Andong to host 2026 East Asian City of Culture garden festival

Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, will host the "2026 East Asian City of Culture Andong Garden Culture Festival" at Andong Potown over two days beginning Saturday, the city announced Monday.

The festival will feature an "East Asian Artist Garden" showcasing garden cultures from Andong as well as Matsumoto, Japan, and Suzhou and the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in China.

Fourteen teams selected through an open competition will each design a garden in a roughly 5-square-meter space on the theme of Andong.

Five outstanding works will be chosen through judging, and an awards ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Hands-on garden-making programs will also be available, including a "Family Garden" for 10 participating families, as well as kokedama moss ball workshops, palm-sized garden arrangements, wreath decorating, rose candle making and flower classes.

Free programs include making personalized flower pots, seed sharing and seed bomb crafting.

Family-oriented programming will run throughout both days, with a bubble show at 11 a.m., a garden OX quiz show at 1 p.m. and a magic show at 3 p.m. A one-hour treasure hunt will also take place starting at 1 p.m. Sunday.

An exhibition highlighting exchanges among East Asian cities will also be on display, featuring a photo exhibition of garden scenery from Andong, Matsumoto and Suzhou, along with 26 friendship pots created by participants in the Andong-Matsumoto youth exchange camp.

"This festival is a place where visitors can appreciate the distinct garden cultures of Korea, China and Japan, and connect with nature by creating gardens themselves," an Andong city official said. "We hope families will visit Andong Potown and enjoy the autumn atmosphere where gardens and culture come together."