east asia
WHEN
July 20–29, 2018
WHERE
Daecheon Beach, Boryeong
HOW
Catch a bus to Boryeong (2 hours 10 minutes),
which is 200 kilometres south of Seoul
DOS AND DON’TS- Do wear contact lenses if possible, as
spectacles may easily be lost - Don’t let the mud enter your eyes, ears and
mouth, as it can cause irritation and rashes
EXPERIENCE
BORYEONG
MUD FESTIVALWhat began in 1999 as a festival
to promote cosmetics made from
Boryeong mud – high in minerals
beneficial for the skin – is today one
of South Korea’s largest, most raucous
festivals, held over 10 days in summer
on Boryeong’s Daecheon Beach, the
largest beach on Korea’s west coast.
The site is created by trucking in heaps
of runny mud from the mud flats near
the beach.
Unlike sandy beaches, Daecheon
has clear waters and mineral-rich
mud, and for the weekend of the
festival, the quiet town is transformed
into an enormous wild mud party,
with mud slides, mud pits, mud baths
and a mud swimming pool. A local
tram transports participants from one
attraction to another.FESTIVAL MUST-SEE:
BORYEONG MUD FESTIVAL
South Korea
For the weekend of
the festival, the quiet
town is transformed
into an enormous wild
mud partyOther activities organised include a
marathon, mud games, mud wrestling,
a marine mud-training course and a
mud massage zone.
In the evening, fireworks close the
nightly entertainment performances,
which include folk concerts and
local music performances, a beauty
pageant, open air rave parties, magic
shows and character performances.
Special exhibitions include an Air Force
Show, a photo exhibition and a fair
with local handicrafts.
Visitors who are feeling particularly
energetic can attempt the marine mud-
training course. If you're looking for
something more zen, you can kickback
and relax in the mud massage zone.S O U T H
KOREABoryeongIMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK36