The 20th Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival

An eco-friendly experience connecting sweetfish, people and nature, the 2018 Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival opens on July 28 and continues to August 4.

Celebrating its 20th year this year, the Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival offers a variety of healthy, fun and refreshing programs near Naeseongcheon Stream. It has been selected an “Excellent Cultural Tourism Festival” for four consecutive years and is assessed to have become one of the most eco-friendly festivals nationally.

The slogan for this year’s Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival is “Clear summer we have waited for! Bonghwa Sweetfish back again!” and the programs include Scoop Net Fishing Contest, Bare-hand Fishing Competition, Sweetfish School, Snail Catching, Sweetfish Face Painting and Natural Dyeing.

Celebrating its 20th year this year, the Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival offers a variety of healthy, fun and refreshing programs near Naeseongcheon Stream. It has been selected an “Excellent Cultural Tourism Festival” for four consecutive years and is assessed to have become one of the most eco-friendly festivals nationally.

The slogan for this year’s Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival is “Clear summer we have waited for! Bonghwa Sweetfish back again!” and the programs include Scoop Net Fishing Contest, Bare-hand Fishing Competition, Sweetfish School, Snail Catching, Sweetfish Face Painting and Natural Dyeing.

▶ The Festival Highlight – Scoop Net Fishing Contest
Korea’s very first ‘Scoop Net Fishing Contest sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’ opens on the opening day on July 28. The contest lasts 20 minutes and the first, second and third-place winners will receive cash prize and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trophy, Governor of Gyeongsangbukdo Trophy and Bonghwa Governor Trophy respectively.

The national bare-hand sweetfish fishing team competition will be held from July 30 to August 3. It will run at 2 and 4 pm every day and, in three different categories of juniors, general and seniors, 8 teams max can take part in each time.

▶ Enjoy the Summer Night with Naeseongcheon Stream Floating Concert
Alongside the performance on the waterside stage, enjoy sweetfish fishing and tubing. The Naeseongcheon Stream Floating Concert will be held from July 29 to August 3. Participants can enjoy two different types of experience in the waterside picnic zone and the sweetfish fishing zone. ‘I came to fish, but ended up tubing!’ concert will be held on July 29. After sweetfish fishing, the excursion area will be decorated with more than 20 tubes and fill the night with dance, songs and electronic dance music. Naeseongcheon Stream Sweet Ballad Concert opens on July 30. Korea’s top ballad singers will perform. There is so much to see from ‘Pilgi Ryu the storyteller’s Sweet Arts Contest’ on July 30 to ‘Classical Music Concert’ on August 1 and ‘Acoustic Music Concert’ on August 2. Particularly on the last night on August 3, ‘Local Arts Concert’ will be held and regional artists will join the stage, including Dudrim Nanta performance, Haegeum performance by Da-in Lee, Daegeum performance by Haneul, Baram and Sori, drum ensemble, sp Arte, Black Teen and Ju-kyeong Suh.

There will also be buskers. Flute Ensemble, acoustic guitar performance, singing, saxophone performance and many others will add more fun and excitement to the festival.

▶ Catch, Eat and Enjoy! Full Variety of Sweetfish Experience
There also will be a wide variety of experience. Scoop Net Sweetfish Fishing, Bare-hand Fishing and Sweetfish Grilling will take place from July 28 to August 4 and night fishing from July 29 to August 3.

Sweetfish Playground will be open throughout the festival. Excursions include water cannon and water gun battle as well as a treasure hunt. Deulmaru café will be open for visitors with children.

There will be a different set of programs for children. Sweetfish School, on the east side of the festival site, will offer Sweetfish Writing Contest, Sweetfish Exam and Sweetfish Wood Coloring experience. As part of ‘Meeting Sweetfish and Dreaming Green’ event, the kid artists’ exhibition, art class, and pottery lessons will be held at the Sweetfish Festival’s 20th Anniversary Park.
There will also be activities for all ages, such as snail catching and sweetfish fishing. It will be the perfect festival for families.

For more convenient access, Sweetfish Tram will operate throughout the festival. It will depart every 30 minutes and travel between the festival site and Sweetfish Songyi Theme Park and Eunha Restaurant (parking lot).

‘Naeseongcheon Stream Argo Experience’ will deliver the thrill of an Argo vehicle, over the route between the festival’s basketball court and the Bridge of Hope. The route runs around Naeseongcheon Stream, relieving stress and offering fun and excitement. There will be water play gears at the Sweetfish Playground, such as water bike and pedal boats.

There will also be hands-on activities for local residents. At ‘Bonghwa Residents Party’, opening at Naeseongcheon Stream Scoop Net Fishing Zone on August 1, there will be paper sweetfish and wooden ship race, underwater tug of war and ‘Save the Naeseongcheon Stream Sweetfish!’ event. The winning teams will receive awards by Bonghwa-eup, myeon and city.

Other affiliate events include ‘KBS Korea’s Singing Contest’, ‘National Kendo Contest’, ‘Crayfish Village Experience’, ‘Healing Concert’, ‘In-and-Out Song Festival’ and the ‘Exhibition at the Sweetfish Festival’s 20th Anniversary Park’.

The closing performance on August 4 will be a collection of local cultures. Short sketch video clips of the festival will bring back all the good memories and promise another good festival the next year. Merit, Cheonsang, Sunkyung, Seojin Park, Wooyoni, Aurora will close the festival with so much feeling and emotion and the grand finale fireworks will light up the sky.

