Bathing in mud is something that only pigs do, right? Well, at the Boryeong Mud Festival in Daecheon Beach in Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do, Korea, you can do just that, and more!
Daecheon Beach, one of the largest beaches on Korea’s west coast, is quite famous for its nutrient rich mud. It is quite like a mud face mask because it has benefits for the skin. Although this destination attracts many visitors year-round, this festival, taking place from July 19-28 is the most popular time to visit.
There are many enjoyable activities to participate in when going to the Boryeong Mud Festival. Of course, there is the mud self-massage experience. This is basically a face mask for your entire body. You can apply the mud to your body, wait 10 minutes until the mud turns white, and then wash the mud off for smooth, soft skin!
The next suggested activity is the mud slide. This is a giant inflatable slide that is covered in mud. Once you cover yourself with mud, you can climb up the slide and shoot down with incredible speed! There is also a giant mud pool with facilitated activities just in case you have not gotten enough mud on you! You can lounge around, jump in, swim, and more!
The last main activity is the mud run. Here, in a giant inflatable obstacle course, you can race your friends or complete strangers in this muddy terrain. Be prepared to slip and slide and even fall! It’s all part of the fun!
In addition, for those who do not want to get too muddy, there are a few activities that do not require you to get completely covered in mud to have a good time. Various futsal tournaments are held throughout the days. Futsal is a game very much like indoor soccer, but the court is much smaller and harder with a smaller ball and touch boundaries instead of walls. There is a “mud tram” that takes visitors on a tour of the festival grounds. Also, for those more athletically inclined, but not coordinated enough to play futsal, there is a mudflat mini marathon. This is a run that takes you across a natural mudflat.
These activities are all during the day— this festival transforms at night. There are concerts and ceremonies during every night while the festival is going on. There are EDM, or electronic dance music performances, K-Pop performances, and general popular music performances. There have also been “World Skin Beauty Pageants”, fireworks, and raves at this festival.
Overall, whatever your interests are, you can likely find something exciting and different to do at the Boryeong Mud Festival. But remember, don’t be afraid to get muddy!