I have to admit I had serious reservations about attending the Boryeong Mud Festival held annually at Daecheon Beach, South Korea. Firstly, it’s well noted for being over-saturated with foreigners and I typically prefer events that are culturally rooted. Secondly, I was sceptical of whether or not I should bring my dSLR given the forecast weather and obvious culprit, also know as mud, which apparently isn’t all that fine and dandy to have smeared all over your camera. Well, I can honestly say attending this festival was one of the best decisions I’ve made in recent months. Not only did I have a blast getting covered in mud but I also feel I’ve captured one of the best photo sets this year. Head over to Backpacking Travel Blog to see my sister Boryeong Mud Festival Photo Essay once you’ve of course perused this set 
The Boryeong Mud Festival is a spectacle that takes place annually in Boryeong during the monsoon season in South Korea. The first fest took place in 1997 and in recent years participants have been crowding Daecheon beach in record numbers that exceed 2+ million. Major attractions include all day music concerts, mud wrestling, mud pools, mud mazes, mud jails and general beach activities along with copious amounts of alcohol and plastered mud. It attracts an enormous foreign crowd (known locally as Waegooks) that include ESL teachers, American military personnel and others who specifically come to Korea for this event. It truly is an event not to be missed in my opinion.
A happy face in the crowd holding a Cass beer in her hand.
A Korean girl flashes an authentic smile while enjoying a moment splashing around in a floating tube at Daecheon Beach, Korea.
You wish! A lady is being carried on piggyback through the crowd.
A candid shot of a Korean man wearing a ‘distinct’ Korean style cowboy hat near the beach.
Everybody getting their muddy boogie on during the musical performances.
Mud flying everywhere! This mud wrestling event covered the crowd just as much as the participants. I’m certainly glad I wrapped my dSLR in plastic.
A dude carrying a random ‘old school’ boom box entertains the wrestling crowd with music.
Two foreigners covered in mud engage in a friendly pre-ceremonial ritual before wrestling one another.
A Korean family enjoys a water gun fight with plenty of squirting and even more smiling faces.
An ecstatic lady covered in mud flashes a lovely smile while posing for the camera.
A Korean lady flashes a peace sign and an even bigger smile near the music stage.
Two Korean boys enjoying digging sand in what appears to be an early foundation of a sandcastle.
A Korean boy charges into the water with his water tube firmly gripped.
Two foreigners enjoy a candid smile near the mosh pit / concert area of the Boryeong Mud Festival.
A drummer plastered in mud without a shirt smiles while entertaining thousands with his slick skills.
A Korean lady bows during a traditional Korean religious ceremony that was taking place mere meters away from all of the drunken festivities.
{ 76 comments… read them below or add one }
Happy days indeed! Looks like a great party, which ‘serious’ travellers are allowed to do
Natasha von Geldern recently posted..London 2012: Exploring the Docklands
It definitely was a great party!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Your photos are very impressive – really good in my opinion.
David Bennett recently posted..Historic Scottish Kilchurn Castle
Thanks David!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Where’s your muddy face, Samuel?
Sophie recently posted..Cape Byron Lighthouse
Hahaha, the truth is it didn’t get as muddy as I would have liked it to
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Cool photos. Looks like a fun festival; definitely something to visit when in South Korea.
Jarmo recently posted..Viva San Fermín! Viva Pamplona!
Most definitely! It’s held in June every year for those wanting to go.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Glad you took your camera! Your pictures really capture the fun and festivity of the day.
Juliann recently posted..Dodging Bombs in Manchester
Thanks! It definitely had the spirit of a true festival.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Looked like an epic time! Sometimes events are popular with tourists for good reason, i.e. they’re awesome as it looks like the case with this one.
Jeremy recently posted..Knife Wielding Rapists in Turkey: My Craziest Travel Experience
Thanks Jeremy, I agree with you…not everything is over-rated
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Excellent pictures, you always catch perfect moments!
Angela recently posted..A trip, a photo – The wooden angels of Ignazio Mura, Oristano
Thanks Angela
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Such awesome photos!!
“You Wish” hahaa.. I laughed!
