Chungcheongnam-do

▲Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach.
 

If you want to beat summer heat, and have fun at the same time, head to the Mud Festival, a yearly celebration held at the Daecheon beach in the city of Boryeong, Chungnam. The festival, marking the 16th anniversary this year, has long been a major festival in Korea. It ranked first of all 758 festivals in Korea, in a public awareness survey. The festival is already well known among foreigners through word-of-mouth. Nowhere else in Korea can you have more fun in summer.

This year, the festival is held from July 19 through 28. Sea bathing, mud massage, exciting mud play and performances are all part of the festival.

Various activities and nearby tourist attractions will make your summer getaway even cooler.

On the 19th, the opening ceremony will be held on the specially prepared stage, followed by performances and fireworks signalling the start of the festive event.

Performances of classical and traditional Korean music and pop songs, hip hop and rock concerts will be staged every night.

The essence of the festival is, of course, the mud experience events. Sliding down the air bounce slide (5 meter wide, 15 meter long and 8 meter high) to splash into the mud pool effectively gives massage to the entire body. Mud Love Love, a game for families or couples to hug and pop the balloon, and other signature events of the festival are held in the giant octangular air bounce mud pool (10 meters in diameter). Near the ocean drive, Namgok-dong, there is a war on mud; guerrilla training and boot camps will provide a challenging yet unforgettable experience.

Now that you have been through the war on mud, it is time to go easier on it. In the mud experience booth, you can make DIY mud soaps and characters, shop for local specialty products or relax in the massage room or in the mud for health hall.

The free shuttle bus departing from the festival venue takes you to the Coal Museum, Gaehwa Art Park and the wind-bathing area that is chilly even in summer.

One of the secrets of Cleopatra was mud from the Dead Sea. Apparently, the pharaoh of the Ancient Egypt used cosmetics made of mud mixed with ground medicinal herbs, to prolong her beauty. The Mud Festival is an opportunity to get intimate with the mud of Boryeong that is rich in natural minerals and various anti-aging qualities that help blood circulation. Come to the Mud Festival, and fun is all yours!
 

Mud Festival online at (www.mudfestival.or.kr)
or by telephone (English Translator +82-10-5438-4865 /
Japanese Translator +82-10-5098-7799 /
Chinese Translator +82-10-2031-2270).