Running Thursday through Sunday under the theme 'A Life with Gardens, Stories Gardens Connect,' the show features artist gardens, citizen-participation gardens, a garden school, hands-on activities and performances

A photo zone at Busan Nakdonggang Garden [Busan city government]
A photo zone at Busan Nakdonggang Garden [Busan city government]

The 2026 Busan Garden Show opens Thursday at Busan Nakdonggang Garden and runs through Sunday. The venue draws on the natural scenery and ecological character of the Nakdong River to offer visitors a shared space for experiencing garden beauty.

This year's show is organized around the theme "A Life with Gardens, Stories Gardens Connect," exploring how gardens bring nature and people — and people with one another — into relationship. The event is designed to let residents appreciate a wide range of gardens, engage with garden culture, and discover the value and beauty that gardens can bring to everyday life.

A total of 40 garden works will be on display across the venue, spanning specialized gardens, ESG corporate partnership gardens, exchange gardens, local artist gardens and citizen-participation gardens.

Highlights include "Haven," a garden created with the participation of garden designer Hwang Ji-hae, alongside ESG corporate partnership gardens built through business collaboration and local artist gardens that reflect the stories and character of their respective communities.

Particularly noteworthy are a garden documenting an exchange partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and local artist gardens that capture the distinct identity of individual districts — together illustrating how cities and communities can communicate through the medium of gardens. The works, created jointly by businesses, artists and local communities, also showcase the broad possibilities of garden culture.

Additional spaces include "Garden Introduction 101 Gardens," with five participating institutions including Pusan National University; 10 "Big Palm Gardens" selected through a public competition; and six "I'm a Gardener" gardens involving citizen gardeners. A garden school, garden-culture experiences and performances round out the program, giving visitors the chance to engage with and enjoy the gardens firsthand.

Meanwhile, the city plans to use the show to raise the profile of Busan Nakdonggang Garden and spread a culture of citizens creating and tending gardens together. Building on public interest and support, the city aims to grow the site into a beloved garden-culture destination and lay the groundwork for it to eventually be designated a national garden.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com