Stepping up to the plate: Wonju serves up trail walks and mandu delights

Wonju attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors for its walking and mandu festivals, blending scenic trail walks with a celebration of Korea’s diverse dumpling flavors.

Participants of the 30th Wonju Two Days Walk festival on Sunday. [WONJU CITY GOVERNMENT]

WONJU, Gangwon — Wonju bustled with hundreds of thousands of visitors over the weekend as locals and tourists flocked to the city for the Wonju Two Days Walk and the Wonju Mandu Festival, enjoying the fall scenery and savoring delicious food.

The 30th Wonju Two Days Walk festival, hosted by the Wonju City Government, the Korea Walking Federation, the National Health Insurance Service and the Korea Tourism Organization, took place around the city on Saturday and Sunday.

More than 10,000 people participated in the two-day event, exploring popular routes in the city and Mount Chiak. Trails like Ungok Solbaram Supgil on Mount Chiak attracted many eager walkers. This year marked the highest participation of foreign nationals, with around 1,000 attendees from 15 different countries, including the Netherlands, China and Germany. Among them, approximately 100 were international students invited through K-campus, Korea JoongAng Daily’s platform for international students studying in Korea.

Participants could choose from 5-kilometer (3.1-mile), 10-kilometer, 20-kilometer or 30-kilometer courses, receiving a certificate of completion upon finishing. International students walked the 5-kilometer Mount Chiak Dulle Trail, which runs from Gukhyeongsa Temple to Hyeoksin Sports Park.

International students invited to Wonju through K-campus pose for a photo in front of the Bangyeri Gingko Tree in Munmak-eup, Wonju, on Saturday. [LEE TAE-HEE]

“Wonju has many excellent trekking courses that attract crowds every weekend, especially at Mount Chiak, where some engage in barefoot walking,” said Won Gang-soo, mayor of Wonju. "For many, Wonju might be new, as people often picture places like Seoul when thinking of Korea. However, Wonju is actually Korea’s best city for food."

"We used to be a fortress city with great accessibility from various regions, including Seoul. People from Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces moved to Wonju and opened many restaurants."

Known for its delicious dining options, the city hosted the 2024 Wonju Mandu Festival from Friday to Sunday at Wonju Jungang Market.

Over 50 booths selling mandu (Korean dumplings) welcomed festivalgoers. The festival featured 10 sections, including beef mandu, kimchi mandu and a Gangwon mandu section showcasing dumplings from the province.

The city’s history with mandu dates back to the Korean War, when 10 refugee camps were set up in Gangwon province, with nine located in Wonju. Many refugees settled in the city, using flour from the U.S. Army to make and sell mandu for a living.

Kalman — mandu added to knife-cut noodles, or kalguksu — and mandu made with pheasant meat are local specialties. While many types of kimchi mandu exist, Wonju is known for its unique twist, using freshly made kimchi instead of fermented.

Sellers prepare mandu during the 2024 Wonju Mandu Festival on Saturday. [WONJU CITY GOVERNMENT]

The Wonju Jungang Market was one of the busiest areas in the city over the weekend, with every alley packed with locals and visitors eager to enjoy mandu. Many booths had lines stretching up to 20 people, with staff hurriedly steaming and frying mandu.

“We’ve been getting so many customers, definitely more today than yesterday,” said a staff member at the Myeongnyun Mandu booth, a local restaurant, during Saturday’s festival. “We sold out of yesterday’s mandu in just two hours and had to close early, so we prepared much more for today.”

People fill the alleyways of the Wonju Jungang Market during the 2024 Wonju Mandu Festival on Saturday, eating mandu and enjoying performances at the main stage. [WONJU CITY GOVERNMENT]

According to the Wonju City Government, around 450,000 people visited the three-day event. This year marks the second Wonju Mandu Festival, with 200,000 attendees last year, when it was only a two-day event.

“The dumpling festival was my favorite part of the trip,” said Tangsu, a student who attended the Wonju event. “We really liked the mandu gangjeong [deep-fried mandu marinated in sweet and spicy sauce] and also bought some beef mandu to take home.”

In addition to traditional mandu filled with beef, tofu and vegetables, visitors could try international dishes at the global mandu section.

Nine booths featured dumplings from countries like China, the Philippines and Vietnam. Visitors could try North Korean-style mandu, which uses mandupi (dumpling wrappers) made with potato instead of flour.

A seller fries samosa, a fried pastry dish filled with a savory mixture, at the global section of the 2024 Wonju Mandu Festival on Saturday. [WONJU CITY GOVERNMENT]

Vegan options were available at the vegetable mandu section.

"It's my first time attending a mandu festival, or even just a food festival in Korea, and I think it’s unique because it brings together all the best mandus from around Korea," said Bai Princess Kansi, a student at the event. "As Muslims, we were concerned about finding halal options, but thankfully, we were very satisfied with the variety available."

“There was mandu made with vegetables and another with seafood, and we got the shrimp mandu, which was really good!”

Students attending the festival through K-campus also had the chance to experience more Korean cuisine.

After the festival, they visited Wonju Hanji Theme Park to try pajeon (seafood and scallion pancake), makgeolli (Korean rice wine) and sikhye (rice beverage). The makgeolli served was Chiaksan Makgeolli, a type made locally in Wonju.

Leaves of the Bangyeri GInkgo Tree are starting to turn yellow as of Saturday. [LEE TAE-HEE]

The Bangyeri Ginkgo Tree, designated as a natural monument by the Cultural Heritage Administration, was the students' last stop.

Located in Wonju’s Munmak-eup, the ginkgo tree is estimated to be 800 to 1,000 years old, standing 32 meters (105 feet) tall with a girth of 16 meters. While the tree’s leaves were just beginning to turn yellow, the city is set to host the Bangyeri Ginkgo Tree Festival on Nov. 1, when the foliage is expected to be at its peak.

"Wonju offers everything foreign visitors could want," said Mayor Won. "For nature lovers, we have Chiak Mountain, one of Korea’s five rocky mountains, along with all the food that foreigners enjoy."

"We hope many people visit during the festival and enjoy Wonju during their stay."

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]