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[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

By Choi Si-young

Published : Dec. 13, 2024 - 09:01

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Gwanghwamun Square market

At Gwanghwamun Square through Jan. 5, craft shops and food stalls will be open for year-end celebrations.

Open from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., starting and ending 30 minutes later from Friday to Sunday, the market festival in its third year hosts over 100 mom-and-pop shops and 80 stalls.

Installations are set up for photo spots, with some lighting through the night. Check out more information at stolantern.com.

Hampyeong Winter Festival

A winter festival is running in Hampyeong County, South Jeolla Province, welcoming visitors to a nighttime park view and food trucks.

Through Christmas, Hampeyong Expo Park, lit up from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., runs exhibition halls introducing artifacts found in the area, in addition to installations for photo spots.

Admission is free. To find out the latest, go to hpftf.or.kr.

Herb Island in pink

At 5 p.m. every day except Wednesdays, Herb Island -- a botanical garden in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province -- is bathed in pink light through December.

A train ride across the infinite green-turned-pink park dotted with flowers is perfect for a nighttime escape.

The park is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, closing an hour later on Saturday. Admission ranges from 10,000-12,000 won. For more information, visit herbisland.co.kr.

Jeju Folk Village

Come and see what life looked like on Jeju Island in the 19th century at Jeju Folk Village.

Interactive programs like grinding grains with a millstone and playing traditional games -- such as the board game “yutnori” and “tuho” or arrow tossing -- are available.

Admission is 15,000 won for adults for the village, open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit jejufolk.com.

Light festival at Ansan Star Village

A light festival is running year-round in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

An 8,000 won entrance fee is all it takes to make a tranquil escape to Ansan Star Village, which includes a garden and animal installations.

The park, open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., will light up at 5 p.m. Check out the latest at ansanstar.net.