A variety of souvenirs and photos has showcased the beauty of Korea to the world.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) on Sept. 9 announced 12 souvenirs and 216 photos as the winners of this year’s Korea Tourism Contest.
Among the 404 entrees in the souvenir section, the grand prize went to “Chuncheon potato bread,” a bread shaped like a potato, a specialty of Gangwon-do Province. The bread is made with “rose potatoes” developed in Chuncheon, the capital of the province that houses the latter’s government building.
The two gold prizes went to “hardwood trays inscribed with a celadon melon-shaped bottle using lacquerware and celadon inlay” and “chess set using cultural heritage in Gyeongju.”
The souvenir tray is shaped like the Celadon Melon-shaped Bottle, designated a National Treasure of Korea, and received praise for applying lacquerware and celadon inlay, two traditional craft skills strong in Korea.
The chess set was hailed for promoting Korean culture by using cultural heritage from Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, such as Cheomseongdae Observatory and Dabotap Pagoda as chess pieces.
Among the 3,321 entrees in the photo section, the grand prize went to “Snowscape of Myeongokheon Garden.” The garden (Scenic Site No. 58), located in Damyang-gun County, Jeollanam-do Province, is a famous tourist spot popular in summer for its garden zinnias. The photo shows a Hanbok-wearing couple standing in a snow-covered scene, a rare occurrence in the county due to its relatively warmer weather in winter.
The two gold prizes went to “The Sunrise of Mopo Rocks,” a photo of a small valley in the ocean at dawn, and “Breathtaking Four Seasons of Korea,” a video showing flowers at tourist attractions nationwide.
A pop-up store displaying the winners runs through Oct. 6 at the commercial facility Seongsu Naknak in Seoul’s Seongdong-gu District. Souvenirs that won awards from the contest in previous years are available for sale and an exhibition features prize-winning photos.
Source: Korea.net