In the sweltering summer, a festival where visitors can catch sweetfish by hand in pristine streams and even taste them grilled over charcoal will be held in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang.
Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang, said on the 8th it will host the Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival for nine days from July 25 to Aug. 2 along the Naeseongcheon stream in Bonghwa-eup. First held in 1999, the festival marks its 28th year. This year's theme is "Sweetfish is HIT!, memories are KEEP!"
The main programs are the bandu net–catching and bare-hand catching experiences, where visitors can catch sweetfish themselves. The bandu experience will be held in designated sections along Naeseongcheon. Participants can catch sweetfish within the set areas using a bandu, a traditional net tool for catching fish.
The bare-hand catching program is conducted by releasing sweetfish into a simple enclosed space and catching them by hand. Each program costs 12,000 won to join. Of that, 5,000 won can be reimbursed as a Bonghwa Love gift certificate. The bandu can be rented for a separate lending fee. There will also be a bandu catching contest to determine who catches the most sweetfish within the time limit.
Sweetfish caught directly can be tasted on-site. Sweetfish are freshwater fish that live in first-grade clear water and were considered so prized that they were served on the king's royal table in the Joseon era. They are also well known for their distinctive watermelon-like aroma. Sweetfish caught at the festival can be cooked over charcoal or as tempura. Some expense will be incurred for cooking.
This year's festival has expanded programs for family visitors. Bonghwa County plans to set up a water play area in parts of Naeseongcheon so children can enjoy the water with their families. It will also run a kids' café arranged in tent form.
Linked events using local history and culture are also planned. The "Lee Mong-ryong contest," held alongside the Sweetfish Festival, marks its second year. The event selects talent who will carry forward, in a modern way, the intellect, dignity, and sense of justice of Master Seong I-seong (Gyeso), a clean official known as the real-life model for Lee Mong-ryong in the classic novel "Chunhyangjeon." The contest starts at 7 p.m. on the 26th. The total prize money is 14 million won, with 7 million won awarded to the Mong-ryong winner.
Bonghwa County also plans to pursue developing the Sweetfish Festival into a stay-type tourism package linked with the National Baekdudaegan Arboretum, a local forest tourism resource.
A Bonghwa County official said, "We will boost the local economy by increasing visitors' time spent in the area and promoting real consumption."