Down the hole for some Ice Fishing Festival
I only know of two ice fishing festivals in Korea and in my view both are worth going to at least once just for the experience. With the weather getting colder day by day, sooner or later it will be cold enough to enjoy poking a hole in the thick ice and drop your fishing line down the hole and wait for a whipper snapper to catch your line. While you wait you can hop inside your tent and read a book or try some snacks. Or just shiver if it you wanna.
![sancheoneo-ice-festival-11[6]](https://kimcheebookings.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sancheoneo-ice-festival-116.jpg)
Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Festival
The Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mount Trout) Ice Festival will be taking place in Hwacheon in Gangwon-do as it does every year. This virtually untouched region is known as the first area in Korea that freezes over in winter, and the river is covered with a thick layer of ice. But during the festival expect so many people that you may see more people than actual ice.
Visitors can try out ice fishing, and those who are feeling brave can try to catch mountain trout with their bare hands. As well as fun activities and performances, there is also an exhibition of ice sculptures that took 20 weeks to prepare. Visitors can sample raw and grilled mountain trout, both of which are delicious. The taste from fish bought at the supermarket to fish you caught just a second ago and rip into with your teeth is quite astounding. Never had I tasted such fresh fish in all my life.
The festival starts from 01.09.2016 all the way to 01.31.2016. Which doesn’t sound like much time honestly but after one day there you might be happy to get back to your warm bed.
The is a thing there called the “Sancheoneo Experience”. You can register online to fish and try other activities.
Ice fishing (onsite registration/pre-booking), lure fishing, bare-hand fishing, etc.
When you wanna have a break from fishing you have plenty of games and fun stuff to try. Things like the Ice fun park (sledding, bobsledding, ice football, rides), snow fun park (snow man zone, rides, snow sledding), eolgomiseong (tunnels, slides), snow sculptures, etc are all worth trying if you got the time.
From Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, take an intercity bus to Hwacheon (화천).
Buses run from 07:05 to19:35 with a 30-40min interval between each departure.
Hwacheon Stream is a 10-min walk from the Hwacheon Bus Terminal. So nothing to strenuous to enjoy some ice fishing.
www.narafestival.com (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
Pyeongchang Trout Festival
The Pyeongchang Trout Festival takes place during winter in the town of Jinbu-myeon in Pyeongchang-gun district. Visitors to the festival can enjoy a variety of programs including ice and lure fishing for trout, snow programs, ice programs, folk programs, and more. There will also be traditional folk games including sledding and top spinning, and visitors can try out sports such as riding 4-wheel ATVs, snow rafting, sleigh trains. Any trout caught from ice fishing and lure fishing can be prepared right away at a nearby restaurant. Actually I’m not sure when it will start this year but it shouldn’t be too much different from when the festival in Hwacheon starts.
Trout farming first started in Pyeongchang due to its cold, clear waters. Trout offer plenty of nutrition, and their natural taste makes them delicious when eaten raw.
From Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, take an intercity bus to Jinbu (진부).
* Bus Schedule: 06:32-20:05, 30-40min intervals
Odaecheon Stream is a 7-min walk from the Jinbu Bus Terminal.
festival700.or.kr (Korean only)
