Fun and games for Children’s Day:Learning traditional culture

History buffs can rejoice at the offerings available for their children at various events across the country.

Icheon Ceramics Festival

The Ceramics Festival in Icheon, Gyeonggi is one of the most popular ceramic festivals in Korea. Since 1987, 26.7 million people have visited this annual event. This year, it opened on April 28 and will run until May 20 at Seolbong Park and Ceramic Village.

Under the theme “Ceramics, Sharing and Relaxation,” there are four exhibitions and eight experimental programs in this year’s festival.

Children can play with clay and making ceramics while adults can watch the special exhibitions designed by 16 masters of ceramics.

This year, the festival costs 5,000 won for adults, but organizers return 3,000 won to each visitor in the form of a festival coupon to encourage buying ceramic works that will be offered at discounted prices to festival participants.

The festival has a very well-organized English Web site this year at www.ceramic.or.kr. More information is also available by calling (031) 644-2943.

Hadong County Wild Tea Festival

In Gyeongsang, Hadong County has been holding a wild tea festival full of historical facts about tea.

The festival takes place in the areas of Hwagae-myeon and Akyang-myeon and goes until tomorrow. Hands-on programs allow children to pick tea leaves and make their own tea. Etiquette instructors will also teach children how to properly enjoy tea in formal settings.

For adults, the festival’s schedule includes tastings of teas from various regions in Korea as well as guided tours of tea fields. Outside of the planned events, the view of Sumjin River in the area simply should not be missed.

For all of its planned activities, Hadong County’s tea event has been picked as one of the most impressive festivals in Korea for four consecutive years by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

For more information, visit festival.hadong.go.kr or call (055) 880-2375.