I love Bucheon: 2013

Monday, May 27, 2013

Bucheon Alpine Federation Had Mountain-climbing Class last May 25

"Put heavy stuffs up in backpacks, sticks can reduce 25% off weights"

<photo 1: Mayor of Bucheon City, Mansoo Kim is saying "Hiking or mountain-climbing is the best way that makes all the citizens live long for 99 years lively." at the mountain-climbing class Bucheon Alpine Federation is hosting.>

"Sticks for hiking can reduce weights 25 to 30 percent off to cushion the impact of feet and protect knees. And those sticks can help arms to be exercised. When you stretch your arms and make a right angle with the sticks, it's the proper length of the sticks. When you step forward with your right foot, then your left stick goes forward, and vice versa."

It's part of 'How to use sticks for hiking' which the professional climer explained at the free hiking class by Bucheon Alpine Federation. The Bucheon Alpine Federation held the free mountain-climbing class on May 25, 2013, at the plaze in Bucheon Stadium. About five hundreds of people attended the class, and the main instructor was the famous, professional climber, Heongju Um.

Mr. Um also explined how to breathe and how to walk during hiking.

"You should inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. If you need more air, you can inhale through your mouth. You should inhale and exhale at regular intervals according to your paces of feet. If you pant, you can slow down your paces or rest to get back your regular breath."

The good way of walking during hiking Mr. Um taught was that "When climbing, you should stretch out your backward leg and support yourself through bones of the leg. And move forward at regular speed."

Mayor of Bucheon City, Mansoo Kim said "It's hiking and mountain climbing for all the citizens to live long up to 99 years old lively. It's the cheapest way to make life longer."

The managing director from Bucheon Alpine Federation, Seokmok Jong, who is also the head of Wonmi-gu Community Health Center, hosted the event. Participants of the event had hiking one and half hour long through Octagonal Pavilion in Mt. Womni and Garden of Azalea, after mayor's speech and the chairman's greetings from Bucheon Alpine Federation.

The chairman of Bucheon Alpine Federation, Wanjae Lee said "The Bucheon Alpine Federation has hosted the open mountain climbing classes for citizens every year since the federation was founded in 2006. It will be helpful for citizens who hike or climb mountains to know well how to climb mountains.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Bucheon City Opens Practice Rooms for Amateur Artists

"New practice rooms for artists opened in Sang-dong, Wonmi-gu after the first Ojeong's last January."

Bucheon City opened a new art practice place(Sang-dong practice place) for amateur artists in Sang-dong Movies and Culture Complex, on last May 24, 2013, after renovating the construction sites offices for Subway Line 7. From July 1st on, amateur artists can use those rooms every day. The new Sang-dong practice place is the second one after Ojeong's for amateur artists opened last January, 2013.

The Sang-dong art practice place is 552.96 square meters area and 2 story building. On the first floor, there are thirteen practice rooms including three 'Band Practice Room's and one 'Guitar Practice Room'. The second floor has six rooms such as a multi-functional practice room and dancing rooms. They are now accepting applications to rent rooms.

Otherwise, the Ojeong practice place is two-story, 180 square meters area building. On the first floor, they can practice chorus or group performances. There are practice rooms for playing bands and persons. The Ojeong place was opened last January 21, 2013 and 260 artists in seventeen clubs usually practice twice a week every weeks.

Mayor of Bucheon City, Mansoo Kim, visited Sang-dong and Ojeong Art Practice Places to meet with directors from Ojeong Steering Committee and local amateur artists clubs, and said "Bucheon City is trying to make all the citizens enjoy cultural activities. The first result is to prepare these art practice places. Bucheon City will make best successful practices with you who are here the amateur artists."

Members from local artists clubs will run two practice places by themselves through the Self Steering Committee. Associates will open online community cafe for Bucheon Amateur Artists Clubs in the Internet portal Naver, of which the address is www.vieart.com, http://cafe.naver.com/vieart. And they will open a new twitter account, @bucheon_art.

For more information about art practice places, contact 'News' in Bucheon City Website or Team for Art Promotion in Department of Culture and Arts, of which the phone number is +82-32-625-3126.

<photo 1. Mayor of Bucheon City, Mansoo Kim, is having a meeting with directors from the Ojeong Steering Committee and local Artist Amateur Clubs last May 24, 2013 in Ojeong Art Practice Center.>

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Bucheon City hold Brand Contest for Bucheon Own Cultural Goods

"Citizens can submit their ideas for Bucheon cultural products."

Bucheon City announced to hold 'the Public Brand Contest for Bucheon Own Cultural Goods' this May, 2013, in order to develop and deliver Bucheon own cultural products representing 'Culture Metropolis, the Bucheon', celebrating the 40th anniversary of becoming a city.

Citizens can submit their idea goods for the contest. The goods should be cultural products such as clothes, fashion items, character products, packaging design stuffs and so on, which could enhance the value of brand about Bucheon itself and its own festivals like PiFan, Bicof and PISAF.

Participants should visit Department of Cultural Content in person and submit their application forms and attached documents. Regarding application form and process, refer to the Web site of Bucheon City showing the application notice. The period of application is from May 22 to 28, 2013. There's no other qualification regarding application for the contest.

The five judging criteria for the contest are representativeness originality, marketability and artistic value. The city will give ten prizes and $12,500 dollars for prize money; one gold, one silver, three bronze and five participation prizes, and $4,000 prize money for the gold prize.

Jangseob Lee, head of Team of Cultural Content in Bucheon City, said "The city is planning to sell the winning goods at the event marketplaces of Bucheon big 3 international festivals like Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival(PiFan), after professionals turn the prize-winning works into products."

