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FestivalAutumn 2026

Hampyeong Chrysanthemum Festival

대한민국 국향대전

This edition · Data as of · Published · Compiled by

Hampyeong, a farming county in the far south-west, fills its whole expo park with chrysanthemums every autumn: towering flower sculptures on a new theme each year (castles, carousels, pagodas), a butterfly and insect hall, a recreated old-Korea street, and a self-grill Hanwoo beef hall in the grounds. The 2026 festival (the 23rd) runs 23 October – 8 November. Entry is ₩7,000 for adults, ₩2,000 of which comes back as a voucher to spend inside. We read Korean blog posts from people who went in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Hampyeong Chrysanthemum Festival
2026 대한민국 국향대전 (3).JPG2026 대한민국 국향대전 (4).JPG2026 대한민국 국향대전 (5).JPG
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3). Shown uncropped, as supplied.

What’s on

From the Hampyeong Festival & Tourism Foundation (checked 19 October). Open 09:00–18:00, tickets until 17:00, per the ticket seller.

Central plaza

Flower sculptures and bonsai hallsWalk-inEntry ticket
23 Oct – 8 Nov · 09:00–18:00
This year’s theme: a garden of myths.

Main gate and stage

OpeningWalk-in
23 Oct · 09:00 · 16:00
Ceremony and concert 16:00–18:00.

Subtropical greenhouse

Banana pickingWalk-in
Weekends · 11:00 · 15:00
First come, first served; children only in 2025.

Around the park

Folk games, crafts, caricatures, stamp trailWalk-in
23 Oct – 8 Nov · All day
Many free; some, like caricatures, paid.

Main stage

Talent contestWalk-in
31 Oct · 15:30–18:00
Local contestants.
ClosingWalk-in
8 Nov · 17:00–18:00
Central plaza.

Sources: the foundation's programme page, the NOL ticket listing and press reports.

The essentials

Dates2026-10-23 – 2026-11-08
WhereHampyeong Expo Park, 27 Gonjae-ro, Hampyeong-eup, Hampyeong-gun (Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City)
CostAdults ₩7,000, youth ₩5,000, children and over-65s ₩3,000 (adults get ₩2,000 back as a voucher)
OrganisersHampyeong County and Hampyeong Festival & Tourism Foundation (+82 61-320-2247)
Address전남광주통합특별시 함평군 함평읍 곤재로 27
Contact061-320-2247 · www.hpftf.or.kr/
ProgrammeOpens 23 Oct 9am; opening ceremony 4pm; banana picking at weekends — see “What’s on” below.

Official poster

2026 대한민국 국향대전 포스터.jpg

The organisers’ own poster, in Korean. Source: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3), shown unaltered. Tap to open full size.

What 30 visitors said

We searched Naver, the blog platform most Koreans use, for 30 posts around each year's festival, read every one to the end, kept only people who went (17, 14 and 13), and took ten per year. Sponsored and official-supporter posts were dropped and no writer is counted twice. Every number counts the posts that mentioned something.

What people liked

Giant chrysanthemum sculptures12 of 30 posts

A new theme each year — castles, carousels and towers in flowers 23-13 23-17 23-22 23-27 24-17 24-27 25-11 25-14 25-16 25-21 25-26 25-29

Lots of free things to do11 of 30 posts

Folk games, butterfly hall, a retro village, chrysanthemum tea 23-07 23-09 23-17 23-27 23-29 24-10 24-17 24-20 25-16 25-23 25-26

Cheap Hanwoo beef and snacks10 of 30 posts

A self-grill beef hall, world-food street, fair prices 24-18 24-28 24-29 25-14 25-16 25-21 25-23 25-29 25-11 25-15

A full day out with children9 of 30 posts

A butterfly train, banana picking, VR, free pushchair loans 23-09 23-13 24-15 24-18 24-26 25-14 25-16 25-26 25-28

