Korea’s Ice Festival—named as one of CNN’s 7 Wonders of Winter

Korea’s Ice Festival—named as one of CNN’s 7 Wonders of Winter

Hot chocolate, s’mores, fleece blankets and a movie next to the fire is probably something on the top of our “to-do” list during a snowy and cold winter. Going outside to play on the ice may not be enticing to many, but there are plenty of winter wonders that many people around the world enjoy, even in the freezing cold weather. In Korea, the snow-covered, mountainous landscape in the winter provides for the ideal backdrop to enjoy winter sports. But today, I want to talk about a winter activity that is beyond snowboarding or skiing. Today we’re going to take a look at what CNN is calling a Korean “winter wonder,” ice festivals!

Ice Festivals are held all over the country during the coldest days of winter

As you know, Korea has 4 very distinctive seasons. The summers are hot and humid, the spring time is green and fresh, autumn has clear skies and a vivid foliage, and the winters are snowy and what I describe as a “bone-marrow” cold. You can’t live in Korea and not take advantage of the very seasonal weather and all the seasonal activities and festivals that are put on all throughout the country.

Everyone can enjoy ice sledding! Image source here

One of the festivals that Koreans of all ages look forward to is the ice festival. With the mountains and rivers that spread out over the entire Korean peninsula, every region usually holds an ice festival on the surrounding rivers and lakes that are frozen over. Families, couples and friends will bring out wooden sleds to push and pull each other around, and enjoy a day playing on ice along with snow sledding, making snow sculptures and you can’t forget ice soccer. But even more than beloved soccer, Koreans always bring out their gear for the highlight of these ice festivals: ice fishing!

Ice Fishing is the highlight of the winter ice festivals in Korea

Ice fishing! Image source here

Among the hundreds of ice festivals that are put on throughout Korea, the most famous one is the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival—Unfrozen Hearts, Unforgettable Memories. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival is put on every January in the Hwacheon area of Korea. The Hwacheon area is in the Gangwon province, which is famous for being the cleanest place for Sancheoneo (or trout) to live. This event attracts more than 1 million visitors every year and is opened for 3 weeks. Visitors come geared up and ready to get their catch. The waters are so crystal clean that many even hop in the unfrozen parts of the river or lake and to catch Sancheoneo by hand!

The brave ones of the bunch jump in the freezing cold water to try and catch the trout by hand! Image source here

When the rivers around the Hwacheon area freeze over, the Sancheoneo are still swimming in the waters below, but they are under a heavy sheet of frozen ice that is nearly 40cm thick! (about 15 inches) The peaceful and calm Hwacheon town becomes a buzzing hive of people swarming from every corner of the province to come and play and to get their crack at the ice. After they spend the first few hours on the ice playing and fishing, popping out barbeque grills is usually what comes after.

The quiet waters of Hwacheon are stormed by people from all over for 3 weeks! Image source here

The groups of friends and family begin to enjoy their catches and munch on other goodies they have brought along (Koreans will never leave their kimchi behind). In the spirit of the festival, neighboring groups begin to make conversation and may even share their food! It’s genuinely an exciting and refreshing time where “Unfrozen Hearts, Unforgettable Memories” are made. I’m looking forward to making my visit over to the mountains northeast of the capital city of Seoul, into the town of Hwacheon for the festivities!