For more information, contact Team of Cultural Content via phone +82-32-625-2963 or twitter message @bc_content.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Bucheon Oriental Medical Association Help Teenagers Quit Smoking

"Bucheon Oriental Medical Association made an agreement with Bucheon Community Health Centers to cooperate free acupunctural treatments for making smoking teenagers to stop smoking"

The Bucheon Oriental Medical Association made an agreement with three Bucheon Community Health Centers last May 1st, 2013, in order to cooperate 'Stop Smoking' program for smoking teenagers in Bucheon City.

Bucheon Community Health Centers are supposed to run mobile 'Stop Smoking' classes for teenagers from May 6 to the end of September. The centers will visit middle and high schools in Bucheon City for that period. Medical counsellors who help smokers stop smoking will visit middle and high schools in Bucheon City which have already signed up to hold the program all four times, one time a week for a month. They will give personal counsellings, behavioral therapy and classes for how to stop smoking with smoking students. And according to the counsellors' orders, smoking students who want to quit it can get free acupuncture for helping stop smoking at oriental medical doctor's offices in Bucheon City.

The Bucheon Oriental Medical Association is not also giving free acupuncture for smoking students, but also opening health classes for teen students.

Jeonho Han, chairman of Bucheon Oriental Medical Association, said "Personal counselling and acupuncture treatment could make smoking teen students to stop smoking. I'm glad that my association and oriental medical doctors in Bucheon City can help teen students in Bucheon more healthful through oriental therapy in cooperation with Bucheon Community Health Centers. My colleagues, oriental medical doctors and I will do our best for it."

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Bucheon City Open New Nursery School in Industrial Complex

"The city opened the first public nursery school in Bucheon Techno Park III"

Bucheon City held the opening ceremony of the first public nursery school in Bucheon Techno Park III, which is a kind of industrial complex, last April 30, 2013. The city expected the nursery to unburden difficulties of workers in the industrial complex.

The new Techno Park 3 Nursery School, where Ms. Samsuk Cha is in charge, is located in Ssangyong 3rd Apartment Factory where almost ten thousands of people are working at about one thousands companies there. The nursery is 256 square meters area, dome-shape building and has five nursery rooms, one kitchen and one bathroom. The nursery runs 2 classes for one-year-old babies, 2 classes for two-year-old kids and 1 class for more than three-year-olds. The maximum number of kids for the nursery is forty nine but currently only thirty six. There're still vacancies for more than three-year-old kids.

The city made a twenty-year long, free rental agreement for the nursery building with the managing company of Bucheon Techno Park 3 Ssangyong last September, last year 2012. It took 90,000 dollars to build up the nursery facilities.

Kyeongseob Lim, the chairman of the Managing Company for Bucheon Techno Park 3 Ssangyong, said "My company will also support the nursery school in order that workers in this park can send their children to the nursery with no worry."

Mansoo Kim, mayor of Bucheon City, said "The Techno Park 3 Nursery School is a good example for cooperation between the city and the managing company. The managing company rents the building for free for 20 years, and the city is responsible for installing the facilities and managing the nursery. I will try to make a good nursery school where the children get good care service and the teachers can be satisfied here."

For more information, contact Department of Family and Woman in Bucheon City Hall via +82-32-625-2930 or twitter @bc_familywoman.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Pharmacies in Bucheon Open at Midnight

"Midnight Pharmacies in Bucheon City Open 10 PM to 2 AM from May 1, 2013"

Bucheon City will run the program of 'Midnight Pharmacies' in the city in cooperation with the Bucheon Pharmaceutical Association, so that citizens can easily buy medicines at midnight.

Until now, all the pharmacies close at midnight, then citizen has been difficult to buy medicines. To eliminate citizen's inconvenience, the city will run three 'midnight pharmacies', a pharmacy a district in Bucheon City. The midnight pharmacy opens 10 PM to 2 AM every day including weekends and holidays from May 1 to October 31, 2013.

Here is the information about the midnight pharmacies;

Rodem Pharmacy

201(Jung-dong), Sinheung Street, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City
Take buses #23-1, #61, #60-1 and #5-5 and get off at Sinjung-dong Station
Take subway line 7 to Sinjung-dong Station and exit #3
Phone # +82-32-327-2414

Barunson Pharmacy

20(Koian-dong), Kyeongin Street, Sosa-gu, Bucheon City
Take buses #88, #83, #23-1, #75, #12 and get off at Yeokgok Station
Take subway line 1 to Yeokgok Station and exit #1
Phone # +82-32-343-4217

Medipharm Pharmacy

758(Wonjong-dong), Sosa Street, Ojeong-gu, Bucheon City
Take buses #3-1, #3, #75, #8, #606, and#70-2 to Wonjong Intersection
Phone # +82-32-679-2533

Especially Barunson Pharmacy in Sosa-gu, Bucheon City, has opened 24 hours for 3 years.

Yunhee Jang, head of Team of Management for Pharmaceuticals in Bucheon Wonmi Community Health Center, said "At midnight citizens can easily get pharmaceutical counseling and buy medicines at midnight pharmacies in Bucheon City."

For more information, contact the Bucheon Wonmi Community Health Center via the phone #+82-32-625-4215 or the twitter address @bucheon_health.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

14th Womni Championship Football Games to be Held in Bucheon City

"530 players from twenty local football clubs in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City is participating"

Wonmi-gu Office, the biggest district in Bucheon City, announced the office is going to hold the 14th Wonmi Championship Football Games on two days, April 28 and May 5, 2013, at three playgrounds including Bucheon Stadium.

Twenty local football clubs, which have 530 players, already singed up to attend the games. The office is trying to promote citizen's interest for Bucheon Football Club 1995 and support citizen's sports activities through the football games.

The football clubs attending the games chose randomly their first matching team last April 17. They will have the opening ceremony of the 14th Wonmi Championship Football Games at Bucheon Stadium on 9 AM, April 28, 2013 and then will play games in tournament competitions.

Uije Woo, head of Wonmi-gu Office, said "This year our Bucheon FC 1995 is playing at K League Challenge, the second league of K League. I hope local football players, their families and citizens could enjoy the games."

Last year at the 13th Games, the winner was Kyenam Football Club. Eunhwa FC took the second place, and both Womni FC and Hanareum FC were in third place.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Bucheon City Run City Tour Bus called 'Fun Fun Bucheon City Tour'

Bucheon City has prepared the city tour program that people can learn, enjoy and experience the city deeply. Through the city tour program called 'Fun Fun Bucheon City Tour', people visiting Bucheon City can enjoy the history, culture, parks and tourist attractions of Bucheon in person, on the spot.

From last March 23 2013, the city started running the city tour service as a pilot with forty citizens per one time.

The first stop of the tour is Korean Pottery Museum in Yeowol-dong, a town in Bucheon City. And then the tour bus visits Bucheon Dulaegil(a tracking course), Bucheon Stadium, Archery Museum, Bucheon Botanical Garden, Bucheon Ecological Park, and Korea Comics Museum one by one, hearing explanation from the tour conductor.

Yurim Hong, a freshman from Bucheon Women's High School, said "It was a lot of fun to enjoy my home town, Bucheon, via bus, in person. I'm very proud of my town Bucheon City. I've learned the culture, nature and history about Bucheon through this tour." after the pilot tour.

Everyone who wants to tour Bucheon City can apply for the program ten days before at Bucheon Culture Center via the web site, of which the address is http://www.bucheonculture.or.kr, or a phone call, of which the phone number is +82-32-651-3739. The applicant should pay the fee for the tour to the bank account at least three days before. The fees are $5 for adults, $4 for school students and $3 for pre-school children or seniors older than sixty five years.

Mansoo Kim, mayor of Bucheon City, recommended "Seeing is believing. You can feel and enjoy the value and pride about Bucheon City on the spot through this Bucheon City Tour service."

Monday, April 22, 2013

Sohyang Gallery in Bucheon City Exhibit 30 Calligraphic Works and Oriental Paintings Till May 3

"Meet Spring with the Scent of a Chinese Ink on the Four Gracious Plants"

Sohyang Gallery in Sosa-gu Office, Bucheon City is supposed to host an exhibition for oriental paintings and calligraphic works, of which the theme is <People having dreams and Welfare Center where their dreams come true>, till March 3, 2013.

The oriental paintings mean paintings about the Four Gracious Plants; A plum-blossom, an orchid, a chrysanthemum and a bamboo. Calligraphy is the art of producing beautiful handwriting using a brush or a special pen. When it comes to the Four Gracious Plants, Korean people often mention the Four Friends in the Writing Room; An ink stick, an inkstone on which an ink stick is ground to make ink, a writing brush and traditional Korean paper handmade from mulberry trees.

This exhibition was prepared by twenty senior citizens who are participating classes like Oriental Painting, Calligraphy for Korean Letters, and Calligraphy for Chinese Letters in Sosa Senior Community Welfare Center. They've learned and practiced calligraphy and oriental paintings, and completed thirty works for this exhibition.

There will be shown oriental paintings of a plum-blossom, a orchid, a chrysanthemum and a bamboo, and calligraphic works about famous sayings and good phrases in Buddhist scriptures and the Bible.

Yeongseon Lee, an instructor of a calligraphy class in Sosa Senior Community Welfare Center, said "We have run classes about calligraphy and oriental paintings for senior citizens. Every year we've had an exhibition for oriental paintings and calligraphic works. It's not easy to prepare the exhibition but we've tried to make works for this exhibition for one month."

Jinho Choi, the team leader of Team of Management of Real Estate in Sosa-gu Office, said "It's April full of Spring. I hope citizens can enjoy the oriental paintings and calligraphic works in Sohyang Gallery in Sosa-gu Office, Bucheon City."

The open hour is from 9 AM to 6 PM every day. For more information, contact Department of Management of Land in Sosa-gu Office, of which the phone number is +82-32-625-6123, or twit them @bc-sosaminwon.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Dodang Saemaul Movement Council Make Soybean Paste and Soy Sauce for the Needy

Dodang Saemaul Movement Council Make Soybean Sauces for the Needy

"Fill Up Jars With Love"

Nowadays people can't imagine to dare to make soybean sauces by themselves. They usually buy those at the market. Benjawon, a 46 years old woman, who immigrated from Vietnam 15 years ago, participated the event of making Korean traditional soybean paste and soy sauce, and she learned recipes for two Korean sauces.

More than twenty members of Dodang Saemaul Movement Council in Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City made Korean traditional soybean paste and soy sauce for the needy last April 10, 2013.

It takes several months to make Korean soybean paste and soy sauce in Korean traditional recipe. They have ripened lumps of fermented soybean with salty water from last early of March in Korean style jars for food, 3rd floor, Dodang Resident Community Center, after they washed the fermented soybean.

That day they separated soy sauce from soybean paste. They mashed up lumps of fermented soybean and put those into other crocks in order to ripen those to be soybean paste. And they boiled the soy sauce for several hours and poured those in other jars. After 5 or 6 months of ripening time, finally the new soybean paste and soy sauce of the year will complete.

Dodang Saemaul Movement Council has held this event of making two Korean traditional soy sauces for 7 years. If the two types of soy sauces are completed around this September, they will give those sauces to senior citizens who live along or needy neighbors, or use those sauce as food ingredients for senior's festivals. Also they sell parts of those sauces to citizens and make money for helping others.

