Jeju Fire Festival 2023 in South Korea

Once a year people of the Jeju island gather atop a hill to build a huge structure and later set it ablaze.

According to ancient beliefs, the ritual is supposed to bring abundant harvests, and hence a profitable year. It actually originates from local farmers. They used to burn up rice fields and vegetable gardens in early spring to solve the problems with pests and ensure that new grass was bountiful so that their cows had lush pastures.

Nowadays the fire is a part of a three-day festival held during a few days in late February or early March. Festival program and a detailed schedule are subject to unforeseen changes based on the weather conditions, so we encourage to check the information before visiting.