Geumsan Insam Festival

Geumsan is a small county in southern Chungnam that has traded ginseng for centuries and now handles a very large share of the domestic crop - the town's wholesale and herbal medicine market is the real institution, running year round, with hundreds of shops dealing in fresh, dried and processed root along with other medicinal herbs. The festival, held over about ten days in autumn when the crop comes in, opens that world to visitors: grading demonstrations, root washing, a market where you can buy direct at harvest prices, cooking with fresh ginseng, and a ritual honouring the legendary discovery of the plant here. It is a working market event rather than a themed attraction, which makes it more interesting and less polished than most Korean festivals. Prices at harvest are the lowest of the year, which is why domestic buyers come.

Highlights

• The wholesale market - hundreds of dealers, running year round.
• The harvest trade - grading, washing and direct sales.
• The cooking programmes - fresh ginseng prepared on site.
• The founding ritual - the ceremony tied to the plant's local legend.

When to go

September to October, about ten days, when the crop is lifted. The market itself is open all year and worth a visit any time. Weekday mornings are when the actual trade happens.

Things to know

It is a produce and trade festival with limited English, aimed at domestic buyers. Claims made for ginseng in the market are sales talk, not medical guidance - for anything health-related, ask a clinician rather than a stallholder.

Nearby

Daejeon is forty minutes away; Daedunsan provincial park is close.