On the Full Moon Day, which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month of the year, the Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival is held in order to pray for a healthy year and good fortune. Celebrating its 11th anniversary this year, the three-day festival unfolds against the beautiful landscape of Jeju Island. The event begins with a torch relay, which moves across the length of the island. The relay ends when organizers set ablaze a huge, 82-acres field of oreum (a parasitic volcano).

Event Programs: This year, the organizers have prepared a variety of interactive programs and shows. The main highlights include the Fortune Pig and Duck Contest, in which participants chase pigs and ducks toward the finish line; traditional Korean jump roping; attaching a wish paper to a pheasant and setting it free; and the deumdol competition, in which contestants carry a 130-kilogram circular stone as far as they can. Long ago on Jeju Island, the deumdol competition was a traditional ceremony to mark adulthood. The competition is open to visitors, island residents, and town representatives. There are different weight categories for this competition.

In addition to these programs, there is a relatively large selection of interesting things to see compared to other festivals. The Pony Field Plowing Agricultural Demonstration is an exact reenactment of old-time farming methods using local ponies, which offers visitors a chance to see what life was like in the good old days. Citizens from Jeju’s sister cities in the United States, China, and Japan will also hold special performances, free of charge, to promote sister-city ties. This year, the American team will stage a cheerleader performance; the Chinese team a traditional martial arts performance; and the Japanese team a traditional dance.

Major features: For your ultimate enjoyment, don’t miss out on the evening events, which are the true highlight of the festival. The burning of the daljip (a small wooden house on top of a hill) is held in the evening before the opening day. Participants construct the daljip and then set it on fire. Also, the National Opera Chorus of Korea will give an invitational performance with the beautiful natural landscape of Jeju Island in the background. There are also other attractions such as the ‘spinning-can event’ (children spin blazing cans), the laser show, and the fireworks show.