Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival

About the festival

*The festival information below is from the 2026 festival; the 2027 festival information is being updated.* The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, held in Hwacheon, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is a unique winter festival selected by U.S. CNN in 2011 as one of the '7 Wonders of Winter.' Held every January when the clear waters of Hwacheoncheon Stream freeze solid, it lets you experience catching sancheoneo (mountain trout), called the queen of the valley, through ice fishing and bare-handed catching. Beyond the thrill of sancheoneo ice fishing, you can eat it right away as sashimi or grilled, and various winter activities such as ice sledding, snow sledding, and bobsled are offered, drawing more than one million visitors every year.