Zara @ Backpack ME recently posted..Shortly after sunset on Gili Air
LOL, I need to get a pair myself
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
I heard about this from someone but it did not match these pictures! Wow… I did not expect it to be this muddy… I can see why you had reservations about bringing your camera… not sure if I would’ve been that bold! Seriously though, great shots… looks like a lot of fun!
Margyle recently posted..Kick-Ass Kiwi Kampervans! (Or How I Almost Died on a New Zealand Mountain)
Yeah, it sure does get muddy! If I hadn’t wrapped it up so well I would have been nervous the whole time.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
I actually went to this a few years ago and I’m sure it wasn’t that much fun!
Great pictures, you really captured the day.
harvey recently posted..Hello world!
I guess the event has grown quite a bit in recent years!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
That looks like fun, though I’m more of a water guy than a mud guy. Great photos as always!
Bret @ Green Global Travel recently posted..ENDANGERED SPECIES SPOTLIGHT: Iberian Lynx
I hear you! When everyone else is doing though it’s a lot more fun…LOL
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Fabulous captures! Captures the spirit of the fest!
Arti recently posted..Sensoji Temple, Asakusa – Tokyo
Thanks Arti!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Great shots! I would love to see what your camera looked like wrapped up… what did you use?
Brooke vs. the World recently posted..By the Time You Read This…
Thanks Brooke, I made a video about it actually:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06DTtnIG4o4
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
I’m curious about the camera as well. I have no idea how you managed to get some of those close ups without going through DSLRs like they were disposables. Or without a tripod in the case of the shots with frozen mud and water droplets. Great pictures.
Daniel McBane recently posted..Disappear Into a Sewer in Medan, Indonesia
Thanks Daniel,
I had my reservations even when I had the camera wrapped up well. This is a video I made explaining how I did it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06DTtnIG4o4
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Great shots! I had a lot of reservations about going as well, but ended up having a good time. I was too scared to bring my camera anywhere near the mud, though, so I unfortunately only have a few really crappy photos.
Amanda @ Farsickness recently posted..Teaching English in Korea: Getting a Good Hagwon Job
Glad to hear you enjoyed it Amanda! I still think I was a bit nuts bringing my camera along with me…LOL
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
That looks like a blast!
Emme Rogers @ Roamancing recently posted..The Rocky Mountaineer Boom De Yada
It was!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
It is always pleasure to watch people, who have fun. Mud festival is always interesting, fun and relaxing.
London4Travelers recently posted..Cheap Hotels in London (England, UK)
I agree with you!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Love the shots, but the old school boom box is hilarious! Love how he’s holding it up!
jade recently posted..Cadaques Wine Tour: Mas Perafita Winery
LOL, that’s one of my favourite memories. It was just so random. Where does anyone even get one of those these days?
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Some really ‘fun’ looking photos Sam, nicely taken. The ‘ecstatic lady covered in mud’ is really cool.
Sam recently posted..Singer/Songwriter Rachael Sage Talks Travel
Thanks Sam! It certainly was a ‘fun’ time
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Too dirty for Hogga… but I like to laugh at the muddy suckers, even if they do look like they are having fun. Hmmm… maybe I should change my tune?
Hogga recently posted..Welcome to Miami
If you saw how much fun everybody was having I bet you’d be getting muddy as well
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Great pics… that looks like it would be great fun! And I hate being dirty!
Escaping Abroad recently posted..Photo of the Week – Montezuma Castle
Yeah, getting muddy wouldn’t be my first choice but in a mud festival you can get away with it
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Looks a lot like Tomatina, which was pretty bad. Though I imagine having the beach there to wash off helps and if it is all day atleast the insanity is spread out a bit. Though I do remember the wrapping of camera in plastic. Not the best pictures from it through the plastic, but better than a lost camera.
Andrew recently posted..Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, Brunei
That’s smart you wrapped your camera up. Mine would have been totally ruined had I not.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Looks wicked, mate. I’ve done a tomato festival, a water festival and more than one beer and food festival; it seems only right that I should do the mud fest one day!
Simon P recently posted..Capturing colours around the world
LOL, it’s definitely the next logical progression for you then
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Who knew mud could be so much fun? Or that it mixed with music? Sounds like a blast!
