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| ▲ This photo, provided by Hwacheon County, shows the last weekend of the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This file photo shows a visitor trying to catch a sancheoneo from a fishing hole. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ This file photo shows visitors trying to catch fish with their bare hands. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) – The 2023 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival (hereinafter referred to as the Sancheoneo Ice Festival), which took a leap to grow into a global winter festival, had a wrap-up on Sunday afternoon.
This year’s festival, which returned for the first time in three years due to subfreezing temperatures and the pandemic, successfully attracted more than 1.3 million tourists, proving to be the “grand return” of Korea’s representative winter festival.
Nara, the foundation that hosted the Festival, tentatively estimated that a total of 1.31 million people visited over the span of 23 days, including the 280,000 visitors who gathered during the Lunar New Year holidays (Jan. 21 to 24) since its opening on Jan. 7.
The Festival venue, the Hwacheon Stream in Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do, was packed with tourists who wanted to fish fresh fish right from the ice, from early in the morning. Tourists with fishing rods occupied every 20,000 fishing holes along the Stream.
Tourists were all captivated by the charms of ice fishing despite the cold wave and biting wind, where the morning temperature fell below minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Sancheoneos caught fresh from the ice holes juiced up the tourists while others pulled their faces close to the fishing holes, looking for a fish to bite the bait.
Hwang, 48, who came from Seoul to be jazzed up with the winter excitement, said, “It was a bit sad that my family could not visit the Festival during the Lunar New Year holidays. But my children and I still managed to make it to the last day of the Festival,” adding, “A friend recommended me to come. Up till now, except for the parking problems, this Festival sure has been satisfying.”
In addition, tourists in their t-shirts and shorts flocked to experience catching wild trout with their bare hands in ice-cold water.
The Festival was affected by the heavy snow on the first day and then heavy rain on the first weekend, and even had to shut down on Jan. 13 due to heavy snow and cold waves; however, hundreds of visitors yet made it to this representative winter festival in Korea.
Despite the volatile weather that continued throughout the festival days, Governor Choi Moon-soon, public officials, and volunteers were who contributed to the success of the Festival, removing snow and drainage from dawn to late at night.
In addition to an array of special events including snow sledding, Hwacheon-gun also promoted the value of peace and security by having the descendants of Ethiopian veterans, who are engaged in scholarship projects, selling coffee.
In particular, Hwacheon-gun County devoted its utmost effort to ensure the safety of visitors at the ice field along the Hwancheon Stream. Along with the tips the officials had gathered in regard to the water level, they also measured the ice thickness of the Festival site every day.
At last, the Festival ended up being introduced by more than 500 international media press from 52 countries and 200 media abroad.
The Sancheoneo Festival turned out to make a major contribution to the local economy that has been suffering from the pandemic for a long. During the Festival, shopping malls in the city were crowded with tourists, and numerous reservations were made for accommodation facilities.
Tourists were teeming to enjoy the performances on Seondeung Street near the festival venue every Friday to Saturday when the night festival was held. Meanwhile, family members and lovers visited the world’s largest ice sculpture plaza built at the Seohwasan Multipurpose Plaza near the festival venue, where they were able to make some unparalleled winter memories by getting a sight of 30 different marvelous ice sculptures.
Local farmers sold their merchandise at the venue to rake in their profits; residents and college students were also able to get jobs at the venue.
Governor Choi Moon-soon of Hwacheon County said, “We would like to give thanks to the residents and volunteers who have contributed to the success of the festival in every possible way,” adding, “For the sake of tourists who did not forget our Festival which has been on hold for three years, we will make sure that the next festival becomes a safer and more enjoyable one.”
At the closing ceremony held at 6 p.m. (KST) Sunday, the Festival gave an honorary military plaque to broadcaster Hyung-young; the Festival wrapped up its 23-day journey with a spectacular fireworks display which was followed by a raffle for a car.
(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)
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