Daegu Unveils 10 Themed Travel Routes — Just 2 Hours and 20 Minutes to Song’s Hometown

▲ Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin (fifth from the right in the top photo) leads an overseas tourism promotion delegation to Taiwan.

Reported and photographed by Cai Wenjun / Taipei

In response to market changes and to attend the opening ceremony of the Taipei Universiade, the city of Daegu, South Korea, led by Mayor Kwon Young-jin, came to Taiwan on the 18th to promote tourism. They also recommended 10 themed travel routes in Daegu, showcasing its diverse appeal through historical sites, cuisine, night views, and natural scenery. With the support of five weekly direct flights between Taiwan and Daegu operated by Tigerair Taiwan and TransNusa, they hope to attract more Taiwanese tourists to visit Daegu.

▲ Daegu Mayor Kwon Young-jin.

Daegu and Taipei have been sister cities since 2010. Mayor Kwon noted that Taiwan is the fourth-largest source of tourists to South Korea, following China, Japan, and the United States. In 2016, over 830,000 Taiwanese visited South Korea, with more than 80,000 of them traveling to Daegu. Additionally, since May 2016, TransNusa and Taiwan’s airlines launched direct flights between Taiwan and Daegu, taking just 2 hours and 20 minutes, making exchanges between the two cities more convenient.

Kwon further pointed out that Daegu has distinct seasons, each offering unique charm, and is also known as a city of beautiful women — famous Korean actress Song Hye-kyo hails from Daegu. It is also an advanced city for medical aesthetics. Through this tourism promotion in Taiwan, he hopes to strengthen friendly cooperation between the two cities.

▲ Taipei Deputy Mayor Chen Jing-jun.

Taipei Deputy Mayor Chen Jing-jun also stated that since Taipei and Daegu became sister cities, their exchanges and cooperation have grown increasingly friendly and close. He hopes that the two sides can engage in more exchanges in tourism, culture, sports, and other areas in the future to achieve mutual benefits, and expressed gratitude to Daegu for its assistance during the Taipei Universiade.

▲ E World Theme Park in Daegu, South Korea. (Photo / Reporter Lai Wen-xuan)

Daegu has also introduced 10 themed travel routes this time, covering various aspects such as traditional and modern culture, romance, healing, night views, theme parks, unique experiences, sightseeing buses, Korean drama filming locations, special-purpose tourism, and nearby attractions. Visitors can enjoy autumn foliage and cherry blossoms, admire romantic night views, or explore historical sites in traditional Korean hanbok. Fans of Korean dramas can also visit filming locations to experience the beauty of Daegu.