Visit this stunning Korean island that’s completely purple

SAM February 18, 2021

Roses are red, violets are blue. Banwol in South Korea painted their island purple to attract me and you.

Residents of this charming island off the coast of Korea decided they needed to stand out from other tourist destinations in the area.

With that, they transformed Banwol into a purple paradise, painting everything from the landmarks to the houses in the violet hue.

Inspired by the flower campanula – which grows in abundance locally – 400 roofs were given the lilac revamp, alongside phone boxes, bridges, and more.

It’s now known as ‘purple island’, and has become a popular destination for travellers in South Korea (while coronavirus restrictions are in place and residents cannot travel abroad).

To make it even prettier, the government has also planted 230,000 square feet of lavender fields, as well as a 30,000 purple New England wildflowers.

Additions like a hotel, a cafe, a restaurant, and a bike hire shop have all been put into place for tourists and the 150 residents on Banwol and neighbouring Bakji Island – most of whom work in agriculture.

Since the paint job, over 100,000 people visited between June and August last year, a 20% jump from 2019. We clearly want those ‘grammable purple pictures.

Check out this beautiful small island: