[Yonhap Photo]
SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Aju News) -- Despite high cross-border tensions, an ice fishing contest held every year near the heavily armed inter-Korean border is set to attract a record number of visitors this week, retaining its status as South Korea's most popular winter festival.
The 22-day Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has attracted 970,000 people as of Monday since it began on January 6 on the surface of the frozen river, 93 kilometers (57 miles) northeast of Seoul.
Organizers hope the number of visitors will hit the one-million mark on Tuesday as tens of thousands of young students visit the venue with families to enjoy their winter school break.
[Yonhap Photo]
[Yonhap Photo]
The venue, about 25 km (15 miles) from the nearest border and within the range of North Korea's front-line artillery, has become one of the most successful seasonal festivals in South Korea, attended by 1.56 million people last year.
The festival is also very popular among foreign visitors. Last year, 110,447 foreigners visited the place.
The festival's success is attributable to the unique method of fishing. Visitors patiently stare into thousands of holes drilled into ice with a small fishing rod in grasp, waiting to catch Sancheoneo (cherry salmon) while the brave ones try their skills in bare-handed catching event in ice cold water.
[Yonhap Photo]
[Yonhap Photo]
To avoid criticism from environmental activists, organizers release one or two tons of farmed fish into a designated stream of the river every day so that anyone with a bit of luck can take a couple of fish home. Plastic and rubber baits are used.
Organizers set aside 28 tons over the weekend due to the festival's growing popularity.
Along with ice fishing, festival organizers provide bare-hand fishing, ice-skating, snow sledding, sleigh race, snowmobile riding, and various ice-related leisure sports and cultural activities. At night, 27,000 lanterns lit up the streets.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
