Hwacheon Launches Annual Ice Fishing Festival
- Doyoung Lim
- Jan 25
- 1 min read
Jan 25, 2026
Doyoung Lim
Starting last Saturday, a world-famous annual ice fishing festival kicked off in a remote mountain town in the northeastern province of Gangwon, offering weeks of ice fishing and seasonal activities. The 2026 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will run through February.
“Sancheoneo” is a type of trout known to live only in immaculate water and is also one of Gangwon Province’s local specialties. The festival is held at a 300,000-square-meter festival ground, roughly equivalent to the size of 40 football fields. Starting early in the morning, thousands of visitors try to catch sancheoneo through holes cut into the surface of the huge frozen river using their bare hands.
Other activities that allow visitors to fully enjoy the winter this year also include sledding down a 40 meter ramp and riding an “ice bobsleigh” made by the Hwacheon County Office, offering unforgettable experiences for attendees. The Seohwasan Multipurpose Indoor Plaza, another key venue of the festival, will hold a small snow festival inspired by the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the Eolgomi Castle inspired by the Sapporo Snow Festival, and the Santa Post Office from Santa Claus Village in Finland.
This year’s festival is projected to draw over 100,000 international visitors, transforming Hwacheon, with 22,370 residents, into a global winter festival city. Hwacheon County Governor Choi Moon-soon stated that the county will prioritize safety and work to ensure that the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival becomes a winter celebration enjoyed by people worldwide, leaving visitors with lasting memories.