Benjawon, who is a member of the council, said with her smile "It was a great experience to make Korean traditional soybean sauces. But it was hard to mash up the lumps of fermented soybean to make soybean paste."

Jongbok Kim, chairman of Dodang Saemaul Movement Council, said "It takes long time and it's not easy to make soybean sauses by ourselves. But we're happy to help neighbors with these traditional soybean sauces. We'll keep on helping needy neighbors like the senior citizen who lives along and multi-cultural families."

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Bucheon City Farm Park Open April 27

Abandoned Yeowol Water Purification Plant in Bucheon City will revive to become the new Bucheon Yeowol Farm Park on April 27, 2013 where citizens can watch all process of raising plants seasonally.

The old Yeowol Water Purification Plant had supplied tap water for Bucheon citizens for about 20 years from 1980 to 2001. The new purification plant, Kkachiul Water Purification Plant replaced Yeowol plant about 10 years ago.

The first key features of Bucheon Yeowol Farm Park is to reflect requests of citizens from the beginning. The city has heard opinion from citizens and professionals about city farming area. And the city has repeated learning from domestic and oversea's successful cases, regarding city farm park.

The second feature is to reuse old facilities of Yeowol Water Purification Plant such as settling, cleaning, filter beds and a recollection tank.

They made a farming experience area, a seeding place, a ecological pond where water plants and fishes live together and a picnic place in the farm park, reusing old green space and old facilities.

A new camping ground also has been set up in the park. The city has prepared farming programs including class for kitchen gardening and farming festival, a moviegoing event for families and a stargaze program.

Close to the new park, there are a trail to the fifth course of Bucheon Dulaegil, the tracking courses around Bucheon City, and Dodang Arboretum(a tree park) where citizens can enjoy flowers like cherry blossoms, azalea and roses during Spring season. And also there's Bucheon Stadium Station, Subway Line 7.

The mayor of Bucheon City said "The city has changed the abandoned place for 10 years into the new productive park together with citizens. Bucheon Yeowol Farm Park will be the special place for our children dreaming the future."

Monday, April 15, 2013

Azalea Flower in Full Blossom in Bucheon City

"Come to Enjoy 13th Azalea Flower Festival by Subway"

The 13th Azalea Flower Festival in Mt. Wonmi, Bucheon City, has started already. All azalea flower garden is full of light pink colors.

Tens of thousands of people have visited Bucheon Azalea Flower Festival, the biggest azalea garden in the Seoul metropolitan area, every year. There are parking lots prepared for 1,300 cars in Bucheon Sports Complex close to the azalea garden. The parking fee is $1.5 all day long. During the festival the parking lots are full before noon.

The easiest way to get to the azalea garden is to take on the subway. Take a subway Line 7 to Bucheon Sports Complex Station, and get out of exit #2 and take a walk for five minutes. Then you finally arrive at the festival place, the Bucheon Azalea Garden in Mt. Wonmi.

By bus, take a bus #3, #3-1 and #75 from Bucheon Station, #8 and #23 from Songnae Station, #013-1 and #013-2 from Yeokgok Station, and #3 and #60 from Sosa Station. And get off at Bucheon Sports Complex.

It is also possible to walk along Bucheon Dulaegil, the tracking path around Bucheon City, to get to the azalea garden. Start from Sosa Station Subway Line 1 to walk along the forest path of Bucheon Local Remains, the first path among Bucheon Dulaegil to get there. Take a walk from Gogang Prehistoric Sites, Ojeong-gu, passing through Kkachiuol and Bucheon Youth Center, and get to the garden.

Head of Chunui Resident Community Center, Kwangho Yu recommended "Cherry blossoms last only for one week, but you can enjoy azalea flowers for one month because the flowers bloom sequentially. Come to see the azalea flowers by bus and subway."

The 13th Azalea Flower Festival in Mt. Wonmi was held on April 12 to 14, 2013. But you can still enjoy the flowers. For more information, call Chunui Resident Community Center of which the phone number is +82-32-625-5762 or send a message via Twitter whose address is @chunuidong. If you visit the web site of Chunui-dong whose address is http://chunui.bucheon.go.kr, you can find out the schedule and programs about the festival.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Bucheon City Recruit Citizen Members of Participatory Budgeting Committee

Participate Budgeting of Bucheon City

Bucheon City Recruit Citizen Members of Participatory Budgeting Committee

Bucheon City is recruiting citizen members of Participatory Budgeting Committee and Resident Council for Participatory Budgeting from April 8 to 30, 2013.

With Bucheon Participatory Budgeting, the city gathers the opinions of Bucheon citizens through all the processes of budgeting in order to make the budget of Bucheon City clearer and fairer and to realize citizens' participation in Administration of Bucheon City .

The city is recruiting in public 100 members per a town of Resident Councils for Participatory Budgeting. Anyone who is living or working at companies and non-profit non-governmental organizations in Bucheon City and is older than 19 years on April 8, 2013 can apply for the members.

The applicants can visit Resident Community Center of the town where he or she is living or send a mail to Bucheon City Hall or send an email at the web site of Participatory Budgeting of which the web address is http://budget.bucheon.go.kr.

The selected members of Resident Participatory Budgeting Council gather opinions of local residents about budgeting, and recommend citizen members who will attend the Citizen Budgeting Committee as representatives for their towns and make up the budget of Bucheon City.

The members of the Citizen Participatory Budgeting Committee, consist of 72 recommended members from each town's Resident Participatory Budgeting Councils and 28 members who are recommended by non-profit private organizations

The members of the Citizen Committee are mainly active in six subcommittees on Administration, Economy & Culture, Society & Welfare, City Development, Environment & Cleaning, and Traffic & Road. And they will discuss budgeting and advance the opinions from their Resident Councils in the subcommittees. The period of membership is one year.

