Banwol Island, located off the southwestern coast of South Korea, is an island like no other. Formerly a small fishing community, the “purple islands” gained both domestic and international recognition when locals turned everything into a beautiful shade of lilac.
From rooftops to telephone boxes to rice to lavender fields, everything in Banwol is colored purple. The bold theme has attracted crowds of eager visitors which has boosted the local economy and put the small community on the map. Nearby Bakji Island is also part of the purple initiative (both are connected by three purple bridges which can be crossed by foot) and although the two islands have fewer than 150 residents combined, they have attracted nearly half a million tourists since 2018.
