Hwacheon Ice Country Sancheoneo Festival

The following festival details are for 2026, and the 2027 details are currently being updated. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, held in Hwacheon, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is a unique winter festival that was selected as one of the "Seven Wonders of Winter" by CNN in 2011. The festival takes place every January when Hwacheon Stream, famous for its clear water, freezes solid, offering visitors the experience of catching Sancheoneo, known as the "Queen of the Valley," through ice fishing and bare-handed fishing. Visitors can enjoy the thrill of ice fishing and eat the fish immediately as sashimi or grilled. In addition to fishing, various winter activities such as ice sledding, snow sledding, and bobsleighing are available, attracting over 1 million visitors every year.