Cheap local produce4 of 30 posts

Grapes, rice cakes, puffed snacks 23-10 24-18 24-28 25-14

What people struggled with

Flowers not yet fully out12 of 30 posts

Buds in the first week; early November was better 23-07 23-12 23-13 23-21 23-22 23-29 24-10 24-15 24-17 24-18 24-20 25-15

Near car parks fill at weekends6 of 30 posts

The main lot fills; use the Nabi lot or riverside overflow 23-09 23-12 23-29 24-18 25-28 25-29

A lot of walking6 of 30 posts

The whole expo park — half a day or more 23-09 23-17 24-10 24-28 25-11 25-26

These are raw counts, not percentages. Someone who did not mention something is not someone who disagreed.

Who goes, and when

Mostly families with children, plus people with their parents, couples and photographers. 15 of the 30 posts call it crowded, especially weekends and the last day; weekdays and the opening day were quieter. In the first week the chrysanthemums were often still in bud — 12 posts said so — with one finding them in full bloom around 1 November. Cosmos and pink muhly grass were at their best early on.

Who they went with

With children10 of 30 posts
With parents or adult family4 of 30 posts
As a couple2 of 30 posts
In a group (incl. volunteer teams)1 of 30 posts
Alone1 of 30 posts

12 of the 30 posts did not say.

Time of day

Evening2 of 30 posts
Night1 of 30 posts
Day into night4 of 30 posts
Afternoon9 of 30 posts
Morning3 of 30 posts

11 of the 30 posts did not say.

Visiting from abroad

None of the posts mention foreign visitors and the organiser's site is Korean only. Hampyeong is a car trip: about 40 minutes from Gwangju or Mokpo. Everything here works without Korean — the sculptures, the halls and the beef hall (you pick meat at the counter and grill it yourself; ₩3,000 per person table charge). Keep the ₩2,000 voucher from your ticket for snacks inside, and bring a refillable cup: stalls use reusable dishes.

Weather and crowds

Late October in the south can be hot in the sun (bring sunglasses) or suddenly cold. On a rainy day, the indoor halls — butterflies, bonsai, the retro street — fill an afternoon.

Getting there and access

Almost everyone drove. Parking is free across several lots, but at weekends the main Hwangso lot by the gate fills early — people used the Nabi (Butterfly) lot across the bridge, under ten minutes' walk, or riverside overflow parking. One post hit traffic from the Hampyeong motorway exit. Weekdays were easy. If the ticket queue is long, use the self-service kiosks or buy online; advance tickets (until 22 October 2026) are about 10% cheaper.

Pushchairs and wheelchairs are lent by the ticket office (free, or a ₩1,000 donation). Disabled visitors get in free, and so does one companion for those with severe disabilities (national veterans are free too). The paths are wide and several found them easy with a pushchair. There were nursing rooms with kettles and microwaves, a first-aid post and clean toilets. A road train tours the park (₩5,000 for adults in 2023). Dogs on leads were allowed in.

Year by year

Autumn 2023

20 October – 5 November. A nine-storey flower pagoda and a magic castle, with free evening opening 18:00–21:00; the flowers were late at the start.

Autumn 2024

18 October – 3 November, a winter theme: a chrysanthemum Christmas tree and evening lights, with free entry at night.

Autumn 2025

24 October – 9 November, a fairground theme with a flower carousel and Ferris wheel; it closed at 6pm. A mobile stamp trail won a bag of rice.