Head of Budgeting Team, Jeongkuen Park said "I want a lot of citizens to apply for members of Participatory Budgeting Council and Committee in order to set up good budgeting for residents in Bucheon City."

For more information, contact your Resident Community Center or Department of Planning & Budgeting whose phone number is +82-32-625-2524 and whose twitter address is @bc_create.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Draw Cartoon about Your Dream at Bucheon City Hall

Draw Caricatures of Citizens at Bucheon City Hall

"Cartoon writers draw caricatures for citizen at Cartoon Cafe every Thursday"

Bucheon City announced cartoon writers would draw caricatures of citizens' dream at the Cartoon Cafe on the first floor in Bucheon City Hall, 2 pm to 5 pm, every Thursday from April 11 to the end of December, 2013.

The city has planned this event to promote 'the Cartoon Cafe' as a special attraction place which gives people the image of 'the Cartoon City, Bucheon'. The cartoon writers working at Korea Cartoon & Motion Picture Institute, will volunteer to draw the caricatures.

If you want to get your own drawings about your dream, participate and pay $5 for a drawing of A4 size and additional $5 for a picture frame.

The city will donate a portion of the earnings to welfare facilities for children, senior citizens, foreign workers and pediatric patients in Bucheon City.

Yeonghyun Choi, the leader of Team of Cartoon Industry, said "We're supposed to expand event places to Bucheon Central Park, Bucheon Subway Station, Imagination Street and Gilju Avenue. The city has tried to make citizens familiar with cartoons in their daily lives and promote highly the image of Bucheon as 'the Cartoon City'."

Meet Famous Novel at Azalea Flower Festival in Bucheon City

Meet Famous Novel Writer at Azalea Flower Festival

"Azalea Flower Festival at Mt. Womni Holding During April 12 to 14"

"There are azalea flowers in full blossom all around the mountain. Leaves in light yellow green look great, then anyone standing stil inside them could be likely to dye in the same color. My husband is loudly talking about spring news after he comes back from Mt. Wonmi. The long ridge seen from everywhere in Womni-dong is Mt. Womni."

Starts the famous novel, <People in Womni-dong> written by Guija Yang.

The novel, <People in Wonmi-dong>, is a great work that made local name of Wonmi, a town of Bucheon City, famous across the country.

Womni-gu Office set up a memorial stone for the novel, <People in Wonmi-dong>, in order to celebrate her great works on April 7, 2007, just before opening the Azalea Flower Festival 2007.

Ms. Yang, the writer who actually lived Wonmi-dong for at least 10 years from 1981, released the novel on 1987 to describe life of people living in 1980's. After then, the novel was made to a TV show and a theater play moving people's hearts all in the country.

The Azalea Flower Festival in Bucheon City will be held around 'that' mountain, Mt. Wonmi, which was the main background in the novel.

And the novel will be reborn as a comic book by a cartoon writer working at Bucheon Comics Center. The cartoon writer, Kihyun Byun, has revived the novel <People in Wonmi-dong> as the cartoon <People in Wonmi-dong>. The cartoon <People in Wonmi-dong> is selected as 'The Comic Book of The Year 2013' for which Bucheon citizens voted.

The 13th Azalea Flower Festival at Mt. Womni is supposed to be held during April 12 to 14. It is easy to walk to the event place through Number 2 exit, Bucheon Sports Complex station, Subway Line 7.

For more information about the festival, call Chunui-dong Resident Community Center, +82-32-625-5762, or twit @chunuidong. And you can find the schedule and program about the festival via the web site of Chunui-dong Resident Community Center, http://chunui.bucheon.go.kr.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Subway Libraries in Bucheon City

"Bucheon City Made New Libraries at Subway Stations""Bucheon Citizen can Borrow Books at Subway Stations in Bucheon City"

Bucheon citizens can drop by libraries at Sang-dong station, line 7, Bucheon station, and Yeokgok station, line 1 in Buchoen City.

President of USA Barack Obama said

"More than a building that houses books and data, the library has always been a window to a larger world."

Bill Gates also said

"Not the diploma but my habit to read books at small town library was that made me now."

It's important to create the circumstances to be familiar with books. Bucheon City is making a big library zone connecting major subway stations across the city such as Bucheon, Sang-dong and Yeokgok subway stations.

The city has opened a new library called 'Smart Library Station' on the second floor in Yeokgok station, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City last April 1, 2013. The Smart Library is an automated book-rental machine where citizens can easily search and borrow any books they want on the spot. This small library machine has served 375 books released recently including <Unfair Advantage: The Power of Financial Education> by Robert T. Kiyosaki.

Bucheon citizens can use the Smart Library Station with their library cards issued by Bucheon City Library from 5:30 am to midnight everyday. One person can borrow one book once for maximum 7 days long. The book borrowed at the Smart Library Station should get back to the same library machine.

For more information, visit the web site of Bucheon City Library, http://www.bcl.go.kr, or call close libraries.

For your interests, the 'Choo Choo Library' which has been opened on the first basement floor in Sang-dong station, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City, last year 2012, is just 53 square meters area, but average 1,880 citizens per a month have visited the library. Average 2,277 citizens have used the mutual book-rental service in '365 Always Bucheon Citizen Service', Bucheon subway station.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Bucheon City Seek Ideas Worth to Implement

Your Idea Can Change BucheonBucheon City Seek Ideas Worth to Implement

Bucheon City is seeking citizens' ideas to develop the city till April 30, 2013.

The city will give one gold prize worth $700 to the best, two silvers worth $500 to second places and three bronzes worth $300 to thirds. The city's prepared total $2,600 worth prize money. All the ideas selected by relevant departments will also be paid gift cards worth $50.

