Bullfights stir up energy and more in Cheongdo


One of the most energetic, fierce and primeval festivals in South Korea opened this week in Cheongdo, Gyeongsang Province.

The annual Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival kicked off on Wednesday at the Cheongdo Bullfighting Stadium in Cheongdo-gun, North Gyeongsang Province. A total of 96 bulls are locking horns during the five-day festival to the wild cheer of the spectators. 

This year’s festival is composed of two parts -- the first half, from April 18-20, consisted of traditional bullfights and the latter, from April 21-22, packed with 20 betting games.

About 190 fighting bulls, some of the best in the country, were entered in the festival. Visitors get to see 96 among them, which won the preliminary rounds. From there, the bulls were divided into six weight classes, and are going through tournament rounds. The final round will be held on Saturday night, after the betting games.

A total prize money worth of 130 million won will be given out during the festival, ranging from 5 million won to 7 million won in each weight class. Visitors can participate in the betting games, but the maximum amount allowed is 100,000 won per person.

Another attraction during the festival period worth taking a look is the Bullfighting Theme Park which opened this year near the stadium.

Visitors can learn about the history of bullfighting, enjoy a game at the 4-D theater on the first floor of the park, or get a look at other Korean traditional games and customs related to bulls on the second floor.

The festival runs through Sunday. Admission is free.

For more information, call (054) 370-6373.

By Park Min-young (claire@heraldcorp.com)