Gangneung's Anmok district was once home to a handful of instant-coffee vending machines that warmed the hearts of weary fishermen. Today it has become a mecca for coffee culture, where some of the country's finest baristas craft their brews.
The area will now host Gangwon Province's premier wellness festival. Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Gangwon Tourism Foundation will hold the "Gangwon SEA Wellness Festa" at Anmok Beach in Gangneung on Sept. 12, as part of the "2026 Visit Gangwon Year" campaign.
The event is designed as a Gangwon-style wellness tourism program that lets participants experience rest and well-being through the sea and nature. It will run both pre-registered and on-site programs, with about 1,000 people expected to take part.
The pre-registration program consists of three offerings: therapy yoga, vegan cooking therapy, and beach yoga and meditation. Participants can try gua sha and myofascial yoga under the guidance of professional instructors, prepare vegan dishes themselves, and enjoy yoga and meditation against the backdrop of Anmok Beach. A range of on-site experiences will also be available without prior registration.
In addition, programs open to all ages will run throughout the day, including wellness experiences featuring singing bowls, massage balls and gua sha tools; necklace-making using beach clams; brush and floral crown crafting with natural plants; and yoga profile photo shoots.
A circular stage, experience booths, shade structures and photo zones will be set up on the sandy beach near the Anmok Beach parking lot, allowing visitors to enjoy the sea and nature while taking in the wellness offerings.
Choi Seong-hyeon, chief executive of the Gangwon Tourism Foundation, said the event was organized "to offer a special wellness experience where people can rest their body and mind amid Gangwon's beautiful sea and nature." He added that the foundation would "actively develop stay-based wellness tourism that combines Gangwon's natural environment with tourism content."
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