Gangwon Province will run free shuttle buses that stop at venues of local festivals from May 2 to January 2015. The bus departs from Donghwa Duty Free shop in Gwanghwamun and makes stops at towns in the province.

From May to June, the bus will stop in Inje, Yanggu and Gangneung, venues for local festivals. Inje promotes the region’s specialty ― dried pollack, or hwangtae in Korean ― from May 2 to 6. Yanggu holds a festival promoting local plant gomchwi from May 16-18. Various food and products made with gomchwi, a kind of groundsel plant, will be on display during the festival.

Gangneung celebrates the shamanistic ritual of the Joseon Dynasty during the Danoje festival from May 31 to June 6. The festival, designated a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage” by UNESCO in 2005, invites visitors to participate in traditional rituals such as wrestling, tug-of-war and washing hair in iris-infused water. For reservations, call (02) 1600-6972 at Dongbo Travel or visit www.dongbotravel.com. 

(wylee@heraldcorp.com)