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The beautiful city of Hamyang is located south of South Korea’s capital Seoul. All it takes is a three hour bus ride and you will enter into a city that is known for its ginseng festival. A festival that only occurs once a year that’s filled with exciting activities, like picking ginseng and interacting with the locals and making Korean food. It’s a root that can be used as a herb and rich in antioxidants!
On September 8, 2023, Planet Zoom-in, a travel agency that specializes in social trips, guided a group of tourists to spend 3 days and 2 nights in Hamyang for the ginseng festival. The trip included activities such as valley trekking, meeting the mayor of Hamyang who graciously sponsored the trip, eating Korean food and playing Korean games, participating in the flea market and the ginseng festival.
For this trip, we got to stay in the house of Lee Oisoo, one of the most beloved Korean writers. This is where Lee Oisoo had planned to spend his remaining days writing, however his health deteriorated, and he passed away before he could move in. The house was personally decorated by Lee Oisoo and his wife and is currently owned by the Hamyang County Office, who for the first time had granted permission to use this house as lodging for a social trip. It retains a beautiful ambiance, resembling a tranquil countryside villa, offering perfect facilities and atmosphere to those who visit.
In the afternoon, everyone got to participate in the Samsam Makgeolli Festival! Samsam Makgeolli (a type of Korean rice wine with Ginseng) and fried pork belly was served. There were also many performances during the festival, allowing people to go on stage and dance together while enjoying the festival to the fullest.
While it was a short visit in Hamyang, the memories made will last a lifetime and make it hard to not visit again. Making friends with your group and the locals is a memorable experience especially with people saying this:
“What a great weekend in nature with good activities, food, and people. Thank you all for taking care of us in magical Hamyang”
“I really enjoyed myself during this 3 day 2 night trip. Made many new friends and experienced many new activities and sights. Would like to thank the team at Planet Zoom for making this trip so enjoyable and fun!”
“This was my best trip! Thank you for working so hard to make it comfortable for us all. I learned a lot and fell in love with Korea even more”
A magical journey that felt like it ended too soon. But there is always next year with more exciting adventures waiting in Hamyang and more friends to make. Join the fun with a trip to Hamyang or maybe helping out the community in Seoul. Whatever you decide to do, continue to try new things and meet new people. You never know what you’ll find, maybe even a hidden gem like Hamyang, so join Planet Zoom-in and find out what awaits you in South Korea.