Popularity soars at South Korean museum during the Year of the Pig

China 24

The Year of the Pig is giving the barnyard animal some extra attention.

That’s definitely the case at a museum in the Republic of Korea.

CGTN’s Frances Kuo has more.

If you thought pigs only hung out at the farm, one place in South Korea will make you think twice.

At the Pig Museum in Icheon in the Republic of Korea, pigs bowl, master obstacle courses and puzzles – all to squeals of delight.

“I never thought that pigs could be so smart and agile,” said one visitor.

The pig museum opened in 2011, but since this is the Year of the Pig, the museum has become quite popular.

“Pigs are considered to be a symbol of wealth and luck,” said Lee Joong-Young, a curator at the Pig Museum. ”The Year of the Pig is coming, so people will pay much more attention to pigs.”

A lot more.

This month, the number of visitors has jumped by 30 percent from last year.

“My family came here to visit the pig museum, and we hope to have good luck in the new year,” said one parent.

And there’s a chance that good luck could rub off on visitors.

After all, you can get up close to the pigs – pet, feed, even hold them. You can also make your own pig or admire what others create.

The art gallery has more than seven-thousand pieces of pig works from more than 20 countries and regions.

It’s a place far from the farm but where these critters seem to feel right at home.