The AIPH-Approved 2026 Taean International Horticultural-Healing Expo has opened in Taean-gun, Republic of Korea, with nearly 90,000 visitors in its first weekend and a clear message: horticulture is moving beyond display into wellbeing, innovation and international exchange.
Held at Kkotji Beach Park in Anmyeon-eup from 25 April to 24 May, the Expo combines public engagement with industry participation. More than 5,000 people attended the opening ceremony.
A platform for horticultural healing
In his opening address, South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum connected the Expo to Taean’s recovery following the 2007 oil spill, positioning horticultural healing as part of the region’s continuing development. Speakers also linked the Expo to Taean’s wider healing tourism infrastructure, including the Taean Marine Healing Centre, Anmyeondo Arboretum, local gardens, forest resources, and the broader west-coast offering.
The opening also highlighted the scale of local and private-sector support behind the Expo, including the role of Hoban Group Chairman Kim Sun-kyu as Chair of the private organising committee. This support extends beyond investment, with initiatives designed to strengthen Taean’s position as a destination for stay-based tourism by linking the Expo to local resorts, visitor experiences, and regional hospitality.
The 2026 Taean International Horticultural-Healing Expo is framed not simply as a flower show, but as a platform linking plants with health, tourism and future industry growth. This is reflected across the site, where visitors engage with gardens and displays through sensory planting, interactive programmes and digital tools, including AI-assisted plant recommendations, immersive fragrance design and hands-on activities in the Healing Agriculture Pavilion.
Together, these features demonstrate how plants and horticulture can support wellbeing in everyday life.
International exchange and industry engagement
Alongside its public programme, the Expo also operates as a platform for international exchange and industry collaboration. Participation from around 40 countries and 132 horticultural companies creates opportunities for technology exchange, investment and cooperation, supported by a programme of industry engagement running throughout the event. The Expo offers a variety of professional formats designed to support industry connections, including B2B meetings, networking sessions, technical workshops, and seminars on the latest trends and innovations in horticulture. These activities enable participants to build partnerships, share expertise, and access new business opportunities.
AIPH’s involvement also included an on-site exhibition space and a small ceremony recognising partners and contributors who supported its presence at Taean. Support for the exhibition space included Philipp Mosimann, Executive Director of Living Hospitality Global, alongside Mossman Lab.
AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe attended the opening and participated in the Expo’s opening activities alongside AIPH representatives, members and international delegates. He said:
“The 2026 Taean International Horticultural-Healing Expo demonstrates how plants can be placed at the heart of public wellbeing, urban resilience and international cooperation. The strong opening response shows the public’s appetite for exhibitions that do more than display horticulture; they help people experience its value in their daily lives. As an AIPH-approved International Horticultural Show, Taean provides an important platform for sharing excellence, strengthening industry connections and promoting the power of plants to a global audience.”
International competition highlights
The Expo’s International Horticultural Competition concluded on 25 April, with awards presented in four categories: cut flowers, potted plants, new cultivars and gardens. The international jury included AIPH Secretary General Tim Briercliffe, Mr Hongkyn An (KAFC); Mr Lim Yuk-Taek, President of the Korea Flower Cultivate Association (KFCA); Dr Lim Ki-Byung, Senior Vice President of KFCA; Ms Karen Tambayong, AIPH Board Member (Region VIII, Indonesia); Mr Youfei Wang, AIPH Board Member (Region VII, P.R. China); and Kevin Chung, Member of the AIPH Exhibitions Committee and Former Chair of the Exhibitions Committee.
Prize winners included Chungnam Floriculture Research Institute (Republic of Korea) in cut flowers, Pan American Seed (USA) in potted plants, Syngenta Seeds BV (Netherlands) in new cultivars, and the Design Institute of Landscape & Architecture, China Academy of Art (China) in gardens.
The results highlight the Expo’s global reach across commercial production, breeding and landscape design.
Alongside the competition, the 2026 Taean International Horticultural-Healing Expo also hosted an international symposium, opened by Tim Briercliffe, featuring speakers from industry and research to support knowledge exchange across horticultural production, design, and plant-based wellbeing.
This presence reflects AIPH’s mission to champion the power of plants and to support international collaboration across the ornamental horticulture sector.
As an AIPH-approved International Horticultural Show, Taean demonstrates how Expos can showcase industry excellence while delivering wider benefits for host regions, linking horticulture with public wellbeing, innovation and long-term development.
The 2026 Taean International Horticultural-Healing Expo continues until 24 May 2026.
