Spring Festivals
Korea is famous for its many and varied festivals, and spring is the perfect time to go festival hopping, as the number of events taking place around the country reaches its peak at this time of year. There really is something for everyone from the Boseong Green Tea Festival to the Jeonju International Film Festival to the Haeundae Sand Festival in Busan. There are many festivals taking place within easy reach of Gwangju, making day trips cheap and hassle-free, but if you want to travel further afield and make a weekend of it, there are plenty of options for that too! Below you will find details and travel information about a selection of the most popular spring festivals around the country.
Flower festivals are perhaps the most-visited festivals in spring. The festivals begin in March and run until late April, so there is still plenty of time to ring in the warmer weather and walk among the blossoms!
Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival
The Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival is the largest cherry blossom festival in Korea. It runs from April 1 to April 10 and attracts over 2 million visitors each year. Many cherry blossom related events to choose from, including “cherry blossom lighting” and a multimedia fireworks show. The festival also commemorates Admiral Yi Sun Sin with a military band parade (April 6-10).
How to get there: Take a bus from Gwangju to Masan, then take local bus 162 or 760 and get off at Jinhae Station (40-50 minutes). From Jinhae Station it is a 10-minute walk to the festival area.
Jeju Festivals
There are two flower festivals on Jeju Island in the month of April: the Jeju Cherry Blossom Festival runs from April 6 to April 8, and the Jeju Canola Flower Festival takes place from April 20 to April 29. Jeju’s blossoms are of the King Cherry Tree variety, and their petals are the largest of all the cherry blossoms around! The festival takes place in downtown Seogwipo in the Jeju Citizen Welfare Town Area.
How to get there: Fly to Jeju Island (try Jeju Air or Asiana Airlines), then take bus 100 to the bus terminal.
Cherry Blossom Festival: Transfer to bus 5 and get off at the Health Center Bus Stop. Alternatively you can take a 10-15 minute taxi ride from the airport to the festival.
Canola Flower Festival: From Jeju Bus Terminal, take a bus bound for Beonyeong-ro to Pyoseon. You can then take a shuttle bus from Pyoseon to the festival venue.
Hampyeong Butterfly Festival
One of the more unusual spring festivals is the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival, which runs from April 27 to May 8. During the festival, Hampyeong is awash with butterfly decorations, butterfly lights and, of course, the butterflies themselves! The festival uses butterflies to teach visitors about the ecology of the region and there is a plethora of butterfly-themed events and activities to choose from. There is also a “hands-on” area for kids (big and small!) for festival-goers to see and touch a variety of animals and plants. The admission fee is 7,000 won for adults and 3,000 won for kids.
How to get there: Take a bus from Gwangju to Hampyeong (3,400 won, 7.10a.m. to 8.00p.m., 30 minutes). From the bus terminal in Hampyeong it is a 10-minte walk to Expo Park, the festival venue.
Jeonju International Film Festival
If movies are your passion, then the Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) is the one for you! JIFF runs from April 26 to May 4 and the keywords for 2012 are “Sympathize and Change.” The motif for this year’s festival is that of a butterfly effect, which symbolizes how Jeonju, a small city, can change lives through its screenings and become the premier film festival in Korea. There are plenty of films for international visitors to choose from, and almost all the movies that have non-English dialogue are subtitled in English. Tickets can be bought online (although the schedule is not yet available online) and cost 5,000 won for general screenings (10,000 won for opening and closing films).
How to get there: Take a bus from Usquare to Jeonju (6,300 won, 90 minutes, from 6.55a.m. to 8.20p.m.)
Jindo Miracle Sea Festival
If you want to experience a miracle during your time in Korea, then pay a visit to the Jindo Miracle Sea Festival, which runs from April 7 to April 9. Once a year in Jindo, a tidal phenomenon occurs and the sea miraculously “parts”, creating a 2.8km-long road measuring 40 to 60 meters in width, making it possible to walk through the sea to a nearby island! The then-French Ambassador to Korea visited Jindo in 1975 an observed the sea parting and claimed that the Moses Miracle could be seen in Korea. International media picked up the story and the festival has been famous ever since!
How to get there: Take a bus from Usquare to Jindo Terminal (11,400 won, 2 hours, 5.50a.m. to 7.30p.m., 12 buses daily). During the festival, shuttle buses will run from Jindo Terminal to the festival venue.
Tea Festivals
If tea is what you’re into, there are a couple of festivals to choose from. The Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival takes place from May 2 to May 6. Hadong is famous as the first tea plantation site in Korea and continues to use traditional tea processing methods. During the festival, visitors can sample the tea free of charge and purchase it at reduced prices. Festival activities include a tea etiquette ceremony, making tea bowls, seminars on farming tea and tea bowls, as well as a tea etiquette competition for international tourists!
How to get there: Take the Mugunghwa train from Seo Gwangju Terminal to Hadong Station (2 hours 50 minutes, 9,300 won). From Hadong Station, take bus 35-1 to Hagae Stop (52 minutes,1,200 won)
The Boseong Green Tea Festival is a little closer to Gwangju and takes place from May 16 to May 20. Boseong Green Tea Plantation is the largest producer of tea in Korea. During the festival, visitors can take part in several hands-on activities, from picking tea leaves, to making tea, to making and eating green tea snacks! There will also be a number of performances during the festival.
How to get there: Take a bus from Usquare to Boseong Terminal (7,800 won, 90 minutes, 6.30a.m. to 9.40p.m., 21 buses daily). From Boseong Terminal take a local bus for Yulpo and get off at Boseong Green Tea Plantation.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. For a more comprehensive list of festivals, visit the Korea Tourism Organization.
A version of this article also appeared in the April 2012 Gwangju News print edition.