[Travel bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Geumsan Insam Festival

Geumsan Insam Festival is held annually since 1981 in Geumsan-gun, South Chungcheong Province, and is the largest ginseng-producing region in South Korea. Growing both in content and in size, the festival was selected as a cultural tourism festival by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sports in 1996, and became established as a national festival. This year’s festival will run from Oct. 1-10. Visitors can try their hand at digging up ginseng, and tour around international agricultural heritage booths. Dance and singing contests will also be held during the festival at the Ginseng Art Street. Detailed information related to the event can be found at, www.insamfestival.co.kr.

Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo

Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo takes place in the area of Danghangpo Tourist Resort, where visitors can meet dinosaurs in many different ways. From Oct. 1 to Nov. 7, the festival operates exhibitions and hands-on programs including Dinosaur Hill, Character Hall, Dinosaurs Footprint Fossil Hall, AR, VR Experience Hall and more. Parades will be held three times a day, with special weekend invitation performances, and is open to visitors of all ages. Additional information can be found at dino-expo.com

Suwon Theatre Festival

The annual Suwon Theatre Festival offers entertaining performances in the fall. This year’s festival will run for three days, starting Oct. 1, at the Suwon Tapdong Citizen’s Farm. Visitors can enjoy street performances in a beautiful autumn setting, along with additional events and food trucks.

Hosted by the city of Suwon and managed by the Suwon Culture Foundation, local and traditional theatre performances and exhibitions will be held. Performance times vary by each, from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. at night. Websites for updates on program schedules can be found at www.swcf.or.kr.

Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival

Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival commemorates the Great Battle of Hansan of 1592, one of the most intense naval battles in Korean history. Held from Aug. 12-21, the festival is sponsored by the city of Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, and managed by the Great Battle of Hansan Memorial Foundation.

Visitors will be able to see a reenactment of the battle followed by other performances. A variety of hands-on experience programs will be available for visitors at Yi Sun-sin Park. Performance schedules will be updated at www.hansanf.org. 

Gangwon Romantic Night Train Stargaze

A summer stargazing tour to Gangwon Province package from Korail has kicked off, and promises a safe and convenient trip for passengers. The daily tour from KTX begins every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with a minimum of eight people required to register for departure.

Prices vary from 66,000 won to 99,000 won per person until Aug. 31. Travel insurance, meals, and other personal allowances are not covered in the package. For information visit www.korailtravel.com.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)