After a hot steaming summer, autumn is on its way. The floras started to shrink back to its buds, some of the flowers may start to wilt and fall drop to prepare the coming of cold season. The tree of the leaves will start to turn into maple leaves where various attractive colours such yellow, orange , red maple leaves can be seen everywhere in Korea. So, what can you do if you want to visit Korea in this refreshing fall season? Here I will suggest " 10 Traditional Korea Festivals must-visit in Fall Session " that you should not miss before winter.
1. Icheon Ceramic Festival
Estimated period: 24 Sept ~ 23Oct
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| Ceramic Festival |
Are you trying to find a place where you could boast your hand-made skill? At Icheon Ceramic Festival, you can make either a pot or a ceramic stuff under the guild of ceramic maker’s teachers and be able to understand the traditional process on making a pottery. In Korea, there are around or more than 100 different kinds of ceramic ‘makkeolli ’ (rice wine) cups. Many of them are available for purchase during the festival. For Korean, different types of cups are used for different type of drinks since every kind of drinks has its own unique taste as the cups’ feature has its own shape. Besides knowing how to do a ceramic, there are also numerous traditional Korean dance performances will be held during the period of the festival. Sounds interesting, isn’t it? Look at those simple and elegant ceramics! Don’t you believe you can also make one for yourself?
2. Yangyang Songi Festival (Korea Mushroom Festival)
Estimated period: 29 Sept ~ 03 Oct
Do you like mushroom ? If you say yes, then you should not miss Yangyang Songi Mushroom Festival. This is a quite well-known mushroom festival where you can see those luxury pine mushroom in Korea. Pine mushroom in Korea is also known as a golden mushroom or diamond in the woods as they are indeed expensive. One kilogram of Songi mushroom costs around 200,000 Korean won. Wow, the price is amazing! But during this traditional festival, you are given the chance to enjoy the beauty of nature while picking up some expensive mushroom. When you walk along the forest, you could simply pick up the Songi pine mushroom as much as you wish. But with a condition, you must know the method of how to pick up those pricey mushrooms. Moreover, you can satisfy your appetite with several mushroom dishes prepared, just especially for you!
3. Andong Mask Dance Festival
Estimated period: 30 Sept ~ 09 Oct
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| Mask Dance Festival |
Trying to run from the big city? Hanok Village should be one of your destinations. Besides watching Korea’s traditional mask dance, there are also traditional mask dance competitions for those who are confident to bet other peers. In addition, people who interested in Korea’s traditional mask dances, you can enrol yourself in mask dance lessons and learn the dance easily. Of course, the scenery of Hanok Village is awesome. You can see lush green yellowish rice paddies and mountains while strolling along the paths in the Hanok Village. Hanok Village also a wonderful place you can view the spectacular sunset while enjoying the melody of flowing stream . At night, you will have the chance to watch the Traditional Korean fireworks and you will be able to see people “dancing below the fire”. Tourists usually won’t miss the fireworks since the darkness will be lightening up by the sparkling firework. Don’t worry where you will stay as Hanok Village provides severe guest houses or you can just simply ask the house’s owner to stay there. Feel the spark and feel the dynamic of Korea by visiting Hanok Village, the Andong Mask Dance Festival.
4. Jinju Namgang Yudeung (Lantern) Festival
Estimated period: 01 ~ 12 October
The celebration of Jinju Namgang Yudeung Lantern Festival is the remembrance for those soldiers who’ve sacrificed themselves in Jinjuseong Battle against Japanese forces and to stimulate the growing of tourism attractions in the Jinju city. After sunset, the landscape is the most attracting and stunning as there are countless of lanterns either Korean traditional lanterns or lanterns from other countries can be seen along the river. The colourful lanterns flowing along the river lighten up the monotonous night. Namgang River during the festival, your dream can be realized easily. So, don’t miss a chance to make your dream comes true by writing a wish on the lantern and let it flow away freely. Enjoy the peace and make every of your dream comes true!
5. Yeongdong Nan-Gye Korean Traditional Music Festival
Estimated period: 07 ~ 10 October
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| Korean Traditional Dance |
Koreans are being famous for preserving their cultures and traditional music very well. So, they celebrate this festival in September every year as the honour of the great achievements of the musician Nangye. Beside that, Yeongdong is the birthplace of one of the three fathers’ traditional Korean music, Park Yeon. Nangye is another name for Park Yeon. This is why the festival is named as ‘Yeongdong Nan-Gye Korean Traditional Music Festival’. At there, you can enjoy different Korean traditional music performances and learn how to make a Korean traditional instrument by using ceramic or wood. After you made the instrument, there are musicians or instrumentalists teach you how to play with the Korean traditional instrument you have made. Other activities such as Nangye traditional music orchestra, Korean traditional three-verse poem contest, music parade , fusion percussion performance will be held throughout the festival. Let’s feel the rhythms of Korean traditional music with your heart.
