By Kang Seung-woo
Everland, the nation’s leading amusement park, has played an outstanding role as a diplomatic link with the Netherlands through unique ideas, according to local industry observers.
It has held the annual Tulip Festival since 1992 and has been operating the “Holland Village,” its themed European street setting.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Korean-Dutch diplomatic ties, Everland has come up with the “Netherland Special Garden” to reproduce the landscape of Amsterdam along with the Holland Village.
It is located in the Four Seasons Garden, which is filled with fragrant and beautiful tulips, and visitors can enjoy Dutch post-impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, recreated by using 28 types of flowers including tulips, hydrangeas and begonias.
The amusement park expects that the opening of the special garden along with Holland Village will establish itself as the best place for visitors to experience Dutch culture in what appears to be just like Amsterdam.
Dutch Ambassador Paul Menkveld said in an opening ceremony of the special garden on April 15 that he was pleased to see Everland create a special place to mark five decades of relations between the two countries.
He also added that he looked forward to lots of Koreans visiting the new park and enjoying Dutch culture.
“Korea is very familiar with the Netherlands thanks to football coach Guus Hiddink and explorer Hendrik Hamel,” said Cho Byung-hak, executive director of Everland Resort.
Hiddink led the Korean football team to the semifinals of the World Cup in 2002 and Hamel introduced Korea, then the Joseon Kingdom, to the West for the first time via his journal in 1668.
“We are happy that Everland created ‘little Amsterdam’ so that it can work as a venue for civilian exchanges.”
In order to celebrate the opening of the memorial garden, Everland is hosting an event for those who visit the place by May 1 and the winner will be awarded a round-trip ticket to the Netherlands' capital, while another 10 will be given a pair of tickets to Caribbean Bay, its world-class water park.