Here are the fields of ideas to seek;

ideas to improve citizens' quality of life,
ideas for ceremonies or events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bucheon City,
ideas for efficient government services,
ideas to save budgets or enlarge income,
ideas to change internal city rules,
ideas to develop policies and systems regarding environment, culture, welfare and education,
and any ideas worth to make the city better.

Last year 2012, six ideas won prizes including 'Promoting Public Notice about Household Garbage on LED displays' by Jeongsu Kim living in Dodang-dong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City and 'Installing Rechargers for Smartphones in District Office' by Heubong Lee living Simgokbon-dong, Sosa-gu, Bucheon City.

The evaluation criteria are creativeness, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, retainability, scope of application, and efforts. The city will announce results on the end of July.

Every one living or working in Bucheon City can participate in this event.

If you want to apply, download and fill in the application form from the Web of Bucheon City, http://www.bucheon.go.kr, and hand it in via the application web site, http://create.bucheon.go.kr or http://www.epeaple.go.kr or email, sehun@korea.kr, or by mail or in person, Department of Budgeting, Bucheon City Hall, 210, Kilju-ro, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Bucheon City Start Outdoor Fitness Class On Parks

Bucheon Wonmi Community Health Center announced to open a new outdoor fitness program, which is called "Fitness Class; Let's Meet at Midnight!", in order to promote the campaign of 'Healthy Bucheon Where People live Healthy For 100 Years".

The new fitness classes will be held at the Concert Pavilion in Bucheon Central Park(only every Monday, Wednesday and Friday), the bandstand in Dodang Rose Park and the front of Clock Tower beside Bucheon Gymnasium(only every Monday and Wednesday) from 8 to 9 P.M., April 8 to the end of November 2013. Aerobics instructors are going to teach willing participants freehand and dance exercise.

Additionally, fitness participants can make reservations for health check-in to Bucheon Lifetime Healthcare Center, which is located on 3rd floor in Wonmi Community Health Center. Participants can measure their body composition and take health counselling and nutrition consultation.

Every Bucheon citizens can join this fitness program for free. For more information, contact Team of Health Improvement in Wonmi Community Health Center by a phone +82-32-625-4221, 4254 and by twitter @bucheonhealth2.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Bucheon City Hold Weddings for Multi-cultural Couples

Sang-dong Resident Community Center, a town office of Bucheon City, announced that the center would hold Korean traditional wedding ceremonies for multi-cultural couples on May 25, 2013 in order to promote its new project of "Sang-dong's Happy Town 2013".

The center has held free traditional weddings for two couples among multi-cultural families every year. Call the center, +82-32-625-5921 till April 15, 2013 if a multi-cultural couple wants.

The Korean traditional wedding starts as the groom walks in, who is following a group of performers playing traditional rural music with several Korean traditional instruments and followed by the bride on a sedan chair, which is a traditional carrier for women or higher persons powered by four men..

The procedure of Korean traditional wedding ceremony consists of 3 steps;

The first step is that the groom presents the bride a couple of wild geese. The couple of wild geese stands for endless promise of love. It's known that one of a wild goose couple dies alone without re-coupling after it loses the other spouse. People of old times used living wild geese at ancient days but nowadays they use wooden ones.

The second is that the couple, a bride and a groom, exchange deep bows each other. The bride makes a deep bow twice first and then the groom does it once. They repeat those twice.

The last step is that the couple share special drinks in order to celebrate becoming a wife and a husband officially and to wish to get along with each other forever.

After all the main steps of wedding, there remains an additional but important step, that the bride makes a deep bow to the husband's parents and his elder relatives for the first time after the wedding. Nowadays both the bride and groom do it together.

Kyeoho Hwang, the chairman of Sang-dong Resident Committee, who will host the traditional wedding, said "During the wedding ceremony, I will explain every step and its meaning in order for children and teenagers to understand and experience our traditional culture."

Bucheon Public Campground Open on May 4

Bucheon public campground is supposed to re-open on May 4, 2013 and Bucheon Culture Park on April 16, 2013. The two sites were very popular with campers and families last year 2012.

Bucheon pulbic campground will be run from May 4 to the end of November, 2013. There are fifty tents for rent and forty five campsites for self camping in the campground. The city will make fifteen campsites more this year.

You should make a reservation first via the web site, http://www.bccamppark.kr, if you want to use the campsites. The city opened the reservation page from 2 P.M., April 1, 2013.

They prepared a event square, sport playgrounds for basketball, Korean foot volleyball and badminton games, electric power outlets, restrooms, shower booths, a washing area, a rental shop, and a drugstore in the campground. Campers can use electric power at both rental tents and campsites for self camping.

The fee for a rental tent is US $30 per a night. The fee for a campsite for self camping is US $15 per a night. The city will provide sessions for camping skills, movie theaters for campers, cultural performances, marketplaces for sharing, and experience event in culture and arts.

Everyone who has a camping bracelet can get 40% discount for entrance fee to Korea Comics Museum and 50% discount for experience fee of making kimchi in Kimchi Theme Park.

Last year 2012, 42 thousand persons visited the campground. The Bucheon public campground was selected as one of best 10 campgrounds in Gyunggi Province by Gyunggi Tourist Service Company last year. KBS TV company introduced Bucheon public campground as a "Special Camping Place in Cities" at its TV NEWS show, KBS 1TV News Square, on October 29, 2012.

Near the campground, Bucheon Culture Park, a kind of urban kitchen garden, will open on April 16, 2013, as the city hosts a festival that informs the start of farming to heaven. The city is supposed to rent 200 sections of kitchen gardens to citizens. The one section of a kitchen garden is 16.5 square meters area. There are also kitchen gardens for education, a herbs garden, a garden for raising seeds, a experience center, a marketplace for sharing, and a flower garden in the park. The park will run several activities regarding 'City Farming'.

