Get Messy in The Boryeong Mud Festival

At most outdoor festivals, visitors can expect to get a little dirty — but at the Boryeong Mud Festival, it’s the objective. This 10-day annual event takes place in late July in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Here, hundreds of attendees, including both locals and foreigners, march through the streets of Boryeong until they reach the famous beach.

© Jirka Matousek | Flickr

Daecheon Beach, or “mud square,” is home to an assortment of events like the mud obstacle course, mud slide and mud flats marathon. For those who simply want to relax, there are a number of tamer locations along the beach, like the children’s play section, as well as an area for mud baths and massages, and the cosmetics area that features colorful mud pastes said to exfoliate the skin. While these events take place, there are frequent appearances from the Black Eagles — Boryeong’s own jet air show team.

© Shawn Perez | Flickr

Other events include numerous live bands and concerts throughout the week, fireworks and a mini-football championship. In the center of Daecheon Beach is one of the festival’s most iconic attractions — the Prison of Mud. This enormous box, walled with bendable rubber jail bars, is the perfect place for visitors who want to get covered head to toe.