The Great Icescape - Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Greetings, my dear readers! Remember that winter trip I took to South Korea with my friends last year? Well, today I’m excited to share the photographic aftermath of that little adventure.



It was our last day when we went to Hwacheon, a 'sleepy' remote town in  Gangwon-do. To complete our winter experience, my friend Jett suggested us to attend an Ice festival called Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) which is being held annually for three weeks.

Jett and I
We arrived in the town at lunch time. The Hwacheon river is known as the first in Korea to freeze over in winter which makes it a suitable area for an ice festival.
kunwari nag ice fishing din kami :)
The earth was hard and frozen. As we walk on the river covered with thick layer of ice, my lungs were full of frozen air. I saw the white breath coming from people’s mouths. Koreanovela talaga ang peg :)

There were two events that seem to be the highlight of the festival: Ice fishing (onsite registration/pre-booking) and bare-hand fishing.
one of the visitors patiently waiting for the trout :)
For the ice fishing, visitors just need to purchase a small plastic pole, pay the fee, find a hole and start bobbing the pole up and down. It was amazing to see hundreds of people patiently waiting to catch something.
photo source
Those who are feeling brave try to catch mountain trout with their bare hands. Yes, it’s slightly ridiculous. And cold.
popular for kids and kids at heart :)
There were other ice activities as well such as Ice bikes, ice soccer, ice skating and sledding. Looks extremely fun! Too bad we didn't get to try any of the ice activities.
see how thick the ice covering the river?
We did not last for three hours. It's certainly not fun walking around if you can’t feel your toes. Thank God there were a lot of food stalls around the frozen river. Check out my other post here.
Maki, Jett and I
Have you ever been to Gangwon-do in South Korea? It was my first time. Feel free to share your experience below in the comments section. That’s all for today! Have a beautiful Wednesday, everyone! :)

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My name is Milet Miranda, a 27 year old travel blogger, registered nurse, underwriting analyst, and amateur photographer; all rolled into one convenient sushi. Project Gora is my personal travel blog that records my adventures, chronicles and inspirations. Thank you for dropping by! ^_^

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6 comments

  1. Thank you for your detail blogging for our Hwacheon Ice Festival.
    I am a staff of it and have a pride for its brand.
    If u come here again this year, u can meet so many programs newly made.
    It is not cold today buy just has rainy snow.
    Thank u again n bye~~

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  2. Gomapseumnida SeungIm Hong-Shi. Sorry for the romanization of hangul :) We enjoyed our experience in Hwacheon. If I have the chance to go back next winter, I'll definitely come more prepared :)

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  3. My first time to hear/read about ice fishing! I'd probably last for 1 minute with my feet submerged in ice cold water. Fun post, Millet! Looking forward to reading your travel posts this 2015! Happy New Year to you :)

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  4. Glad you like my post! Thanks Jacq and Happy New Year! ^_^

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  5. Mukhang ang saya!! Is the ice really thick?? Haha. Paranoid lang. XD

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  6. Yes. Medyo na paranoid din ako dito eh haha

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