The urban kitchen gardens are rent by citizens and public organizations, who will do farming there for one year. The rental fee for a section is US $60 per a year.

Last year 2012, 69 organizations and 9,765 citizens farmed to harvest at 200 sections of kitchen gardens.

After accepting applications for renting kitchen gardens from February 25 to March 24, 2013, 500 organizations and citizens, more than twice of 200, signed in. The selected applicants can start to farm from April 16.

The city will plant sunflowers and cosmos flowers on empty space and make a flower road around the kitchen gardens in the culture park.

Team leader of Movie & Culture Complex Team, Yeonghyung Choi, said "Bucheon Public Campground and Culture Park are so popular with citizens then other local government officials visit here in order to see and learn. The city will make it much better by expanding facilities for convenience and providing cultural performances."

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Mayor of Bucheon Learn Green System from Seoul

The mayor of Bucheon City, Mansoo Kim, and his fourty colleagues, officers of Bucheon City Hall visited the new building of Seoul City Hall and Seoul Energy Dream Center in order to learn much about green and energy-saving building in Seoul from 9 A.M. March 28, 2013.

When they opened the door of the new building of Seoul City Hall, they found to face a big 'Green Wall'. The Green Wall surrounded the wall of the city hall with flowerpots. It absorbs tiny dust and controls inner temperature and humidity by itself without any cooling systems. It is powered by both the sunlight generation system at the top of the building and the geothermal power generation system.

The visitors from Bucheon City Hall also went to Seoul Energy Dream Center in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The center is a 100% self powering building which was built on a garbage landfill in Nanjido, a island in Han River and has one basement story and three stories above the ground. Seventy percent of energy saving of the building comes from insulation, recyling of waste heat, a cooling system and LED lighting. They use sunlight and geothermal power generation system to save the other thirty percent.

The mayor of Seoul City, Wonsoon Park, emphasized the importance of 'Urban Farming' having a bite of lettuce's leaf. He has raised several vegetables such as lettuce, kale in a vegetable garden box on a side of his office. He recommended citizens could raise plants such as flowers, lettuce and chili pepper at their verandas without much cost.

The mayor of Bucheon City said "I have learned much about energy savings, ecosystem on buildings, and in-house planting from Seoul City. I will adopt green concept to new public buildings like Bucheon Culture Center, Ojeong Library, and Songnae Culture Complex."

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Bucheon City Start Volume-rate Food Garbage Collection From July

Bucheon City started to hold civil information sessions for town residents before the city is supposed to launch a new volume-rate garbage collection system for food waste from this July 1st, 2013. The first civil information session was held at Sang-2-dong Resident Community Center on last March 14, 2013. Sang-2-dong was chosen as the pilot town for this new garbage collection system, . The session was led by instructors who have been trained specialized in recycling by the city and Bucheon Sustainable Development Committee. The recycling instructors will lead the sessions for thirty six towns.

Objectives for this session was to share information about new food garbage collection system and to hear opinions from residents. At the session, the instructors explained objective of volume-rate garbage collection, methods for food garbage bags and RFID tags, and reduction methods for food garbage.

Bucheon City has selected plastic bag method for this new volume-rate food garbage collection system. Citizens have to buy plastic bags for food garbage collection at authorized stores in Bucheon City. Citizens who live in single houses, apartments and small restaurants(its size is smaller than 200 square meters) can fill the standard plastic bag with food garbage, and dump it into collection bins.

Head of Cleaning Department in Bucheon City Hall, Hanmoon Lee, said "The city and my department will do the best to launch this new volume-rate food garbage collection system successfully, through promoting new system, listening opinions from residents and monitoring launching processes." at last civil information session.

For more information about new food garbage collection system, contact and ask Team of Food Garbage and Resources via a phone +82-32-625-3201 or twitter @cleanbc.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Mayor of Bucheon City Become a Civil Counselor Today

The mayor of Bucheon City has communicated citizens with twitter messages and Post-it memos. He became a civil counselor on March 25, 2013. He met a citizen, Changyoung Han in person and heard his civil complaints by a event of "Mayor's Civil Counselling Day". The event was prepared for gathering all citizen's opinions and raising trust and quality about civil services of Bucheon City.

Chanyoung Han living in Jung-3-dong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City, suggested "I'm used to go to cycling road by Gyeongin Ara Waterway on my bicycle through Gulpo Waterway. A part of cycling route by Gulpo Waterway is unpaved and wrecked. It will be better if the cycling route by Gulpo Waterway could be fixed."

The mayor of Bucheon City, Mansoo Kim replied "I will fix the unpaved part, 240 meters long and 3 meters wide, of cycling route by Gulpo Waterway this April. And I will install security lamps along the cycling route. Bucheon City Hall will talk with Incheon City Hall to fix parts of cycling route in charge of Incheon City."

The mayor also will make a budget on April and fix the playground for seniors in Bucheon Central Park, responding to other complaint that there's no place for senior citizens to play Chinese chess or games of go if it rains to flood the playground at Bucheon Central Park.

Bucheon Community Center Hold Event of "Would You Call My Name?"

Sang-dong Resident Community Center in Bucheon City, South Korea, held a special event for senior citizens last March 25, 2013. At the event, the town chief and colleagues of Sang-dong, a town in Bucheon City, put name tags on three hundred senior's chests, and called their names. It's just like the famous Korean poem "Flower" written by Chunsoo Kim. Here is a part of the poem; "When I call his name, he finally comes to me and becomes a flower."

Don't you think we have been unfamiliar with calling each other's given name? We're used to call just family names with home towns. Calling his or her full name will be helpful to make each other closer.

