SHINAN, South Korea (Reuters) – Dressed in purple, hunched women held long rakes high as they walked in line to a lavender field to prune an island in southwestern South Korea.
Inspired by their native balloon flower, residents of the Banwol and Bakji islands, known as the ‘Purple Islands’, painted their houses, roads and bridges in shades of color and planted purple flowers such as lavender and asters to transform their city into a tourist attraction.
“Elderly people like us have an isolated life here, as all young people have left the city,” said resident Shin Deok-im, 79, who has lived on Bakji Island for more than 60 years.
“I am happy to see young people and children visiting our city. They are all like my grandchildren. “
The small, peaceful islands have just over one hundred inhabitants and were chosen for a government-supported tourism project.
Since 2015, Shinan County has invested 4.8 billion won ($ 4.25 million) to make the islands purple, including painting over 28,000 square meters of lilac roofs.
The campaign has attracted more than 487,000 people since its official start in 2019, according to the county office.
The restaurants on the islands offer purple rice and serve food in purple dishes. Some residents happily adopted the purple project.
“Every morning I dress in purple from head to toe, including my panties and shoes, and that makes me happy,” said resident Jung Soon-shim, 88, sitting in a purple gazebo.
Visitors can walk three purple walkways that connect the two islands to the largest one next to it, with benches decorated with the slogan “I purple you” popularized by K-pop BTS member Kim Tae-hyung, better known as V, who means ‘I trust, love and support you.’
Those who wear purple can even enter the islands for free.
“We were unable to travel abroad due to COVID-19, so we visited these purple islands,” said visitor Shin Eun-me.
“Seeing these grandmothers wearing purple clothes is very dreamy.”
($ 1 = 1,129.95 won)
Reporting by Minwoo Park and Daewoung Kim; Edition of Karishma Singh