[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Jeju Folk Village

A glimpse of what it was like living on Jeju Island in the 19th century is available at Jeju Folk Village. Visitors can check out an exhibition of “suseok,” or rocks of artistic value that are often collected, and spaces dedicated to wood and ceramic craftworks alongside paintings.

Interactive experiences are available. Visitors can participate in activities like grinding grains with a millstone and play traditional games such as the board game “yutnori,” or arrow tossing, called “tuho.”

Admission is 15,000 won for adults with discounts available for minors and seniors. The village is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Check the latest at jejufolk.com.

Everland Rose Festival

South Korea’s largest theme park Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is hosting its annual Rose Festival, showcasing three million roses of 720 different cultivars at its Rose Garden through June 15.

Thirty rose varieties cultivated at the park since 2013 are among the flowers on show. The Perfume Everscape, one of the park-created roses, won the highest recognition at the International Rose Competition in 2022.

Elaborate flower installations arranged with different themes make for excellent photo settings. Audio guides explaining the flowers will be provided. Check out details at everland.com.

Wonju Sogeumsan Grand Valley

Prepare yourself before looking down. The Sogeumsan Suspension Bridge in Wonju, Gangwon Province, is the longest pedestrian bridge in Korea, running 200 meters suspended across a canyon.

The Night of Light Show will take place at Sogeumsan, with a fountain show and installations dotting the mountain in a kaleidoscope of colors. The show runs through Oct. 27 on Saturdays, Sundays and the Chuseok holiday.

The Wonju Sogeumsan Grand Valley is open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission for ages 13 and above is 3,000 won. Find details at cms.wfmc.kr.

Blooms, evergreens at Vicheollin

Vicheollin is a theme park in Jeju where go-karting comes with flower beds of hydrangea, vervain and trumpet vine -- all available through July 20.

The park boasts “gotjawal,” literally meaning a forest bush, as well as a smaller park of evergreens for those seeking a secluded escape from the stress of city life.

Admission for adults is 17,000 won, with the price for minors at 16,000 or 15,000 won and seniors 15,000 won. The park is open from 8:40 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more info, go to vicheollin.com/index.php.

Blooms on Jara Island

A festival of spring blooms will take place on Gapyeong County’s Jara Island in Gyeonggi Province from Saturday to June 16.

At the Namdo Flower Garden on the island famous for its annual jazz festival, poppies are about to bloom with Chinese violet cresses already nearing their peak. The yellow canola flowers add vivid color to the garden.

The garden is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and admission is 7,000 won with 5,000 won returned in vouchers that can be used at nearby restaurants, cafes and shops. Check out gptour.go.kr for updates.

By Choi Si-young(siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)