Gamasotbap 2,200 Won for 2,000 People · 600m Rainbow Garaetteok Popular
Various Farming Experiences... Opportunity to Purchase Imgeummanpyo Icheon Rice
The 'Icheon Rice Culture Festival' in Icheon City, Gyeonggi Province, a representative rice-producing area, will welcome tourists for five days from the 16th to the 20th at the Icheon Agricultural Theme Park.
Now in its 23rd year, the Icheon Rice Culture Festival is synonymous with rice festivals. It has been selected as one of the Top 100 Local Cultural Attractions (Local 100) by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and is also recognized as a Gyeonggi Tourism Festival by Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization.
This year, the Icheon Rice Culture Festival carries the slogan "Everything Made of Rice, Made in Icheon." The festival features events such as ▲Gamasotbap (cauldron rice) for 2,000 people at 2,000 won ▲Rainbow Garaetteok (rice cake) making ▲The Return of the Icheon Rice Master Competition ▲Dragon Tug-of-War ▲Turtle Play performance and experience ▲Madanggeuk (traditional Korean outdoor play), as well as ▲National Photography Contest ▲Simmons Terrace ▲Ladravi and other various events linked with major tourist attractions in the Moga area.
Here are the main events of this year’s Icheon Rice Culture Festival.
Gamasotbap for 2,000 people at 2,000 won... The 'Icheon Rice Master Competition' returns after 6 years
The signature event of the Icheon Rice Culture Festival, 'Gamasotbap Icheon Myeong Icheon Won'. The gamasot (traditional iron cauldron) used for cooking rice weighs as much as 320kg. [Photo by Icheon City]
The signature event of the Icheon Rice Culture Festival is "Gamasotbap Icheon Myeong Icheon Won" (cauldron rice for 2,000 people at 2,000 won). It is an event where rice is cooked for 2,000 servings in a large cast-iron cauldron weighing 320 kg, with a diameter of 1.6 m and a height of 1.7 m. Enjoying the taste of Icheon rice as well as watching the rice cook in the giant cauldron is a delightful experience.
During the event, 160 kg of King’s Icheon Rice is placed in the cauldron and cooked over a wood fire for 30 minutes. The gamasotbap event, which started in 2004, incorporates the secret techniques of the Icheon City Federation for Life Improvement members regarding the amount of rice and water, fire intensity, and steaming time. It is held twice daily at 12 noon and 2 p.m. in the Gamasot Madang (cauldron yard).
The festival also hosts the 'Icheon Rice Master Competition' for the first time in six years. Participants recruited from 14 towns, townships, and neighborhoods in Icheon compete to select the best rice cooking master. Judging criteria include not only the taste of the rice but also cooking techniques, procedures, and the attitude required of a rice cooker.
600-meter-long Rainbow Garaetteok Making
Making a 600-meter-long rainbow garaetteok (rice cake) to pray for health and a bountiful harvest is another signature event of the Icheon Rice Culture Festival. The garaetteok is enough for 2,000 people to share 30 cm each, using 240 kg (3 sacks) of rice. Natural ingredients are used to create colors: pale purple from white lotus, yellow from pumpkin, green from green tea, and black from black rice, producing a five-colored rainbow rice cake.
The made rice cakes are shared with visitors. A city official hinted, "Laying out the 600-meter garaetteok on tables in a zigzag shape without breaking it may look easy at first glance, but it requires a lot of effort and cooperation from many people."
Diverse Attractions Composed of 10 Themes
The Icheon Rice Culture Festival venue is organized into 10 themed spaces: Welcome Yard, Culture Yard, Farming Yard, Experience Yard, Sky Yard, Gamasot Yard, Bountiful Harvest Yard (Autumn Flower Outing), Food Yard, and New Rice Market.
In particular, the Culture Yard features local cultural and artistic performances, promotion and sales of agricultural specialties, as well as exhibition booths for local representative companies such as SK Hynix and Simmons Grocery Store. The 3rd National Photography Contest is also held here.
The 'Farming Yard' offers rice planting and threshing experiences, free family photo printing, and a golden terraced rice field photo zone. The 'Sky Yard' hosts opening and closing plays, rainbow garaetteok making, dragon tug-of-war, the rice master competition, and promotion and sales of processed products made from Icheon rice. The 'Gamasot Yard' offers gamasotbap at 2,000 won and rice cake pounding experiences?these are must-visit points.
The 'New Rice Market' sells Icheon new rice and showcases the King’s Icheon brand at a glance, where rice can be purchased at affordable prices.
Events Linked with 'Moga Area Tourist Attractions'
The Icheon Rice Culture Festival also offers events linked with nearby tourist attractions. Visitors presenting the festival leaflet receive a 50% discount on admission to Therme Den, a German-style hot spring. During the festival, Simmons Grocery Store beverages are 30% off, admission to the complex cultural space Ladravi is discounted by 5,000 won, and lodging guests receive a 50,000 won voucher.
The city has prepared parking lots with a capacity of over 3,000 vehicles around the festival site during the event period. Parking is available at Sogori Baseball Stadium within walking distance of the festival site, Moga Sports Park served by a regular shuttle bus, and Therme Den, which offers a 50% admission discount to rice culture festival visitors.
In particular, shuttle buses connecting Icheon Station, Icheon Terminal, and major city hubs will operate every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