“This year’s Sweetfish Festival will offer a full variety of night activities, such as Naeseongcheon Stream Floating Concert and Night Scoop Net Fishing, and also a night campsite to cool off the summer heat,” remarked a member of the Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival’s team. “We sincerely hope the visitors would have fun in harmony with the nature, understand the pleasant coexistence between humans and nature and finally have the love and care for Bonghwa.”


Celebrating its 20th year this year, the Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival offers a variety of healthy, fun and refreshing programs near Naeseongcheon Stream. It has been selected an “Excellent Cultural Tourism Festival” for four consecutive years and is assessed to have become one of the most eco-friendly festivals nationally.

The slogan for this year’s Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival is “Clear summer we have waited for! Bonghwa Sweetfish back again!” and the programs include Scoop Net Fishing Contest, Bare-hand Fishing Competition, Sweetfish School, Snail Catching, Sweetfish Face Painting and Natural Dyeing.

▶ The Festival Highlight – Scoop Net Fishing Contest
Korea’s very first ‘Scoop Net Fishing Contest sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’ opens on the opening day on July 28. The contest lasts 20 minutes and the first, second and third-place winners will receive cash prize and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Trophy, Governor of Gyeongsangbukdo Trophy and Bonghwa Governor Trophy respectively.

The national bare-hand sweetfish fishing team competition will be held from July 30 to August 3. It will run at 2 and 4 pm every day and, in three different categories of juniors, general and seniors, 8 teams max can take part in each time.

▶ Enjoy the Summer Night with Naeseongcheon Stream Floating Concert
Alongside the performance on the waterside stage, enjoy sweetfish fishing and tubing. The Naeseongcheon Stream Floating Concert will be held from July 29 to August 3. Participants can enjoy two different types of experience in the waterside picnic zone and the sweetfish fishing zone. ‘I came to fish, but ended up tubing!’ concert will be held on July 29. After sweetfish fishing, the excursion area will be decorated with more than 20 tubes and fill the night with dance, songs and electronic dance music. Naeseongcheon Stream Sweet Ballad Concert opens on July 30. Korea’s top ballad singers will perform. There is so much to see from ‘Pilgi Ryu the storyteller’s Sweet Arts Contest’ on July 30 to ‘Classical Music Concert’ on August 1 and ‘Acoustic Music Concert’ on August 2. Particularly on the last night on August 3, ‘Local Arts Concert’ will be held and regional artists will join the stage, including Dudrim Nanta performance, Haegeum performance by Da-in Lee, Daegeum performance by Haneul, Baram and Sori, drum ensemble, sp Arte, Black Teen and Ju-kyeong Suh.

There will also be buskers. Flute Ensemble, acoustic guitar performance, singing, saxophone performance and many others will add more fun and excitement to the festival.

▶ Catch, Eat and Enjoy! Full Variety of Sweetfish Experience
There also will be a wide variety of experience. Scoop Net Sweetfish Fishing, Bare-hand Fishing and Sweetfish Grilling will take place from July 28 to August 4 and night fishing from July 29 to August 3.

Sweetfish Playground will be open throughout the festival. Excursions include water cannon and water gun battle as well as a treasure hunt. Deulmaru café will be open for visitors with children.

There will be a different set of programs for children. Sweetfish School, on the east side of the festival site, will offer Sweetfish Writing Contest, Sweetfish Exam and Sweetfish Wood Coloring experience. As part of ‘Meeting Sweetfish and Dreaming Green’ event, the kid artists’ exhibition, art class, and pottery lessons will be held at the Sweetfish Festival’s 20th Anniversary Park.
There will also be activities for all ages, such as snail catching and sweetfish fishing. It will be the perfect festival for families.

For more convenient access, Sweetfish Tram will operate throughout the festival. It will depart every 30 minutes and travel between the festival site and Sweetfish Songyi Theme Park and Eunha Restaurant (parking lot).

‘Naeseongcheon Stream Argo Experience’ will deliver the thrill of an Argo vehicle, over the route between the festival’s basketball court and the Bridge of Hope. The route runs around Naeseongcheon Stream, relieving stress and offering fun and excitement. There will be water play gears at the Sweetfish Playground, such as water bike and pedal boats.

There will also be hands-on activities for local residents. At ‘Bonghwa Residents Party’, opening at Naeseongcheon Stream Scoop Net Fishing Zone on August 1, there will be paper sweetfish and wooden ship race, underwater tug of war and ‘Save the Naeseongcheon Stream Sweetfish!’ event. The winning teams will receive awards by Bonghwa-eup, myeon and city.

Other affiliate events include ‘KBS Korea’s Singing Contest’, ‘National Kendo Contest’, ‘Crayfish Village Experience’, ‘Healing Concert’, ‘In-and-Out Song Festival’ and the ‘Exhibition at the Sweetfish Festival’s 20th Anniversary Park’.

The closing performance on August 4 will be a collection of local cultures. Short sketch video clips of the festival will bring back all the good memories and promise another good festival the next year. Merit, Cheonsang, Sunkyung, Seojin Park, Wooyoni, Aurora will close the festival with so much feeling and emotion and the grand finale fireworks will light up the sky.

“This year’s Sweetfish Festival will offer a full variety of night activities, such as Naeseongcheon Stream Floating Concert and Night Scoop Net Fishing, and also a night campsite to cool off the summer heat,” remarked a member of the Bonghwa Sweetfish Festival’s team. “We sincerely hope the visitors would have fun in harmony with the nature, understand the pleasant coexistence between humans and nature and finally have the love and care for Bonghwa.”