[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

As part of the Creation of Living Palaces project, the Changdeokgung Palace Moonlight Tour offers a unique opportunity to witness and experience the beauty of a traditional Korean palace at night.

Admission is 30,000 won per person. Tours run May 21 to June 14 and are open to visitors of elementary school age and above.

For more information in Korean or English, visit www.chf.or.kr. To make reservations, call (02) 1566-1369 or book tickets online at Auction Ticket. Up to two tickets can be booked at one time.

Chuncheon Mime Festival 

The Chuncheon Mime Festival is one of the top three festivals of its kind in the world, the others being the London Mime Festival and the Mimos Festival in France. The festival presents various genres of mime -- modern, clown, street and more -- under the theme “Body, Movement, Image.”

This year, the festival will take place May 24-31 in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the festival lineup will consist of domestic mime performance teams.

For more information in Korean or English, visit www.mimefestival.com.

Ulsan Whale Festival 

The Ulsan Whale Festival runs June 12-14 in the Jangsaengpo Whale Special Culture Zone in Ulsan. The event is arranged by the Whale Cultural Foundation.

Visitors can experience a whale-watching cruise or visit the Jangsaengpo Whale Life Experience Museum.

For more information in Korean, visit www.ulsanwhale.com. Call the travel hotline at (02) 1330 for help in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese.

“Welcome to Joseon” Variety Festival

The Korean Folk Village in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, hosts the “Welcome to Joseon” Variety Festival each spring. It features parades, performances and hands-on activities, and cast members wander freely throughout the park interacting with visitors.

Admission is 22,000 won for adults, 19,000 won for teenagers and 17,000 won for children. Passes providing access to additional attractions are 30,000 won for adults, 27,000 won for teenagers and 24,000 won for children. The festival is open to visitors of all ages.

For more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese, check the website at www.koreanfolk.co.kr.

Samgwangsa Lantern Festival 

Samgwangsa, a temple in Busan, holds its famous lantern festival every year, celebrating Buddha’s Birthday with over 40,000 lanterns. Visitors can see lanterns in a variety of colors and shapes, and can take part in various events.

This year’s festival takes place May 16-30.

For more information, call the travel hotline at (02) 1330 for help in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese.