Winter Festivals

By Deirdre Madden

Don’t let the cold temperatures put you off exploring the countryside. Winter in Gangwando (the northernmost province on the east coast of South Korea) brings with it plenty of snow and ice festivals to help you make the most of the bright sunshine. Hot chocolate tastes even better when your cheeks are ruddy with cold and your toes are numb.

Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Festival – Jan 5 – 27

Happening right now in the town of Hwacheon-gun in Gangwando – an Ice Fishing Festival with all kinds of fun winter activities. Check out the skating, ice-sledding, snowmobiling and of course, try your hand at catching a mountain trout. Literally – there’s an area for fishing with your bare hands, as well as rod and reel areas.

This festival has entry fees for the different fishing areas (discounted if you’re an International visitor or a kid), and apparently has been listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Winter by CNNgo, a travel information site operated by CNN.

There are also Ice Fishing festivals in Pyeongchang until February 3rd, Gapyeong-gun until Jan 27th, or Inje from Jan 19th-27th, if you miss the Hwacheon one.  If you’re from a land of warm winters, and haven’t tried ice fishing or skating before, it’s well worth checking it out.

If fishing isn’t your thing, try the Taebaksan Mountain Snow Festival, which celebrates all things cold and white. From ice sculptures to sledding, skating to dog sleds, the town of Taebak does it’s best to show off how much fun winter can be. Taebaksan is known for having the largest annual snowfall in South Korea, and is also home to several decent ski resorts.

So head to Gangwando and explore what winter has to offer!