Sledding and Ice Fishing, Reliving Childhood Memories to Fully Enjoy Winter Sentiments
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] The largest winter festival in the Gyeongbuk region, Andong ‘Amsan Ice Festival,’ has reopened after 4 years.
Starting with the opening ceremony on the 28th, it will be held until February 5th around the Amsan Recreation Area.
At the opening ceremony, the traditional pungmul band from Namhu-myeon heated up the festival atmosphere with lively rhythms. Then, Jong-sik Lee, chairman of the Amsan Ice Festival Promotion Committee, declared the grand opening of the festival.
Mayor Ki-chang Kwon welcomed tourists with an opening address, followed by congratulatory speeches from Kyung-do Kim, a member of the Andong City Council, and Dong-won Lee, CEO of the Korean Spirit and Culture Foundation.
Delivering a hopeful message for Andong’s development in 2023, a performance was held where colorful paints were filled into the eight-letter sculpture frame of the Andong Amsan Ice Festival. The final program of the opening ceremony was a commemorative performance by the play group Han-sikgu (寒식구).
From nearby major cities like Daegu to Gyeongnam and the metropolitan area, families enjoy the Amsan Ice Festival as a winter trip destination. This year’s festival, under the slogan “Exciting Winter Trip of Daehan and Sohan,” offers a variety of winter play programs suitable for all age groups.
Above all, this year a payback system is applied: when purchasing tickets for ice sledding and smelt fishing experiences, visitors receive a 5,000 won gift certificate that can be used at restaurants in the festival area and nearby Namhu-myeon.
The safety and convenience of tourists have also been enhanced. To ensure smooth festival operations, the city operates a parking lot with a capacity of 3,700 spaces and has installed women’s and disabled restrooms, warming rest areas, and nursing rooms to improve convenience.
In addition to food stalls, restaurants, experience booths, and food trucks, booths promoting agricultural specialties are also operated. To minimize inconvenience for tourists, about 560 personnel are deployed in areas such as festival operation and safety, quarantine, environment, traffic, and parking.
Mayor Ki-chang Kwon said, “Welcome to the Andong Amsan Ice Festival. Andong aims to be a stylish future city where the warmth of the old and the mystery of the new coexist. Especially, the Amsan Ice Festival has prepared many dynamic contents that provide fun and emotion. Please enjoy Andong while visiting world heritage sites such as Hahoe Village and Bongjeongsa Temple.”
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