Tips from people who went

  • Peak bloom: late October to early November
  • At weekends go straight to the Nabi car park
  • Pick up a map at the gate and start with the central plaza
  • Spend the ₩2,000 voucher on snacks
  • Lunch at the self-grill beef hall (₩3,000 table charge per person)
  • Banana picking is first come, first served at weekends (11:00 and 15:00)
  • Walking shoes and sun cover

The 30 posts we read

  1. 23-07 · 2023-10-20 2023년 함평국향대전 개막식 대한민국 최고의 가을축제 행사,전시관,....
  2. 23-09 · 2023-10-22 함평 국화축제- 국향대전(주차팁)전남 아이와 가볼 한 곳 ,나비열차
  3. 23-10 · 2023-10-23 1박2일 목포여행/ 목포종합수산시장/ 고하도해상데크(해안동굴탐방....
  4. 23-12 · 2023-10-24 함평 국화축제 '국향대전'다녀왔어요~ 개화 상황/입장료 정보
  5. 23-13 · 2023-10-24 함평국화축제 아이랑 반려견 전남 가볼만한곳 2023년 대한민국 함평....
  6. 23-17 · 2023-10-27 전남 축제 2023 함평국화축제 기본정보 및 함평국향대전 입장료, 주....
  7. 23-21 · 2023-10-29 광주 전남 가을꽃 축제 전남 함평 대한민국 국향대전 입장료 주차 ....
  8. 23-22 · 2023-10-29 [함평 여행] 2023년 함평국화축제(국향대전) -가장 젊은날의 오늘 인....
  9. 23-27 · 2023-10-30 함평 2023 대한민국 국향대전 볼거리 및 포토존 추천
  10. 23-29 · 2023-10-31 국화의 향이 함평 천지에 퍼지다.
  11. 24-09 · 2024-10-21 포토존 추천★ 함평 국화축제 국향대전 입장료 및 기본정보
  12. 24-10 · 2024-10-21 [2024 전남 꽃축제] 함평 국향대전 장안식당 곱창국밥 생고기비빔밥 ....
  13. 24-15 · 2024-10-23 함평 국화 축제.2024국향대전
  14. 24-17 · 2024-10-27 2024 대한민국 국향대전 함평국화의 겨울이야기
  15. 24-18 · 2024-10-28 아기랑 주말 광주 근교 가볼만한 곳 함평 국화대전(24.10.27. 기준)
  16. 24-20 · 2024-10-29 가을 맞이 꽃놀이 가기 좋은 곳! 대한민국 국향 대전 / 2024 함평 국화....
  17. 24-26 · 2024-11-04 함평국화축제 야간개장 무료입장 함평아이와가볼만한곳 선선한 산....
  18. 24-27 · 2024-11-06 함평 가볼만한곳 국향대전축제 국화축제 마지막날 다녀오기
  19. 24-28 · 2024-11-09 2024 함평 국향대전 축제후기 - 한번쯤 다녀오기 좋음!
  20. 24-29 · 2024-11-25 함평 국화의 겨울이야기_함평 국향 대전 축제_대한민국 국향대전 후....
  21. 25-11 · 2025-10-25 전남 함평국화축제 2025 대한민국 국향대전 후기
  22. 25-14 · 2025-10-27 전라도 함평 축제 '국향대전' 아이와 함께 방문 후기
  23. 25-15 · 2025-10-27 함평 국향대전 2025 주차장 일정표 간식거리 근처 맛집
  24. 25-16 · 2025-10-28 함평 한우 2025 함평 국향대전 국화축제 가셨다면 꼭 드셔보세요
  25. 25-17 · 2025-10-28 전라도 가을 여행지 추천 , 함평 1박2일 가족나들이 가볼만한곳 , 함....
  26. 25-21 · 2025-10-31 2025 함평 국화축제 국향대전 입장료부터 가수 공연, 맛집까지!
  27. 25-23 · 2025-11-01 함평 국화축제 국향대전 2025 후기 함평 한우 먹고 옴
  28. 25-26 · 2025-11-03 함평 국화축제 국향대전 엑스포공원 볼거리 가을축제 가볼만한 곳
  29. 25-28 · 2025-11-03 아이와 함께 가볼만한 주말 나들이 함평 국향대전 그리고 장성 백암....
  30. 25-29 · 2025-11-04 함평 국화꽃축제 대한민국 국향대전 2025 주차장 입장료 정보

All posts are in Korean. We summarise them in our own words rather than quoting.