Drenched in purple, South Korean islands draw tourists
“But now, thanks to the purple flowers, we have a lot of visitors.”
The elderly women of Banwol and Bakji Islands, known as the 'Purple Islands', were seen dressed in purple and carrying long rakes as they walked in a line to a lavender field to prune it. The islands have been transformed into a tourist attraction due to the locals painting their houses, roads and bridges in shades of the hue, and planting purple flowers such as lavender and asters. Shin Deok-im, 79, who has lived on Bakji island for over 60 years, said, “Old people like us have a secluded life here, since all the young people left the town. But now, thanks to the purple flowers, we have a lot of visitors.”0
