The real Santa who set out from Finland has come to Korea. This Christmas, you can meet the "officially certified Santa from Finland" in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang. A chubby figure with a face full of curly white beard, red clothes and hat trimmed with white fur, and a hearty "Ho ho ho" laugh. It is exactly the Santa we have imagined. Santa, who arrived on the 20th, will stay at "Buncheon Santa Village" through Dec. 25, Christmas Day.
The Santa who came to Bonghwa this time is from Rovaniemi, a northern Finnish city known as the home of Santa. There are several Santas in this village. Their roles are different. There is a Santa who greets tourists, a Santa who travels the world to promote the Santa village, and even a Santa who handles only administration. Santa's identity is kept strictly confidential. The reason is that children's innocence must be protected.
While Santa is in residence, visitors who go to "Santa's room" in the village can take photos with Santa. It is open from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Checking the time is essential. The photo expense is 10,000 won per session and includes a printed photo taken with Santa, the original file, and a frame.
Will we be able to meet Santa again next Christmas? At the "Santa's happy post office" set up in the village, you can write a postcard to ask Santa. If you send a postcard, an invitation will be sent along with the opening of next year's Santa Village.
Even after Santa leaves, the festivities at Santa Village continue. Living up to its name, the village is dotted with installations of Santa, Rudolph, and Christmas trees. It is a place where "every day is Christmas," regardless of the season.
Still, the liveliest season is winter. Buncheon Santa Village will decorate indoor and outdoor spaces with a "Frozen" concept and run various hands-on programs through Feb. 15. On Dec. 25, Christmas Day, "Pororo Sing-along," a children-only music show, will be held twice, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
In the center of the outdoor Frozen plaza stands a tree observatory. Even within Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang, Buncheon, surrounded by layers of mountains, is considered one of the most remote of remote areas. From the observatory at the village's highest point, you can take in the winter mountain scenery at a glance. This year, Buncheon Santa Village greatly expanded hands-on attractions. A new skating rink and ice sledding hill were built on the stream in front of the village.
The skating rink fee is 3,000 won per person. The sled lending fee is 5,000 won, and if you rent a sled, there is no admission fee. It is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday. You can also try a Santa sleigh (bicycle) experience. It operates from the 19th through Feb. 15, and the fee is 2,000 won for one person, 5,000 won for three, and 7,000 won for four.
If you want to enjoy Buncheon Santa Village more deeply, it is worth riding the Baekdudaegan Valley Train (V-Train). It crosses a V-shaped valley reachable only by rail from Buncheon Station to Cheoram Station. Thanks to the large windows and seats facing the valley, the scenery unfolds like a painting. It is also fun to get off briefly at Yangwon and Seungbu stations to take photos and try countryside snacks.
Bonghwa is also home to the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum. As the largest arboretum in Asia, you can enjoy different gardens each season. Six Baekdusan tigers live in the Tiger Forest. It is also worth a visit to Eokji Chunyang Market, which opens on the 4th and 9th.
Kim Byung-gon, head of the North Gyeongsang Province Culture, Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, "Buncheon Santa Village is a representative winter tourist destination that draws more than 100,000 visitors every year," adding, "As we have expanded new themed facilities and hands-on content, we will work to ensure the tourist flow centered on the Santa Village spreads throughout the region."
☞ Buncheon Santa Village
Location: Buncheon Station (Buncheon 2-ri) area, Socheon-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, North Gyeongsang
main facilities
experiential tourism: Santa train (O, V-Train), Santa rail bike, Santa post office, Santa slide
sights: indoor and outdoor platforms at Buncheon Station, Santa installations, tree observatory, Christmas street
performances and events: weekend performances at the tourist shelter in front of Buncheon Station
food: Santa Village food court operation, agricultural specialties store, Santa cafe operation