12 Fascinating Korean festivals

Korea has a lot to offer, with a varied culture, history and tradition. However, the recent modernization, reconstruction of buildings and westernization has meant some of this culture is fading.
Visiting festivals and different cultural events can be a very rewarding and dynamic experience. Escaping from the stress of cities and mundane daily life to a new, colorful, vibrant place can bring new inspiration to all generations. There are still many different types of festivals held each year in South Korea, but most tied up in busy city life, this experience can be a very rewarding one. We have picked 14 attention-grabbing festivals around Korea.

Mountain Trout Ice Festival (화천 산천어축제)

Each year throughout January, visitors are welcomed to celebrate the beautiful scenery of crystal clear ice and amazing white snow at Hwacheon, Gangwon Province. The Mountain Trout Ice Festival features exciting activities for families, travelers and couples. Its special activities include mountain trout ice fishing, snow sledding, ice sculpture and many more programs.
Visit: http://www.narafestival.com/01_icenara

Jindo Sea parting Festival (진도 신비의 바닷길축제)

A few times during the year, the sea around Jindo in South Jeolla Province parts and visitors can walk along a narrow path through the sea from the mainland to a nearby island. This phenomenon, sometimes called the “Moses Miracle,” is caused by the tide. The path is approximately 2.8 kilometers long and is 40 to 60 meters wide. The next festival will be held on March 19.
Visit: http://miraclesea.jindo.go.kr/

Hampyeong Butterfly Festival (함평나비축제)

The Hampyeong Butterfly Festival is celebrated each year around the end of April in Hampyeong, South Jeolla Province. Visitors can experience thousands of different butterflies at the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival. In the fresh spring weather, visitors can walk through fields of wild flowers and observe the butterflies in their natural habitat. They can also observe rare butterflies up close and learn about ecology.
Visit: http://inabi.or.kr/2008_hpm/hpm01/m1index.php

Damyang Bamboo Festival (담양대나무축제)

Damyang-gun in South Jeolla Province, known for its rich green forests, celebrates its bamboo festival each year at Juknokwon for five consecutive days in early May. The ecosystem is known for its spectacular scenery which contains lots of bamboo, other trees and cultural sites. More than 1.2 million tourists visited Damyang for the 2009 Festival. The festival includes orchestral concerts, traditional music, riding pedaloes, fishing and lots more.
Visit: http://www.bamboofestival.co.kr/

Muju Firefly Festival (무주반딧불축제)

Don’t miss this magical experience. As the sky darkens, thousands of fireflies light up the sky with their beautiful natural illumination. The firefly festival is held each year in mid-June in Muju, North Jeolla Province. Fireflies are considered to be very special and are designated as one of Korea’s natural monuments. Activities include a nighttime “fireflies exploration event,” a chance to experience fireflies’ natural environment and trout fishing.
Visit: http://firefly.or.kr/main.html

Boryeong Mud Festival (보령머드축제)

Boryeong has beautiful scenery with mountains and beaches. Its mud festival takes place on Daecheon beach. Participants slap on mud packs made from Boryeong mud, which is claimed to be a great way to improve your skin tone with its high level of minerals, germanium and bentonite. Other exciting activities include mud wrestling, the “mud king” contest, fireworks and slides greased with mud. This is one of the most popular festivals among Korea’s foreign community. There are International nighttime events such as hip hop and dance parties. “Boryeong Mud Festival” takes place in mid July each year.
Visit: http://mudfestival.or.kr

Andong International Mask dance Festival (안동탈춤축제)

The Andong International Mask Dance Festival is held around the end of September each year. At one of the venues, Hahoe Folk Village, Korea’s vibrant traditional performing art is still a part of everyday life. The main venue is in nearby Andong, a city in North Gyeongsang Province. Visitors can not only enjoy Korea’s talchum (Korean masked dances), but there are also international masked performances. After the sun sets, enjoy Hahoe’s highlight performance “Seonyujul Bulnori” where fireworks fall like rain, creating spectacular reflections on the river.
Visit: http://www.maskdance.com/

Jinju Lantern Festival (진주남강유등축제) 

This is a very special festival with hundreds of stunning paper lanterns floating down the Nam River. The lanterns come in all shapes and sizes. In this particular festival which is usually held for more than a week after the first day of October, visitors can write wishes and attach them to lanterns.
Visit http://www.yudeung.com/index.php

Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival (청도 소싸움축제)

In 2010 the bullfighting festival was held on March 17-21. This is an annual event and tickets are sold for an affordable price at approximately 4,000 to 5,000 won. The previous event had 132 matches and there were other activities including introductions to the cultural values of bullfighting.
Visit: http://www.청도소싸움.kr/

Bongpyeong Cultural Festival (봉평 메밀꽃축제)

Bongpyeong Cultural festival is surrounded each autumn by beautiful buckwheat flowers. The flowers are often associated in Korea with remembering your first love, an idea that comes from a famous novel “When the Buckwheat Flower is About to Blossom” by Lee Hyo-seok. The story takes place right at the location of the festival at Bongpyeong, Gangwon-do province. The event takes place on Sept. 3-21. The main purpose of this festival is to appreciate the natural beauty of Bongpyeong by welcoming visitors and sharing different cultural experiences.
Visit: http://www.hyoseok.com/html/index.asp

Boseong Green Tea Festival (보성 녹차축제)

Each year Boseong celebrates its tea industry and culture by promoting the Boseong Green Tea Festival. This festival is held May 1-5. There are a variety of activities such as making tea and learning about tea culture. Next year, the city will celebrate the 37th Boseong Green Tea Festival.
http://dahyang.boseong.go.kr/dahyang2005/

Icheon Ceramic Festival (이천 도자기축제)

The Icheon Ceramic Festival is another exciting annual event. There are lots of lessons and experiences to try out. Intriguing programs range from making your own ceramics to learning methods of drinking tea. Other events include ceramic exhibitions, sales and performances. This event usually lasts from second week of May until the first week of June.
Visit: http://www.ceramic.or.kr/

By Moon Ye-bin (yebinm@heraldcorp.com)
Internet reporter
Edited by Paul Kerry