Special “Christmas City” in Amusement Park

Peter Pan’s Neverland and Everland are in Yongin. Neverland is the hometown of Peter Pan. It is a fantastic place where children stay young forever without getting old. The old Peter Pan, Robin Williams, who appeared in the movie Hook, starring Dustin Hoffman, had been changed into such a figure, for he left Neverland.

Then what about Everland? Ever is included in the meaning of forever. In the word forever, the spirit of “the perpetual land of dream, Neverland,” is included. If this is the similarity between Neverland and Everland, juvenile memories and fantastic dreams can be nurtured for adults and children alike in this forever space.

In Everland, Christmas season is the best holiday time. Christmas is magic itself. It is unusual, as people greet strangers and send Christmas greetings to the people who passed out of their minds. The separated family gets together once again, forgiving the old faults and blunders. Christmas is the time for conjuring away the old enmity and hatred like Santa Claus does. Santa Village is the place to show such magical changes symbolically.

In Four Season’s Garden, tulips cover the whole area in May. It is decked out with the decorations of Santa Village. It is much more like a fairy tale like than Santa Claus’ real hometown in Finland. Pretty houses, trees and the plaza decorated with Christmas gifts are there. Once stepping in this village, anyone will fall under the spell of its magic. Hearts will be opened up, with reconciliation, love and forgiveness driving away the anger, indignation and feuds.

In Europe this season, the walls of city hall and trees in the park are decorated with Christmas ornaments. At the plaza near city hall, a special Christmas market is set up. The happy families, hand in hand, buy gifts, Christmas decorations and snacks. Children eat cookies and chocolate. Adults are drinking wine seasoned and boiled with sugar, orange and cinnamon. A long row of people sending greeting cards forms in front of the post office.

In Everland, which declared a special Christmas City this year, people can easily encounter these scenes of Europe. In the Christmas market established in front of the gate of Santa Village, 500 different Christmas-themed goods are waiting for customers. Of course, people can melt themselves with a swig of the boiled wine. Christmas trees strung with 300,000 light bulbs are planted everywhere in this village. At 5:30 p.m. every day, there is a lighting ceremony. It is at this time that the park changes into a magical castle with a soaring Christmas atmosphere.

When these scenes are mixed with the special Christmas performances, people get to forget the weariness of daily life and fall into the delight of the fantasy. Continuing scenic performances and parades seem worth much more than their price. Dream of Christmas is a performance that puts together The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol. With this performance, 30 minutes flash by in a moment.

Carol Fantasy is performed by Bros Band and a Santa Claus-costumed choir. Christmas Fantasy Parade is a performance with 100 participants from all over the world. Moon Light Parade, which recently was awarded a prize from the World Theme Park Association, is a fantastic illumination parade using street lamps, leaving people lost in admiration.

But those are not the zenith of the performances. At the illumination show, Christmas Magic in the Sky, in which laser beams are shot into the sky every night at 8:10 p.m., people forget what to say when they see the fantastic night sky view decorated with fireworks, artificial snow and 12 searchlight beams. It is the first time it has been performed in Korea. When Santa Claus sits on a reindeer led sled strung with 2,000 light bulbs and flies away, 20 meters high in the sky, it is the best part of the show.

We feel the Christmas atmosphere directly in our hearts, warm as sitting near a stove, at the Santa Village in Everland. At the restaurant Flanders, one can order a special Christmas menu and see the performances through window all at once. All these celebrations have been prepared for a year and carried out in the name of a Christmas holiday fantasy.

summer@donga.com