The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon-gun County, Gangwon-do Province, has emerged as one of the world’s most popular winter events. (Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival Organizing Committee)
By Kim Eun-young and Kim Minji
Hwacheon-gun County in Gangwondo Province is crowded with domestic and foreign visitors even at minus 10 degrees Celsius thanks to the 16th annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival.
In 2017, the festival drew a record 100,000 foreign visitors but this year's edition attracted 80,000 in just the first nine days (Jan. 5-13). The event's organizing committee expects an estimated 170,000 foreign visitors by the final day on Jan. 27.
The festival's most popular program is ice fishing and cooking sancheoneo, a species of trout known to live only in the cleanest fresh water in mid-winter. The 60 other programs include bare-handed and night fishing and sledding.
The U.K. daily Guardian on Jan. 6 shows a man celebrating after catching a trout hand fishing in a frozen river during the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival. The Guardian chose the picture as one of its “Best Photographs of the Day.” (captured from Guardian's site)
Global media are also covering the festival, with the U.K. daily Guardian and the United Arab Emirates news service The National (Abu Dhabi) displaying colorful photos of the event.
Xinhuanet, a Chinese state-run news agency, showed a picture of people fishing for sancheoneo. The Beijing-based People’s Daily and the government-run China Central Television (CCTV) also posted videos of ice fishing and cooking at the event.
A source with the festival’s organizing committee said, "The reason foreign tourists and overseas media are paying attention to the festival is that renting gear for fishing and sledding is easy. Also, the foreigner-exclusive zone makes it comfortable for them to have fun."
"Furthermore, many visitors from Southeast Asia and the Middle East, two regions with no winter, visit Korea to have a fresh and new experience."
The festival’s official homepage (http://www.narafestival.com) offers information in nine languages including English, Chinese and Japanese.
eykim86@korea.kr
Most popular
- Military discharge sets stage for reunion of all 7 BTS members
- BTS to mark 12th anniversary of debut with 2-week festival
- Lee Jae-myung officially sworn in as nation's 21st president
- Presidents Lee, Trump discuss tariff deal in first phone talks
- President's 1st executive order is launch of economic task force
