[Cheongsong Tourism Blossomingon the Strength of UNESCO] <3> Cheongsong Geopark We Make Together

A Total of 23 Geological Commentators, Who Are Residents of Cheongsong, Play Active Roles
The Local People Organizes an Exclusive Team for Systematic Management and Operation

Cheongsong County made tremendous efforts until it was designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark.

In August 2010, Cheongsong County made official policies to promote its designation as a Global Geopark. At that time, Cheongsong was a typical rural area, not well known even in Korea. Its population was aging and rapidly decreasing. There was an urgent need for the county to develop a new industry. And natural resources were something Cheongsong could boast about.

◆Natural Resources Meet UNESCO

Cheongsong County began to promote its designation as a Global Geopark in August 2010. In April 2014, the county was given the designation as a National Geopark. In December 2016, Cheongsong was recommended to apply for its designation as a Global Geopark by the UNESCO Global Geopark Committee. In May 2017, the county received the final approval by the UNESCO Executive Board and obtained the legal status as "Cheongsong UNESCO Global Geopark."

Cheongsong was given two designations—National Geopark and Global Geopark—for only seven years, which is an unprecedented achievement. It was also meaningful that Cheongsong was the first area to be designated as a Global Geopark among inland National Geoparks of Korea.

Cheongsong is the smallest town in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. Given that the designations of most National Geoparks were promoted by metropolitan governments, it can be assumed that Cheongsong accomplished such a great achievement. The achievement was attributable to Cheongsong's unique and superb natural resources and the efforts made by the local government and local people.

◆Geological Commentators with Competitiveness Play Active Roles

Currently, there are about 20 official geological commentators in Cheongsong UNESCO Global Geopark. They are experts on geological attractions and play actives roles across Chengsong.

They are all local people of Cheongsong. Therefore, they have abundant information about the function of each geological attraction and how the geological attractions have changed.

Jang Yeon-sil, one of the geological commentators, is in charge of the Sinsung valley green way geology trail. Jang lives in the Sinsung valley, doing fruit framing with her husband. The places she lives and works in are all within the geological attraction, and her attachment to the area is extraordinary. When it rains heavily, she goes here and there, worrying about possible geological damage. And she sometimes visits her neighbors and talks about the value of geological attractions of Cheongsong.

"There are many parts overlapping between my job geological commentator and my life. So I can concentrate better and I'm motivated to make more efforts," said Jang.

As the geological tourism of Cheongsong becomes popular, geological commentators have more things to do. They study basic geology and even design geological comments and tour courses according to tourists' age, job, etc.

For example, they attract the attention of Chinese tourists by talking about the relationship between Juwang and Chinese folktales and help students approach geology more easily by talking about dinosaurs. They attract the attention of middle-aged men by talking about expensive flower stone and recommend Cheongsong as a place for a flower picnic to middle-aged women by talking about flowers blooming in each season in Cheongsong.

"All of us enjoy working as geological commentators with a sense of duty and responsibility to introduce the excellence of Cheongsong's geological attractions to people," said Choi In-seo, president of Cheongsong Geopark commentators' group. "We autonomously operate an education program for commentators at least twice a month as part of the efforts to provide more skilled explanations."

◆Pride in the Robust System

Visitors can make a reservation for free geotour to all geological attractions of Cheongsong at the website of Cheongsong UNESCO Global Geopark (www.csgeop.cs.go.kr).

Visitors can select the date and commentator. This system promotes competition in good faith among commentators, while providing tourists with the convenience of choosing a suitable commentator.

Cheongsong Geopark operates Geopartner and Geoschool, seeking synergy effects in various fields such as economy and education beyond tourism.

Geopartners are organizations that develop and sell food, accommodation, experience and tour products with the theme of Cheongsong's geological attractions, while offering cooperation for Geopark information and promotion provided to users.

There are nine Geopartners: JuwangsanTour Co. Ltd., CheongsongSamseong Taxi Co., Ltd., Cheongsong Senior Club, Deokcheongol Valley Natural Dye Experience Place, Jusanji Mountain Eco Village, Goejeong-ri Mountain Eco Village, Cheongsong Flower Stone Association, Slow Village Distillery Cheongsongyangwon, Cheongsong White Porcelain Instruction Place.

Geoschool is a geological pilot school selected for an effective operation of Cheongsong Geopark and development of geology education programs.

In March 2016, Pacheon Elementary School in Cheongsong was selected as a pilot school.Students visit geological attractions in Cheongsong with geological commentators as part of experience learning. They learn about the topography, geographical features, history and culture of Cheongsong. In July 2016, UNESCO Global Geoparks Network's site inspection/evaluation members visited the Geoschool, showing great interest.

◆Well-Built Geotrails

The website offers information about various trip courses.

The website recommends mainly three geotrails: Juwang valley geotrail(4.5㎞,3hrs), Sinsung valley green road(12.4㎞, 6hrs)and Cheongsong Natural Recreation Forest geotrail(5.5㎞, 3hrs). The website offers a map of each geotrail and a map with distances of each section to help visitors choose suitable courses.

If you want to have a themed tour, you can check recommended trip courses on the website. There are a total of six trip courses, as well as one-day and two-day trip courses.

The trip courses are titled "Exploration of white porcelain made of stone powder," "Trip with flower stones that do not wither forever," "Slow city and slow space," "Myeongdong in age of the dinosaurs and incised meanders," "In search of classical scholars' spirit and culture," and "Place with rocks of fantastic shape and the legend of Juwang."