeong extends to include media art and exhibitions of insects and plants. Compared to events like the Busan Christmas Tree Culture Festival, the Cheongdo Provence Christmas Santa Village Light Festival, and the Herb Island Light Fairy Tale Festival, the Hampyeong festival is clearly distinguished by its structure, which connects the Expo Park with the town center.
This experience is more about exploring parks and exhibition halls than simply quickly passing by the streetlights in the city. Therefore, it offers different kinds of enjoyment for families with children and parents, and for couples and friends who want to capture photos during their walk.
From children to parents, everyone is welcome.
If you are with children, the “Maze of Light,” “Rudolph Headband Making,” “Christmas Tree Making,” “Santa Costume Wearing,” and “Glow-in-the-Dark Bracelet Making” activities are worth exploring. These activities are not just about seeing lights; they combine making and playing, and even choosing the next activity becomes a small program in itself.
After a leisurely stroll with your parents, enjoying the nighttime views of the Central Plaza and the Lawn Plaza, it is recommended to visit the Hampyeong Memory Workshop, the Butterfly Insect Specimen Exhibition Hall, the Succulent Plant Hall, and the Natural Ecology Hall. The itinerary can be structured to include indoor exhibition spaces between the outdoor sculptures, which helps to break up the viewing experience and prevent fatigue.
Couples and friends can enjoy capturing moments against the backdrop of large sculptures, Christmas trees, and media art installations. For those who enjoy performances, the Christmas marching band, carol busking, and theater festival will be a welcome addition. There are also character-themed pop-up stores featuring Hwangbagi and Ppompi, as well as booths selling local agricultural products, allowing visitors to enjoy a pleasant experience and take home some souvenirs.
Try to arrange the order of the lights from sunset.
The recommended route is to first visit the indoor exhibitions before sunset, and then proceed to the central plaza and lawn plaza after it gets dark. During the day, explore the natural ecology center, the plant exhibition hall, and the butterfly insect specimen exhibition hall. At night, experience the “Maze of Light,” large sculptures, and Lee In-nam’s media art, allowing for a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor viewing.
If you enjoy photography, try capturing the “Carousel of Light,” the angel sculptures, Lee In-nam’s media art, and the “Labyrinth of Light” in separate scenes. Instead of simply stringing together lighting photographs, the sculptures, media art, and labyrinth each create a different atmosphere.
Reviews from the previous year indicate that weekend evenings may experience parking congestion and long wait times for hands-on programs. It is advisable to allow ample travel time and to prepare for outdoor winter viewing by wearing thick coats, scarves, and gloves. Although it is a cold season, food trucks and convenience stores offer options for taking a short break and enjoying snacks.
The event venue will feature convenience stores, snacks, food trucks, and booths selling local agricultural and specialty products. With the addition of “Hwangbagi” and “Ppombi” character pop-up stores, both children and their friends will have even more things to enjoy.
After seeing the light, the daytime in Hampyeong continues.
The Hampyeong County Museum of Art, located within Hampyeong Expo Park, is an excellent space to view planned exhibitions alongside the nighttime scenery of the Winter Light Festival. Hampyeong Cheonsu Riverside Park offers a short walking path before and after the festival. If you want to spend more time during the day, you can visit Hampyeong Natural Ecology Park, where you can experience ecological exhibits such as the butterfly and insect specimen exhibition hall and the plant hall.
The sunset over Hampyeong Bay and Dolmeori Beach are local attractions that enhance the winter sea and coastal scenery, especially around the time of festivals. During the day, visitors can enjoy the coastal scenery, and at night, they can experience the park illuminated by lights, which transforms the atmosphere of Hampyeong.
A characteristic of this period is that after the Chrysanthemum Festival, the sculptures and festival infrastructure in the same location are extended to winter nighttime tourism. As the autumn and winter events share the same venue, the Expo Park offers different viewing experiences each season.
This is the road leading to Hampyeong Expo Park.
The address is 27 Gonjae-ro, Hampyeong-eup, Hampyeong-gun, Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City. For those driving, directions are provided to Hampyeong Expo Park and the Hampyeong-eup downtown area, using the Seohaean Expressway Hampyeong IC or the Dong Hampyeong IC.
Parking is available at the main gate and north gate parking lots of Hampyeong Expo Park, as well as at the thematic pavilion parking lot. Transportation from Hampyeong Public Terminal to Hampyeong Expo Park is available, and information on using local buses or taxis from Hampyeong Station is also provided.
Please take note of the entrance information and operating details.
The event will take place from the end of November 2026 to the beginning of January 2027, lasting for 50 days. The event venue will include the Bull Gate, the Central Plaza Information Center, two temporary medical stations, two transportation information centers, and a stroller and wheelchair rental service.
As of now, there is no officially confirmed or publicly available information regarding the entrance fees and operating hours for the 2026 festival. For inquiries, please call 061-320-2238. Since it is an outdoor winter festival, it is recommended to bring a thick coat, scarf, and gloves to enjoy the light installations and media art more comfortably.