"I'm not happy when I'm called Ms. Ju, Madam Ju or Grandma Ju. I'm happy that you call my full name, Jeonghwa Ju." said Jeonghwa Ju, 73 years old, with full smile on her face, at Sang-dong Senior Community Center, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City.

The front of the name tag shows the title, "Please Call My Name", the name of senior community center and owner's name. Information about senior welfare such as basic senior pension, long life benefits and phone numbers about Sang-dong government offices are written at the rear face of the tags.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Mayor of Bucheon City Become One-day Town Chief

The Mayor of Bucheon City, Mansoo Kim, became the one-day town chief of Yeokgok-3-dong, a town of Bucheon City, last Thursday March 21, 2013. He walked around the town, heard from residents living in the town, and had meals at the restaurants inside the town in order to hear what the citizens want in person.

"I can't sleep well because the streetlight is too bright."
"Would you make a pedestrian overpass for students going Yangji Elementary School?"
"Please repair the wrecked ground of Hanrim Park for us."
"What about replacing current manholes in Yeokgok Eastern Market with bigger ones? We've suffered floods repeatedly during rainy season."

Today is the age of communication. The Mayor of Bucheon City started listening to citizens' opinions and trying to find answers on the fields. He answered requests from residents around the town of Yeokgok-3-dong.

"I will rebuild restrooms in Hanrim Park, considering the concept of public design."
"And especially I will do something more for the elder and children."
"The repair works are supposed to start from May, 2013, in order to replace old boiler pipelines with new ones in local Senior Citizen Community Centers."

The Mayor Kim explained the plan to solve citizen's requests with the blueprints directly on the fields of citizens.

Some citizens living in Yeokgok-3-dong walked together with the Mayor Kim through Yeokgok-3-dong Resident Center, the intersection in front of Yangji Elementary School, Hanrim Park, Yeokgok Eastern Market, Yeokgok Food Passage, and Yeokgok Southern Market.

Whenever he met citizens along the streets, the Mayor Kim also didn't forget to promoting Bucheon Football Club, saying "Come to Bucheon Stadium this weekend, and enjoy the first home game of Bucheon Football Club 1995 this season, and cheer up Bucheon FC."

The Mayor Kim will continue to play the role of 'Becoming a One-day Town Chief'; Simgokbon-dong in Sosa-gu, Bucheon City on next Thursday March 28, Dodang-dong in Wonmi-gu on April 4, Simgok-1-dong in Wonmi-gu on April 18, and Wonjong-dong in Ojeong-gu on April 25, 2013.

If you are willing to participate the event, call Team of Field Conversation, Department of Participation & Communication, +82-32-625-2345 or ask the twitter @bc_communi.

Bucheon Ojeong-gu Runs Forest Tracking Program with Tree Experts

Tracking around the mountains which is turning green makes us feel better. Walking along the Bucheon 'Dulaegil'(a tracking course abound and by Bucheon City) makes us feel healthy. How much better do we feel if we can hear interesting things about trees and woods from tree experts while tracking?

Bucheon Ojeong-gu, a district of Bucheon City, announced to run 'Forest Tracking Program with Tree Experts' walking along the mountains hearing interesting knowledge about forest and trees together with their families from April 7 to the end of November, 2013.

Every family with more than two members can take part in the program which will be held around close mountains near the village from 10 to 12 AM every Sunday for two hours. The participants can keep a close watch and play with insects and leaves, while hearing from experts who are specialized in natural environment and ecology.

During April and May, the theme of the program is 'Spring'. They are preparing the programs such as searching spring wild vegetables and making a pipe with grass. The program will be held on both two courses; Jakdong course on first and third Sunday and Dodang course on second and fourth Sunday.

The Jakdong course starts from turn-around point of Jakdong 017 village bus, passes by Jangsucheon Mineral Water Spring, Jangan Temple, and Yeongjeongcheon Mineral Water Spring, and goes back to the starting point. It's about 1.8 kilometers long.

The Dodang course goes through Dodang Park(a fountain), Bucheon Regional History Museum and Mt. Dodang, and comes back to the fountain. It's 1.7 kilometers long.

If you want to join the program, make a phone call to the Department for Environment And Sanitation, +82-32-625-7411~3, Ojeong-gu, Bucheon City, or ask at twitter @bc_ojeonghd.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Simgok-2-dong, a town of Bucheon City, Recruit City Farmers

What if we could pick off and eat fresh green peppers and cherry tomatoes on the roof garden? What if it's because we could raise these organic vegetables without chemicals? Simgok-2-dong Resident Community Center, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City is located at the center of Bucheon City. But if you go up to the roof of this building, you can see a wonderful kitchen garden. It is a killing two birds with one stone, getting vegetables and sharing places to communicate between residents.

Simgok-2-dong, Wonmi-gu, Bucheon City made a kitchen garden, 1,157 square meters in size and eco-friendly, on the roof of the community center as a project of 'Better Village' program last year 2012. The community center recruited about twenty volunteer city farmers to raise veggies and communicate each other and share the veggies with neighbors.

The volunteers harvested about 300 kilograms of sweet potatoes last October, 2012. The volunteers, residents and the mayor enjoyed steamed sweet potatoes with kimchi and shared delights of harvest. They donated the rest of sweet potatoes to Wonmi Senior Welfare Center in order to treat the elders.

Simgok-2-dong Resident Community Committee recruited new volunteers for the kitchen garden on the roof until March 15, 2013. They also will open a class for city farmers.

Residents who live in Simgok-2-dong and have interest in city farming can apply the city farmers. The applicants have to attend classes two hours a week. For more information, access the web site of Simgok-2-dong, http://simgok2.bucheon.go.kr or contact a phone +82-32-625-5621 or twitter @bcsimgok2dong.