Hwacheon

Many foreigners have prejudice that there are no places to visit in South Korea compared to other countries. It does not have a wide territory like China or does not retain beautiful culture of the middle ages like Italy. However, Korea is a country that retains beauty more than expectation with a long history and unique character of a nation.

Foreigners are fascinated with festivals, such as the Spanish Tomato Festival, Brazilian Rio Carnival, or German beer festival. Festivals with passion and pleasure always end with success. There is a place that hosts wonderful festivals like them that I want to proudly introduce to you in Korea also.

Hwacheon gun in Gangwon do is the place. Hwacheon gun has many high mountains such as Mt. Daeseongsan, Mt.Hwaaksan, Mt. Baekamsan, etc, which its beautiful valleys flow clean and cold water to Paroho Lake and Hwacheonho Lake. This offers visitors beautiful natural scenery, along with water skiing, fishing, tenting and other leisure and tourism activities all year round. In addition, the “Ice World Hwacheon Trout Festival” that is held in the beautiful winter scenery every January, “Water World Hwacheon Jjokbae Festival” that includes the summer romance amidst clear waters and green fields, as well as the “Hwacheon Hwaaksan Tomato” are famous as the best themed family festival in the nation.

 The Jjokbae Water Festival that happens in Hwacheon is attained in Crucian Carp Island. It is a name that mounts the resembled shape of crucian carp. The Jjokbae Water festival presents creative rafts with unique shape that decorate the lake of Bungeo(a crucian carp in Korean) seom Island. Many people ride ships made themselves and attend contest of the Jjokbae Water Festival. Goods are awarded to the person who takes the victory in this congress. The Jjokbae Water Festival is already quite famous to foreigners; games that foreigners can enjoy were prepared. You can experience canoe or kayaking that are hard to experience directly and water slide flume, or enjoy of the many culture experience spaces prepared for families such as water golf. If you come Hwacheon Golden Experience in my town 33 at night, performances of well known singers are available for you to appreciate music in the moonlight. Also, lovers may spend time and families are delighted with the beautiful fireworks display prepared. A honeymoon trip to Korea offers a really good culture experience. The festival also provides various water sports and events. It is called Jjokbae, a small raft in Korea. There is a very famous song telling a story about a rabbit living in the moon crossing over the Milky Way by a raft. In the festival, Jjokbae means a raft that has no limit in the size or design; the raft can carry more than one person and must sail manually.

The tomato festival is held on Mt.Hwaaksan. Tomato is Hwacheon’s local specialty. Delightful experience programs of the tomato festival are prepared to offer a good time without spending a lot of money. For example, the tomato slide & tomato tail catching events. Meals can be solved an the festival and spaghetti for 1,000 people is also provided during the festival. You can buy tomatoes at the festival for an inexpensive price if you want to buy fresh tomatoes of Hwacheon. When night comes, a dance contest is held. Many participants come to show off their talent regardless of gender, old and the young. Hwacheon’s Tomato Festival is a space where one can feel the atmosphere of the Brazilian Rio Carnival.

The Sancheoneo Ice Festival is a unique winter festivity that attracts over 1,000,000 visitors every year. Programs are organized into four major categories, with the main themes of ice and snow. The program relates to the fresh water fishes living in mountain lakes and creeks. Activities include ice fishing, lure fishing, and catching fish with your bare hands.

The Sancheoneo Ice festival of Hwacheon is called a festival that it is already the best with a lot of foreign tourist infancies in Korea. Because Hwacheon is a heavily snowy area in Korea, the Sancheoneo Ice Festival achieves success every time. Sancheoneo is a fish which can only exist in the best clearest waters. You can feel how Hwacheon’s nature is clean and beautiful. The Sancheoneo Ice Festival offers many play spaces such as snow sledding, snow bobsleighing, ice bicycles as well as experience spaces to catch Sancheoneo. Specially, the folkways playground was prepared at the Sancheoneo festival, fand I will offer persons who want to experience Korea’s culture heritage opportunities a lot of culture experience.

Because Hwacheon is very clear throughout the four seasons, a lot of festivals are held year round. Hwacheon is the best place where you can experience more exciting seasonal changes in summer and winter. All the beautiful nature always draws many people to Hwacheon, and provides a wonderful environment to join the “Hwacheon Jjokbae Water Festival” in summer and the “Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival” in the winter. With family, or even with a friend or lover, visit Hwacheon certainly once if you want to spend time that is delightful.

Korea’s characteristic culture, delightful experience space, music, and people are awaiting in Hwacheon. Also, a lot of accommodation sand foods are available in Hwacheon. Your heart may be comfortably warm also once in your travel thanks to the warm hearts and simplicity of Hwacheon people. I want to pass a good time in delightful Hwacheon in this travel.

Writen by Go a ra