SHINAN—All dressed in purple, a group of women held long rakes aloft as they walked in a line to a lavender field to do some pruning on an island in the southwestern part of South Korea.
Inspired by their native balloon flower, residents of Banwol and Bakji Islands—known as the “Purple Islands”—have painted their houses, roads and bridges in different shades of the color, and planted purple flowers such as lavender and asters to transform their town into a tourist attraction.
“Old people like us have a secluded life here, since all the young people left the town,” said villager Shin Deok-im, 79, who has lived on Bakji island for more than 60 years. “I’m glad to see young peop…
Keep on reading: South Korea’s ‘Purple Islands’ draw tourists