Hwacheon-gun (County) is located in the Taebaek Mountains, a rugged land comprising high mountains, swift rivers and large lakes and noted for its splendid winter scenery.

Every January, Hwacheon, considered the cleanest place in the clean and clear natural environment of Gangwon-do (Gangwon Province), holds a winter festival to celebrate the abundance of "sancheoneo," or a mountain trout which lives in cold temperatures.

The fish is a member of the salmon family, and is endemic to the region. It lives only in clean fresh water with a temperature below 20 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Usually called the "cherry salmon" in English or "sima" in Russian, sancheoneo inhabits pure mountain streams in Northeast Asia, including the cool, crystal-clear waters found in the mountain streams of Hwacheon.

The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival (January 5-23) draws more than one million visitors every year. This year, the 20-day event is expected to see higher attendance.
Five days after opening on January 5, nearly 300,000 people visited the festival to set a new record.

The main events, naturally enough, focus on the sancheoneo. Most popular is ice fishing. A hole is cut in the ice of the Bukhangang (Bukhan River) and a fish line is dropped. Fish start biting in no time.

More challenging is lure fishing. Fishing equipment can be purchased at the event site. No fishing license is required and even children can fish safely. Those brave enough can even catch fish with their bare hands.

Admission is 10,000 won per adult or high school student for ice fishing. Elementary and middle school students get in for 5,000 won. Entry for children under seven is free.

To reserve a place at the family grounds, a group of between two and 10 people is needed. Those fluent in Korean can make reservations through the festival's Web site (http://ice.narafestival.com). Non-Korean speakers can call the organizing committee at (033) 440-2319.

Fish is not the only attraction at this festival. Visitors can take in the unrivaled winter beauty of this isolated locale.

Winter sports there include ice and snow sledding, ice tubing and a soccer competition played on ice. Children's programs include the snowman event, in which kids can get their photos taken with a snowman, building an ice castle, a sledding train and sled-driving test.

Adding to the fun is a buffet that includes mountain trout and dining at eateries offering the culinary specialties of Hwacheon. The Traditional Experience Venue and concerts are other attractions.

A must-see at the festival is a creative sled contest, which showcases dozens of individually crafted sleds. The competition every year has unique sleds that look like submarines, penguins and even Santa Claus. Participants can register online for the contest at the official Web site (http://global.narafestival.com).

For more information, call (033) 441-7575 or visit the Web site at http://ice.narafestival.com. (English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean available).

[From Seoul to Hwacheon]

1.By train: Take the Gyeongchun Line from Cheongnyangni rail station in Seoul
(1 hr 40 min~2 hr) → Namchuncheon Station → Take a taxi to Chuncheon Intercity Bus Terminal (10 min / 3,000 won (taxi rate subject to change) → Take the bus to Hwacheon (bus every 30 minutes / 1 hr) → Get off at Hwacheon Intercity Bus Terminal and walk five minutes towards Hwacheoncheon (Hwacheon Stream).
2.By bus:
Dong Seoul Bus Terminal → Take the bus to Hwacheon (12 departures a day / 2 hr 40 min) →Get off at Hwacheon Intercity Bus Terminal and walk five minutes towards Hwacheoncheon.

By Han Aran
Korea.net Staff Writer