6. Gyeongju Traditional Drink & Rice Cake Festival
Estimated period: 08 ~ 13 October
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| Rice Cake Festival |
In Korea, traditional drink and rice cake are traditionally used to deliver happiness to guest or neighbours when the happy events such as first birthday of their child or a wedding. Korean family usually distribute a small bowl of rice cake to their neighbours to share their happiness as their child grows up healthy. By joining Gyeongju Traditional Drink & Rice Cake Festival, you have the opportunities to make your own rice cakes with different ingredients as you wish. You can make it for your family after learning the methods to make a delectable Korean traditional rice cakes . Besides making the Korean traditional rice cakes, this festival also offers you to taste many kinds of Korean drinks such as wine and liquors. Please control your eagerness to try everything, because you might get drunk if you drink too much.
7. Gwangju World Kimchi Culture Festival
Estimated period: 15~ 19 October
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| World Kimchi Festival |
For visitors who were been in Korea for a few times, you should know ‘Kimchi’. Kimchi is a healthy and delicious side dish for in Korea. It is done by fermenting the Korean cabbage for a long period of time. Kimchi tastes more scrumptious and strong if being fermented for a longer time. During the festival, many international visitors are enthusiastic to learn the method to make a delicious Kimchi. Thus, started from 2009, Gwangju World Kimchi Culture Festival also offers variety of fascinating activities such as Kimchi making experience. Moreover, you can also visit the Kimchi Exhibition Hall and Kimchi Industry Fair where you can take a look on how the other kinds of Kimchi and the process of making Kimchi as well. Furthermore, several traditional dance or traditional music performances may be held during the festival. If you know how to make Kimchi, does your Kimchi taste better than any other Kimchi have you tried before?
8. Asia Song Festival
Estimated period: October
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| 2011 Asia Song Festival |
Don’t you want to meet the eminent artists from Korea and Japan like Rain, KARA and AKB48? Can you resist Rain’s sexy body with 6 packs muscles, beauty of KARA team members, and the charms given by cutie Japanese girls, AKB48? Are you sure that you want to miss those singers’ concert? Besides Rain, KARA and AKB48 for 2011 Asia Song Festival, they are able to invite other special guests such as 2AM (Korea), Jane Zhang (China), Joe Cheng (Taiwan), FILM (Thailand) and Michael Wong (Malaysia). Their angel-like voice and dances will cause the fire to burn wildly. At the Festival, you can find some crazy fans whose love the same singers with you and you can scream along with other fans or sing along with your favourite artists. I promise you can’t sleep on that night and keep on shouting “Don’t stop the Music”!
9. Jeonju Bibimbap Festival
Estimated period: 20 ~ 23 October
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Have you heard about Jeonju Bibimbap? When everyone thinks about Jeonju, everyone think about BiBimbap. Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish which contains rice, egg and different sorts of vegetables mix together with Korean spicy sauce. Just even by looking on the picture, I think your mouth already started drooling! Korean people indeed care about the appearance of themselves but also the food! You can see many people feel sad if their Bibimbap doesn’t look as attractive as the picture above. Alright, this is not the problem! Anyway, I can say that the Bibimbap is really delicious and has its unique taste. During Jeonju Bibimbap Festival, you are given a chance to make your own BiBimbap with the traditional ingredients provided. Perhaps you are not satisfying with the Bibimbap you’ve made, you can go to the restaurants nearby to taste the real vegetable mix rice. Delicious traditional Bibimbap is waiting for your arrival. So, what are you waiting for?
10. Geumsan Insam (Ginseng) Festival
Estimated period: 21 ~ 30 October
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| Korean Ginseng |
Everyone knows Korea is well-known for its Ginseng since Korea produces abundant of Ginseng and it is much cheaper to buy in Korea as well. Through the Geumsan Insam Festival, you can learn how to harvest and cut the ginseng by using the proper ways. Besides, there are also other fascinating activities such as herb exhibition, Geumsan folk performances, Ginseng cooking contest, and so on. It’s said that Geumsan region has the best ginseng quality in the whole Korea. Tourists always remember to purchase some ginseng for their parents or grandparents as a gift as ginseng itself is good for health and body. Looking for a high quality of ginseng? Then, you should come to Geumsan Insam Festival!
Location of 10 Korea festivals Must-Visit in Fall Session
You want to have fun, get some amusing experience and understand the traditional cultures of Korea? Take part in several traditional festivals is the fastest and the most interesting way compared to other ways in order to know about Korea. Please remember to bring your camera with full battery charged to get it enough to retain all those beautiful pictures and let the pictures remain as memories in your soul. So, let’s eat, play and experience by joining 10 traditional Korea Festivals must-visit in Fall Session!
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