Winter festivals to light up holiday season

For travelers looking to tough it out in the frigid winter temperatures, there are a number of worthwhile winter festivals where visitors can experience a wide range of snow and winter-fun activities whether it be ice-fishing, sledding or even ice soccer. 

The Pyeongchang Trout Festival is one of the most popular winter festivals, and is held annually in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province ― known for having one of the coldest, snowiest winters in Korea. 

Because of the region’s frigid climate and clear waters, Pyeongchang has an endless number of trout farms, making trout fishing an ideal outdoor activity, but also the source of one of the region’s signature dishes. 

Participants are given the opportunity to go trout fishing on a 25,000-square-meter frozen lake using lines and fish hooks. Anglers can set up a tent on the ice where they can fish to their heart’s content, and take their catch to a nearby restaurant, which will prepare their catch. The trout festival also allows visitors to enjoy other fun, unique winter activities such as four-wheel ATV riding, ice sledding, snow rafting and even ice biking. The festival will be held from Dec. 20 to Feb. 2 by the Oedaecheon Stream.

Also in Gangwon Province is the annual Hwacheon Sancheonoe Festival, where visitors can also partake in ice fishing in the scenic mountain town of Hwacheon. The festival will also offer sledding, ice sculpting and ice soccer. The town’s festivities will be held for three weeks from Jan. 4 to 26 at various venues near the Hwacheon stream. 

Other winter festivities in Gangwon Province, which is to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, include the Mt. Taebaek Snow Festival and the Inje Icefish Festival. However, travel to these destinations can be quite difficult for international travelers or residents without cars. So there is a daily shuttle bus service from Seoul to the winter festivals with round-trip fares at 10,000 won. For more information on reservations and scheduling, visit www.gogangwon.com.

For those travelers looking for a less active and more scenic destination, the Boseong Green Tea Plantation Light Festival is a good bet. Taking place in South Jeolla Province in the picturesque green tea fields of Boseong ― the nation’s largest green tea field ― the festival has a large decorative Christmas tree as its centerpiece. The “Millennium Tree,” decorated with more than 100,000 lights, was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2000, and will surely make for a one-of-a-kind, Christmas holiday season travel adventure. The vast plantation will be decked out with thousands of colorful lights as well as featuring a number of cultural and decorative lighting displays. 

The Boseong Green Tea Plantation Light Festival is being held through Feb. 2, with the lights turned on every day from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. For more information, call (061) 850-5211.