HWACHEON, South Korea,
Jan. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/
-- The 2020 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival officially kicked
off Monday after being delayed twice due to unseasonably warm
weather.
The ice fishing festival was initially scheduled to open on
Jan. 4 on a frozen river in Hwacheon,
Gangwon Province, 120 kilometers northeast of Seoul, but was postponed after warm weather
stoked safety concerns.
Sancheoneo is a species of trout that lives only in clean fresh
water.
Officials said the frozen ice was 20 centimeters in thickness.
The distance between fishing holes was also widened for safety,
they added.
Visitors filled the festival venue from early morning to enjoy
the annual winter fishing event.
Ice slides and sleds were also set up for children on the
sidelines of the main fishing area.
"My children are having so much fun since there are many other
activities to enjoy besides ice fishing. The weather is also
perfect, not too cold," said Hong
Young-gi from Incheon, west of Seoul, who was there with his two
children.
Some visitors braved the winter chill to enjoy hand fishing in
short sleeves and shorts.
A cooking area was also set up so people could cook and eat the
fish they caught.
"We thank visitors for waiting despite the event being postponed
twice. We will focus on managing a safe festival," Hwacheon Mayor
Choi Moon-soon said.
"We will also strive for visitors to stay longer to contribute
to the local economy," he added.
On the first day alone, around 85,000 people enjoyed the
festival. If including foreigners who visited the zone reserved for
international visitors that opened earlier this month, the figure
stood at 157,427, according to the organizer.
Launched in 2003, the event was chosen as the nation's best
festival by the culture ministry in 2010 and has developed into one
of the world's four major winter festivals.
Photo -
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