If you are thinking of traveling to Korea this year, then a newly released free ‘Festival Guide Book’ to the country will provide you with many ways to join in the festival fun.
Joining one of Korea’s many festivals is a great way for visitors to discover the real Korea and truly experience Korea’s 5,000 years of history and culture.
The guidebook lists all the exciting festivals taking place in 2009 with the very popular Boryeong Mud Festival just around the corner. The Boryeong Mud Festival has become an international event with visitors coming from all around the world to experience the many fun events. You can enjoy the huge mud slide, compete in the mud wrestling contest and enjoy many other activities like escaping mud prison as well the ultimate, a mud bath. It’s not only fun, the mud has very beneficial effects for the skin. It’s a free for all in a mud covered city from 11-19 July, 2009.
See www.mudfestival.or.kr for full details of all events.
Young people looking at joining the mud festival events might also enjoy Korea’s big outdoor rock festival event – the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival which runs for three days 24-26 July. Australian band Eskimo Joe will be a highlight of the line-up for this year’s festival. Rockers from around the world join the festival and it’s a great place to enjoy the open-air rock festival events. There is on-site camping available as well for visitors. For more information visit the website www.pentaportrock.com
For travellers who love Korean food, then there is no better place than to join Korea’s iconic Gwangju Kimchi Festival where thousands of people come together in kimchi- making and cooking competitions etc. Gwangju in the south west of the country is the home to Korea’s traditional cuisine so a great place to feast on traditional Korean dishes like BBQ beef (bulgogi) and enjoy some kimchi on the side. Kimchi is a side-dish of fermented pickled cabbage served at every meal in Korea. More information on Gwangju Kimchi Festival go to www.kimchi.gwangju.kr
Another highlight festival event for foreign visitors is the Andong International Mask Dance Festival held from 25 September to 4 October, 2009. This festival gives a great insight to Korean mask dance culture and history and offers a great chance to see the famous mask dancers of the Hahoe Mask Dance village nearby Andong. Visit the website for more www.maskdance.com
For visitors interested in ceramics, then Korea has the most exquisite celadon pottery in the world. The Gangjin Celadon Festival will be held from 8-16 August, 2009. Gangjin, the home of Korean Celadon art preserves the traditions of this beautiful pottery that is then sold all over the country. Visitors can participate in various events such as trying your hand at making celadon pottery. There is an international ceramics exhibition and other fun and games. More information at www.gangjinfes.or.kr
To plan your holiday to Korea around one of the country’s unique and exciting festivals order your free Korea Festival Guidebook today by email: visitkorea@knto.org.au
Phone: 02)9251-1717
