You don't need to be reminded twice of the Boryeong Mud Festival  that starts from July 12 to 20 this year on the west coast of Daecheon Beach in Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong Province).

All the fun of the previous years -- mudslide, mud massage, mud wrestling, mud beauty contest and more -- is back and more. Additional recreational programs that feature for the first time this year include a mud bath, mud wave slide and mud fantasy waterfall.

Then there's the ?ud challenger,?pushing each other to the end of the stage, which is better experienced directly then described in words. Other new programs that require a bit of a fee include a mud couple slide that requires twosomes groups to hug each other as they slide down, mud craft to make a mud character, mud soap and mud pottery, color mud zone in which expert masseurs and masseuses give body massages with color mud.

There's also racing along the tidal zone, a yacht parade, a street parade, dancing on the stage and fireworks throughout the week. The Hanhwa condominium in the vicinity will host a mud cosmetics export trade show, and a Mr. Mud Contest following the Ms. Mud Skin Beauty Contest. Night events will be all parties and music with muddy B-boys, classics and old Korean pop songs.

It has been confirmed by a group of scientists that Boryeong mud brought in from the tideland of Gungpo-ri of Boryeong is abundant in minerals, including germanium and bentonite, some of the major ingredients for cosmetics. Mud itself is known to stimulate blood circulation, slow the aging process and cleanse the skin overall. Enjoy this mud while you can, since the festival is the only venue for free access of the luxurious stuff. At other times, the mud is strictly limited to be used for the cosmetics industry in the region.



The place also has mud baths for kids and the elderly. There's also a shopping center for mud cosmetics and a mud skincare center for those desiring more professional treatment.

The Boryeong Mud Festival began in 1998 and has been a popular event among locals and tourists alike. It has been designated the best regional festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for two consecutive years. This year the Culture Ministry further upgraded that honor, choosing it as the top festival in Korea, and deciding to allot 1.6 billion won plus additional overseas marketing from the Korea Tourism Organization.

Boosted by the incentive, Boryeong city plans to increase the number of foreign language-speaking guides.  For free translation services for foreigners call 82-11-438-4865 (English) or 
82-16-477-0930 (Japanese) or 82-10-6545-4848 (Chinese).

For more variety of language services during the festival, the number 1588-5644 should come in handy. By calling the number operated by the BBB, or Before Babel Brigade, you can get help from volunteer interpreters in 17 languages including English, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, Thai, Turkish to name a few.

Just call 1588-5644 from a landline or cell phone and wait until you hear the extension code for your native language and select it. You will be instantly connected to interpreters. The BBB, or Before Babel Brigade, has been providing free interpretation services to about 100,000 foreigners in the country and Koreans visiting other countries. 


Transportation: [From Seoul to Daecheon]
1. By Train: Take the train (Janghangseon Line) at Yongsan station running 17 times a day and get off at Daecheon station. From here, take a bus in the front of the station going to Daecheon beach (intervals: 10 minutes; travel time: 20 minutes)
2. By Bus: At the Nambu Bus Terminal (Seoul subway line 3, Exit No. 5), take a bus for Daecheon (services are available from July 10th to August 20th / 6:50 am - 6:40 pm, intervals: 1 hour, 20 minutes / travel time: 2 hours, 30 minutes / basic fare: 8,700 won)

For more information visit: http://www.mudfestival.or.kr (English, Japanese, Chinese)

By Kim Hee-sung
Korea.net staff writer

(Photos courtesy of Boryeong City)