10 Best Festivals in Jeju

Jeongwol Daeboreum Fire Festival is a cultural tourism festival originated from the act of burning a mountain to pray for blessings and health and to destroy all misfortunes. It is a festival under the theme of Bangae, which refers to Jeju's traditional livestock farming culture. The highlight of the event is where people who pray for “safety and well-being” in the coming year gather together in oreum, write their family members' names or their wishes on a pile of straws and burn them.

The fire event that burns Saebyeol Oreum begins by setting a torch afire once the moon rises and darkness spreads. As a fabric over several hundred metres is tautly stretched, Sinnyeo cuts the fabric and opens up the path. One by one, people hold up torches and set the top of the oreum on fire. Then, true to its existence as a volcanic island, a splendid fireworks show that sounds like an explosion of a volcano unfolds before your eyes. If you happen to visit Jeju during the period of Jeongwol Daeboreum, remember to take part in this festival.

Tamnaguk Ipchungut is a traditional cultural festival that honours the time since the Tamna era when everyone from kings to peasants gathered and worked together. From the ancient days, Jeju Island has served countless gods and, every time they visited heaven by the calling of the god of the heavens and returned to earth, shamans hosted rituals to summon the gods. Such ritual is called “Ipchungut.” Back in the day, Ipchungut symbolized the beginning of spring as well as a prayer for a year of good harvest.

Today's Ipchungut declares to be a traditional cultural festival and prepares a variety of events that re-enact old customs, including Sarisalseong, which drives all misfortune out of the island; Inchunhwiho, powerful and energetic writing; Segyeongje wishing for a good harvest; and a parade that fills up the street with statues of Jeju gods. Enjoy this exciting spring festival that prays for blessings together with Jeju locals.

The Seongsan Sunrise Festival first began to promulgate the natural values and scenery of Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone, a UNESCO World Heritage, and to welcome in the new year on January 1. It is a festival in which both Jeju locals and tourists of all ages and generations celebrate together. Here, you can enjoy a variety of activities including fireworks, prayer for new year’s blessings, and the countdown to greet the new year.

The majestic sunrise at Seongsan Ilchulbong is so well-known that it is even engraved on the Tripitaka Koreana from the Goryeo Dynasty. Wouldn’t your trip to Jeju be more meaningful if you participate in a festival where you get rid of all the misfortunes from the year before and receive blessings of the coming year? Pray at the festival for a wish that you really want to come true.

Hallim Park Tulip Festival is a famous spring festival held in Hallim Park, Jeju Island, and features an orchestra of tulips that captivates everyone's eyes. Hallim Park decorates itself with over 40,000 tulips of 13 kinds including Red Impression and Apeldoorn, and presents a beautiful landscape to all visitors. The garden was originally established with great devotion and effort by transporting soil from near Hyeopjae Beach.

If you like flowers, do not miss this great opportunity to enjoy colourful and aromatic tulips. The Tulip Festival nearly coincides with the Cherry Blossom Festival taking place in Hallim Park. If you visit during the right week, you will be able to enjoy an even more gorgeous scenery. On a day when the gentle spring wind tickles your cheeks, how about visiting the Tulip Festival to check out diverse tulips that will make your heart flutter?

Jeju Canola Flower Festival is a festival that first started to widely promote canola flowers, which are one of the more notable spring flowers of Jeju Island. Every spring, the island is coloured yellowed thanks to these canola flowers. Originally, these flowers were cultivated for the practical purposes of being able to grow on the barren Jeju land and to acquire edible oil but, now, they serve to deliver the spring atmosphere.

When you visit “Gasi-ri,” the area on Jeju that has the greatest number of canola flowers, you will find remarkable scenery that harmonizes Noksan-ro, one of the 100 most beautiful roads of Korea, elegant ridges and the horizon. Noksan-ro is a 10 km-long road that goes through Noksanjang and Gammajang, which were the greatest horse breeding farms during the Joseon Dynasty. It is filled with canola flowers and cherry blossom trees at every corner. There are also wind power generators installed throughout the canola flower gardens from which you will be able to feel an exotic vibe.

Samyang Black Sand Festival is an event that first began to promulgate black sand, which is the pride of Samyang. Samyang is famous for having a vast black sandy beach, which is rare on Jeju Island. It is said that black sand baths are effective for neuralgia, arthritis and dermatitis. This is why you will see many people enjoying black sand baths on Samyang Beach every summer.

Samyang Black Sand Festival features a variety of programs from traditional games such as geolgungnori and yutnori to family sand castle building, a sand sculpture exhibit and many other family events. There are also marine experience programs available such as scuba diving, windsurfing, sea baths and sea fishing, so you can enjoy the festival in an exciting manner. Visit the festival and spend a delightful and relaxing time with your family.

Held in midsummer every year, the Iho Tewoo Festival re-enacts anchovy fishing, which is a traditional fishing culture of Jeju Island and gives you an opportunity to experience Wondam fishing as well. Iho Village where the festival takes place used to be a town that caught anchovies for their living from June to September. Boats sailed out into the nearby sea and formed a circle to push the anchovies to one side, allowing villagers to catch them with their nets while singing together. At the Iho Tewoo Festival, you can witness such traditions of the past with your own eyes.

During the festival period, you are also able to take part in the Wondam fishing event. Iho Village has well preserved “Won,” an installation of stone walls that traps fish that floods in at high tide, so you can actually experience it here. It will be even more of a delightful trip to Jeju if you enjoy the beautiful sunset at Iho Tewoo Beach and also participate in the exciting traditional festival.