The scene is filled with fluorescent light. The louder the noise, the brighter the glow becomes. It is a behavior meant to protect their fragile bodies, yet ironically it lifts the spirits of those who watch. This is the two-week life story of an insect smaller than a grain of rice. It is the story of fireflies. After spending 9 to 10 months before becoming adults, their lives are short, but these days even that sight is hard to find. Once commonly seen and known as glowworms, fireflies have disappeared amid urbanization and the effects of the climate crisis. In the sweltering heat of midsummer, I headed to Everland, where the firefly festival is in full swing. The fireflies’ dazzling display is beautiful. Because it cannot be captured in photos, every moment becomes an even clearer memory. It may be a heat wave so intense that even Southeast Asian tourists are stunned, but this is a hardship worth enduring. Their light is more than something to look at; it has the power to turn into a summer experience that lets visitors feel the importance of climate action and environmental protection firsthand.
▶ From worry and irritation to delight: the firefly festival races toward its finale
"Fireflies, really...?" That was my first reaction, and it was one of concern. My smartphone kept sending hourly alerts warning of the dangers of extreme heat. Before I even left, irritation had already begun to build.
But the moment I encountered the fireflies, it may have become the most memorable summer experience of the year so far. The scheduled viewing time was only about 10 minutes, yet the 'feast of light' created by 13,000 fireflies filling a surprisingly small space was more impressive than any other tourism content. Even more striking was the fact that this was not my first such experience. The more I watched, the more mysterious it became. I kept pressing the shutter to preserve the moment, but all I captured were fluorescent dots. Even video only showed faint wriggling points of light. No matter how advanced the technology or how good the equipment, nothing can surpass the emotion of seeing it with your own eyes. Because it cannot be captured in photos, the wonder and awe double, and every moment turns into a memory. On online communities and social media, it is easy to find vivid reactions from visitors such as, 'Seeing the fireflies' light, which I could never see in city life, moved me to tears,' 'It felt like a gift of nature that is hard to show children easily,' and 'After seeing it once, I want to come back with my family or partner.'
The Midsummer Night Firefly Festival is also an educational space for environmental protection. As visitors follow the movement of the tiny fireflies' lights, they respond with heightened sensitivity. If the lights move toward the walkway, some even panic, worrying that the insects might be stepped on and killed. It is a scene rarely seen among children today, many of whom think all insects are pests. The worried complaints are met with hearty laughter from the zookeepers. That is because safety barriers are installed slightly above the floor along the visitor walkway, so there is no need to worry.
The fireflies’ light is made possible by the careful care of the zookeepers. They constantly work to create the best possible environment for the fireflies to live in. Added to that is the emphasis on environmental protection. Questions about why fireflies have become so hard to see expand into concerns about the planet’s threatened ecosystem. As I began to think that even the heat I had been complaining about might be affected by urbanization, environmental destruction, and the climate crisis, the sweltering weather somehow became more bearable.
Everland has been running the 'Midsummer Night Firefly Festival' since July 24. According to an Everland official, visitor numbers surpassed 20,000 just 10 days after the festival began. The festival runs through August 30. Everland has used fireflies as a summer-season experience content item since 2017. This year, however, it has been made completely free. The goal is to allow more people to see fireflies while also experiencing the importance of environmental protection, including the climate crisis. This was made possible by years of accumulated expertise in breeding and caring for fireflies.
Everland Zoo Director Jeong Dong-hee said, "We decided to operate the festival for free this year so that more people can see the fireflies," adding, "We are working to help children and families who rarely get to see fireflies feel the value of nature and life." He continued, "We previously ran an experience program that let visitors observe the firefly life cycle directly, and we also plan to prepare and present programs through the fireflies so visitors can experience the importance of protecting the natural environment together."
Everland appears to be moving beyond simply offering attractions and instead transforming into an experiential theme park where visitors can observe a variety of animals and directly feel the importance of nature and environmental protection. In addition to flower festivals featuring roses and tulips, it also operates environmental programs for children such as E-Cube School. For several years now, it has also introduced tourism content using plants under the banner of Dr. Flower Wind.
▶ Active predators make night viewing especially thrilling
One of Everland’s pleasures is the variety of things to see. After seeing the fireflies, I set off on an animal adventure. Near the firefly experience area is Lost Valley, a gentle safari tour centered on herbivores. The joy of encountering giraffes, zebras, rhinos, camels, and other animals never gets old.
The next stop after Lost Valley is Ppuba Town. This unfamiliar-sounding area is home to a baby lion born at Everland for the first time in eight years. According to an Everland official, the cub has been open to the public since the 5th and has been drawing overwhelming affection from visitors. Born in Safari World, the male lion Raon was raised with devoted artificial feeding by zookeepers after his mother could not care for him following his birth in June.
The baby lion was given the name Raon by Samsung Lions pitcher Yang Chang-seop, who visited Everland during the All-Star break. The name matches the youngest character in the team’s mascot, the Bleo Family. He is growing healthily and now weighs more than 5.5 kilograms.
As the clock passed 6 p.m., Everland Zoo began to come alive. The number of visitors also rose sharply. Following the crowd, I headed to the night safari. Everland is deeply committed to big cats, even using a lion as its mascot. The nocturnal habits of lions and tigers are a key part of Everland’s nighttime attractions.
The Everland Night Safari tour begins at Safari World, home to lions, tigers, and brown bears. The Summer Night Safari is available until 9 p.m. In the summer night, the big cats are remarkably active. They look very different from the animals lying around during the daytime in spring and autumn. Lions gathered in groups stare at the safari bus with bright eyes and lick their lips, while tigers keep pacing until the sun goes down. Brown bears cool off in the water playground set up in their territory, each enduring and enjoying the heat in their own way.
In the sweltering heat, Everland offers a range of experiences, including fireflies. Its summer experiential content goes beyond simple sightseeing and also makes visitors feel the importance of passing today’s natural environment on to the next generation intact.
Yongin = Kim Se-hyeong, reporter fax123@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
