Incheon kicks off 80-day festival

The Global Fair and Festival 2009 Incheon kicks off its 80-day run today, aiming to present a vision of the future of urban living and offer a forum on urban development, environment, energy, green technology and culture.

Hosted by the Incheon Metropolitan City, the international event, which continues until Oct. 25, consists of 68 programs, including some 20 international conferences and various exhibitions and cultural events.

The programs will be held mainly in Songdo, part of the Incheon Free Economic Zone, and in other venues located elsewhere in the western port city.

"The festival will showcase world cities` development processes and their history, and the paradigm of future cities. Through the event, we will be able to increase the brand value of Incheon and the country," Incheon Mayor Ahn Sang-soo told The Korea Herald.



A total of 137 cities, including 32 from Korea, are taking part in the exhibition, showcasing their history, culture and future development plans.

Other exhibitions showcase high-tech products, world cultures, robot technology and environment-friendly alternatives for daily city life. Major exhibits include Robot Science Future Pavilion, Advanced Technology Plaza, Green Growth Hall, World Culture Street and Global City Pavilion.

A wide range of big-name figures, including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, will attend the festival.

The U.N. chief will deliver the keynote address next Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the two-day Global Environment Forum which will discuss how to achieve "low-carbon, green growth" development in the future.

During the four-day World City Water Forum which begins on Aug. 18, Yoshiro Mori, who currently serves as president of Japan Water Forum, will offer a keynote lecture calling for joint efforts to address global water-related problems.

The Asia Pacific Cities Summit to be held from Sept. 15-17 will bring together top-ranking officials of the cities from around the globe to discuss creative urban development strategies. Richard Florida, renowned urban studies theorist and professor at the University of Toronto, will deliver the keynote speech on Sept. 15.

A variety of concerts and events - a light show, e-game championships, wine and food festivals and parades - are expected to create an enjoyable environment for visitors.

Incheon anticipates the festival will attract about 7 million visitors, more than 500,000 of whom will be foreign nationals.

(sshluck@heraldm.com)



By Song Sang-ho