South Korea's largest theme park kicks off its fall festival as its youngest panda prepares for her debut
Seven giraffes gather in a plaza at the center of Lost Valley. For years, visitors to the savanna-themed safari at Everland have only seen them through the windows of a vehicle. This fall, they can walk in.
After sunset, another corner of the park fills with zombies who — taller than 2 meters —tower over survivors racing to catch the last train out of a doomed city.
The fall festival at South Korea's largest theme park, Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, opened Sept. 12 and runs through Nov. 22, offering a lineup built around action-packed immersive programs.
Into the savanna on foot
Wild Savanna Expedition leads visitors along a roughly 1-kilometer course through Lost Valley, home to 15 animal species including elephants, rhinos, giraffes, lions and hyenas. The route now includes River Trail, a pontoon walkway that previously required a separate fee.
The program grew out of Walking Safari, a monthlong trial in the spring that drew about 350,000 visitors, according to Everland.
"On weekends, people used to wait from 30 minutes to over an hour to enjoy our safari. Now the wait is about 10 minutes, so visitors can meet the animals without a long line," said Jeong Dong-hee, director of Everland's zoo.
Along the way, zookeepers explain animal behavior and conservation, and a cave on the route has been converted into an ecology classroom. Visitors who complete the course receive an explorer certificate.
Zombie outbreak with a director's touch
Blood City, Everland's signature fall horror zone, marks its 10th year with more than 10 million cumulative visitors, the park says. This year's edition, Blood City Zero, was created with Lee Seok-hoon, director of the films "The Pirates" and "Confidential Assignment 2: International."
The centerpiece is what Everland calls Korea's first large-scale outdoor immersive horror performance, with the entire zone serving as the set. Visitors play White Z agents and complete escape missions across five themed areas as dozens of performers appear to talk with them or pull them into games.
Those who collect every mission stamp earn priority boarding on the Monimo Rush ride, which serves as the survival train that concludes the story.
Lee, who has lived in Yongin for more than 10 years, said he drew on ideas he had while visiting a theme park himself.
"When big films like 'Star Wars' opened in Hollywood, audiences would dress in costume and enjoy the whole atmosphere like a festival. If visitors embrace the characters instead of shying away and actively take them on, I think they will be far more satisfied. They aren't coming to look at zombies. They're coming to fight them," Lee said.
The performance runs daily from 4 p.m. into the night. The zone also offers horror-themed merchandise, themed food and a makeup salon where visitors can transform into zombies.
Panda cub in spotlight
Shu Bao, the fourth cub born to Ai Bao, is 106 days old and approaching 6 kilograms, according to zookeeper Kang Cheol-won. Her canine teeth have come in, and her pink nose is gradually turning black.
The cub will make her public debut once she can walk steadily behind her mother.
"Walking perfectly, not just toddling, takes about five months, so I think we'll be able to show her to the public within the year," Kang said.
Zookeeper Song Young-kwan, who also raised Fu Bao and twins Rui Bao and Hui Bao, said Shu Bao appears to be the gentlest of the siblings so far.
"The mother has the biggest influence on a cub's personality, and responding at the right moment when the baby needs her seems to make the cub calmer. Shu Bao was born alone, so she seems gentler than Rui Bao and Hui Bao, who were twins and had to compete from the moment they were born," Song said.
yoohong@heraldcorp.com
