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The 2026 Taean International Horticultural Healing Expo, staged across Taean’s Ggotji Coastal Park in Chungnam, drew huge crowds from opening weekend — and it’s easy to see why. The seaside setting and vibrant blooms created a weekend full of photo-worthy moments and hands-on experiences.
According to the organizing committee, roughly 89,000 visitors passed through the gates during the two days starting on the 25th, filling the grounds with energy and excitement.
Families, couples and solo travelers flowed through the festival, stopping to snap photos, try activities and linger in the gardens. The overall vibe? Relaxed, restorative and Instagram-ready.
This year’s expo was designed to stand out: it blends AI technology with therapeutic, interactive exhibits instead of serving as a run-of-the-mill flower show.
A long line formed at the AI flower recommendation booth near the entrance as visitors queued for personalized flower and garden suggestions, and about 9,000 people visited the Special Pavilion over the weekend, showing strong interest.
The Healing Agriculture Hall offered a variety of programs that proved especially popular with families. Hall 1’s “Farm of Growing Hearts” was a hit with parents and kids, while Hall 2 highlighted Chungnam’s specialty resources and featured a 100-year-old goji berry tree that drew visitors of all ages.
Both the Special Pavilion and the Healing Agriculture Hall used the expo’s signature scent, “The Sea Where Flowers Bloom,” through space-scenting systems. The subtle fragrance filled the interiors and deepened the calming, restorative atmosphere.
The International Exchange Hall’s garden-themed photo zones were crowd magnets, and the Industry Hall and Chungnam Smart Agriculture Hall grabbed attention with cutting-edge tech — like an up-down strawberry cultivation system — plus a calendar of events.
Outside, seaside garden spots offered peaceful places to sit and soak up nature. The Plaza Garden and AI Harmony Garden were especially popular, holding visitors’ attention with tulips and hydrangeas in full bloom.
At the AI Piano House, the “My Healing Song” experience — a piano that automatically plays music matched to a person’s emotions — drew nonstop visitors and filled the air with gentle melodies all weekend.
Attendees told reporters they appreciated the expo’s focus on healing rather than a standard flower exhibition.
One visitor from Gyeonggi Province said, “It wasn’t just about looking at flowers — the scents and the spaces came together to make my body and mind feel relaxed.”
A family guest added, “There are so many hands-on programs for kids that we didn’t get bored even after staying all day.”
Other reactions included calling the expo “a space where walking in nature feels healing” and “a place to set down stress and just rest.”
Buoyed by the opening weekend’s response, the organizing committee plans to beef up traffic, parking and safety measures in anticipation of higher visitor numbers on upcoming weekends and holidays. They also plan to keep refining hands-on programs and visitor facilities to boost satisfaction.
Oh Jin-gi, secretary general of the organizing committee, said, “We designed this expo so that every step of walking through and staying in the gardens becomes part of the healing process, not just looking at flowers. We hope many people will visit Taean through May 24 to find rest and recovery in their everyday lives.”
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