Year-end illumination event at Icheon's Simmons Terrace

6-meter tree, tunnel of lights among highlights

Winter visitor count has topped 100,000 on average over past 3 years

A rendering of this year's Christmas tree and illumination display at Simmons Terrace. [Simmons]
A rendering of this year's Christmas tree and illumination display at Simmons Terrace. [Simmons]

Simmons announced Friday that it has launched a Christmas tree and illumination event at Simmons Terrace, its cultural complex in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The event runs under the theme "Starlight Terrace, Where Christmas Shines," featuring trees of various sizes and decorative lighting designed to bring a year-end atmosphere to visitors, along with messages of comfort and encouragement.

Simmons has held the Christmas tree and illumination event since 2018 as part of its community engagement efforts. This year marks the ninth edition.

The event has established itself as a seasonal cultural fixture drawing visitors from across the country each winter. According to Simmons, the average number of winter visitors over the past three years has exceeded 100,000, and sales at nearby businesses have risen by more than 30 percent.

This year, the company has installed star-themed lighting and large Christmas trees throughout Simmons Terrace.

At the entrance connected to the parking tower, a tunnel of lights leads to a 6-meter Christmas tree. In the building's inner courtyard, waves of light run along the walls alongside star-shaped sculptures.

The lawn garden — a popular spot for photographs — has been transformed into a "Christmas Tree Forest" made up of trees in multiple sizes.

New this year is a lighting effect on the exterior wall of the Factorium building, visible from the lawn garden, where gobo lights project moving starlight patterns. A gobo light is a device that casts specific images or shapes using a beam of light.

A lighting show called "Twinkle Time" will also run, with lights wrapped around the Christmas trees and the lawn garden fence flickering in sync with music.

The Christmas event at Simmons Terrace is notable for opening a company-run cultural space to local residents and visitors alike. The influx of year-end visitors is also expected to benefit surrounding restaurants and cafes, boosting the local commercial district.

Since opening in 2018, Simmons Terrace has welcomed a cumulative total of about 2 million visitors. Related hashtag posts on Instagram have surpassed 125,000.

The Christmas tree and illumination event runs daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Dec. 27.

"The Christmas tree and illumination event is Simmons' signature year-end cultural offering, where many visitors from across the country come each winter to soak up the season," a Simmons official said. "This year, the terrace will deliver warm encouragement and comfort to families, couples and friends, creating special year-end memories."


boo@heraldcorp.com