Better late than never.

After getting sidetracked by some other posts and a Twitter contest. it’s time to catch up on a festival long over. Consider this a glimpse into a festival not seen by many foreigners, or a guide to what to see at next year’s festival.

The Jangheung Water Festival features mool in all its glory. Thanks to the permanent park and the still-new condition of everything, the festival events on the water make a nice addition to the park. It’s held every year in late July and early August (this year, July 29 – August 4).

Ring the bell, kid. Ring the bell.

Along with plenty of other vendors, this booth brought out plenty of stuff for sale. Thanks to the hot and sticky weather, the majority found themselves ready to get wet.

Some people weren’t quite ready to get wet, though the knee-deep water looked cold.

Part of the permanent park area – sure, you could run around and avoid the water… but what’s the fun in that?

I’m not quite sure what the fun was in pumping water, but the kids seemed entertained.

Just one part of the river – much like the Ice Festival in Hwacheon, the festival runs for a kilometer or so of the river, with plenty of different stuff along the way.

I think they were trying to catch something, though I never actually saw anything in anyone’s nets.

The highlight of the festival – kids in boats with big water guns, seemingly aiming at the photographers that got within range

If you enjoy the Big Korean Summer Festival©, this one has a good mix of wet and dry activities. Not pictured is a large stage where an excellent beatboxer performed as I was leaving. While there’s precious little in English and very few foreigners around, it’s a good chance to see the locals enjoying the hot season.

Note that the signage is spotty at best – although the bus terminal featured a selection of brochures, there were no signs or maps around. At least a couple of locals were meandering throughout the bus terminal, trying to get directions.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks): How do I rate destinations?
Ease to arrive:

Foreigner-friendly:

Convenience facilities:

Worth the visit:

Directions to the Jangheung Water Festival: Take a bus to Jangheung Bus Terminal (from Seoul, only three buses a day make the five-hour trip; from Gwangju, buses make the hour and a half trip every 30-50 minutes.). Exit the bus terminal, then look around the right corner and behind the bus terminal for a side road. The idea is to walk along the side roads to the river – the festival is all along the river and park. It’s a 5-10 minute walk from the bus terminal.

© Chris Backe – 2011
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