There was lots of music as well. The stage was rocking.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Great pics! I’ve never been but I love this festival for the great photos that come out of it (http://www.roryandjamie.com/boryeong-mud-festival). I posted last year about it and shared many pics I found. I’ll direct people to this set as well. Cheers!
Thanks! Your photos are awesome.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
This looks like an incredible experience. Your photos really capture the fun.
Thanks Stephanie, it was a lot of fun.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
That looks like so much fun! Amazing photos as always — I’m stuck on that very first one. Love her!
Abby recently posted..First view from my private jet
Thanks Abby
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Wow, this is one festival that will surely bring out the child in all of us. I hope that I will be able to experience this myself.
Helen recently posted..book a Las Vegas Package vacation
I hope you can as well Helen!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
You really did get some great photos here. It is indeed good that you went. I want to go!
Sabina recently posted..Russia, What Is This Baby Yoga Thing?
You’ll have to check it out sometime Sabina.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Adventure Travel in Taiwan
Cool shots! looks like a really fun festival despite all the outside foreigners.
cheryl recently posted..Hotel Rivalago in Sulzano, Italy.
It really was fun!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Waving men on a speedboat in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Even if I’m not the first one to say so, I still feel the need to congratulate you for the amazing shots you took!
The only time I have been involved with mud was at a Music Festival in the UK, where it rained really heavily the all duration of the festival (3 days)… that was a bit tedious considering we were camping (in the mud at the end) but we enjoyed the music and the atmosphere anyway!
Franca recently posted..Why I Travel (By ANGLO)
Thanks Franca!
Sometimes you get an ‘unexpected’ mud festival. The UK sure gets awesome music fests every year!
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Waving men on a speedboat in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Great pics, Sam! I got a new camera the week before the event (if you remember it from the Seoul meet-up?) but I was TERRIFIED of taking it to MudFest so avoided it. I swear I met one of the people in your photos, but I could be completely lying. I ended up being totally surprised, too (I was expecting it to annoy the shit out of me) but in the end, it ended up being one of the funnest things I’ve done so far this year!
Waegook Tom recently posted..5 Ideas for the Southeastern USA
That’s great to hear you enjoyed it! I seriously was sceptical. Apparently it keeps growing each year and that a lot of foreigners actually come to Korea just for the event. I still think I was a bit nuts bringing my own camera…lol
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Waving men on a speedboat in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Could this be the ultimate dirty weekend Sam, looks like some worthy additions to your smiling faces blog here as well.
BlogDaz recently posted..Motorcycle Safety Photo Fun
It sure is! I’ll definitely have a batch making their way over to Smiling Faces sometime soon
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Waving men on a speedboat in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
How crazy is this? Love the photos – they really seem to capture the energy!
Callie recently posted..A MOST UNEXPECTED WEEKEND
Thanks Callie, I think a lot of expats blow off a lot of steam during this event. It takes place just before a lot of people have summer holidays.
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Waving men on a speedboat in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
I loved these photos and my fave darn, so many hahaha. “You Wished” really is one thing to look at these crucial events.
Doc Wends recently posted..When inspired, inspire!
Hahaha, thanks! I need to get a pair of shorts like that after I get back in shape
Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Waving men on a speedboat in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Great photos mate! Captured the atmosphere perfectly.
Peter
Peter recently posted..Borough Market in London {Photo Junket}
Thanks Peter!
I revisited this post today…
love happy faces!!
i think it is my 4th time. it makes feel better
and YOU WISH is a sweet capture
memographer recently posted..Each and Every Friday Flashback: Paris and Parisians
Awesome photos! Hope your DSLR walked away dry. I’ve had my reservations about attending also and for the same reasons you’ve mentioned. But damn, those are some really great shots you walked away with! Loved the ‘You wish’ shot !
Thanks Christine! It was more fun than I had anticipated
I was very lucky to have walked away with my camera completely unscathed.
Oh my) They say that mud can be good for our skin)) When I look at these happy people, I must say this festival is defnitely good for health in general. Thanks for this awesome share.
Julia Reed recently posted..Top Fifteen Types of Music for Studying: Choose Favorite Genres!
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