The annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival commenced on Saturday in the mountainous town of Hwacheon, South Korea, offering a plethora of winter activities until 1 February.
Located 25 kilometres south of the inter-Korean border, the festival is famed for its ice fishing on a 300,000-square-metre frozen river, equivalent to about 40 football pitches.
The festival, which began in 2003, has been recognised as South Korea's best festival by the culture ministry in 2010. It has consistently drawn over 1 million visitors annually from 2006 to 2019.
Last year, it attracted 1.86 million visitors, including 122,000 international guests, surpassing the previous record of 1.84 million in 2019.
Hwacheon Governor Choi Moon-soon expressed hopes for the festival to become a global winter event, saying: "We will do our best to ensure safety and so that the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival can become a winter festival enjoyed by everyone around the world beyond the Republic of Korea."
It's not just about fishing
In addition to ice fishing, the festival features activities such as barehand fishing, sledging, ice soccer, and curling.
A highlight this year is the Seohwasan Multipurpose Indoor Plaza, showcasing a miniature version of the Harbin Ice and Snow World, with ice sculptures crafted by 30 artists from Harbin.
With its diverse offerings, the festival continues to transform Hwacheon, a town with a population of 22,370, into a bustling wintertime destination.
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