Two thousand people holding torches high together set a world record at Korea’s "Geumjeong Horizon Festival"

▲ At Korea’s "Geumjeong Horizon Festival," over two thousand people held torches high and formed the shape of "2013," creating a breathtaking scene. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Live from Korea

Korea’s annual "Geumjeong Horizon Festival" officially kicked off in the Bigeokji area on October 2, reaching its climax today (the 5th) as tens of thousands of domestic and international visitors flocked to the event.Among them, the "Bigeokji Torch Game Illuminating the Horizon," which broke a Guinness World Record last year, saw 2,333 participants raising their torches simultaneously this year, momentarily lighting up the city of Geumjeong. The scene was spectacular and lively, accompanied by fireworks and the towering presence of two dragons.

With its mountainous terrain, Korea is known for having few places where the horizon is visible. Geumjeong stands out as the only city in Korea where you can see the horizon, and the Geumjeong Horizon Festival celebrates this unique feature.Now in its 15th year, the Geumjeong Horizon Festival was recognized in 2012 as one of "Korea’s Most Representative National Festivals." The vast plains of the Geumjeong region have long supported an agricultural lifestyle, making the entire city akin to Korea’s rice granary, supplying rice to people across the nation. Korean proverbs such as “Koreans live by the power of rice” and “Rice is medicine” highlight the significance of rice in Korean culture—and Geumjeong is where this rice is cultivated.

 
▲ Torchlight illuminated the city of Geumjeong, drawing not only locals but also international visitors to join in the celebration. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

This year’s Geumjeong Horizon Festival, themed "Endless Horizon, Infinite Emotion," was larger than ever, featuring seven main programs and a total of 67 different activities. From morning till night, Bigeokji transformed into a city that never sleeps, buzzing with energy. The highlight of the evening was the "Bigeokji Torch Game Illuminating the Horizon," also known as the "Twin Dragons Torch Game." Open to all visitors, regardless of nationality, age, or gender, participants held torches provided by the organizers to recreate the local legend of the Azure Dragon and White Dragon battling—one seeking to break the embankment and the other striving to protect it.Last year, the torch event attracted 2,042 participants who gathered around Bigeokji. Due to the large turnout and the torch formation, it immediately broke a Guinness World Record. This year, the number grew to 2,333 participants, surpassing last year’s figure and poised to set yet another Guinness World Record.The crowd included not only foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes but also families from various Korean cities who came together to take part. They arranged the torches to form the number "2013," symbolizing the hope of illuminating Geumjeong throughout the year with the light of the torches.


▲ The Bigeokji Embankment features giant legendary twin dragons woven from bamboo and rattan, standing 15 meters tall, 54 meters long, and 2 meters wide. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)


▲ 2,333 torches held high and encircling the Bigeokji area created a magnificent and moving spectacle. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

Mr. Lee Geon-sik, Mayor of Geumjeong City (and Representative of Geumjeong Corporation), stated: "The Geumjeong Horizon Festival began in 1999. It is not only a festival that represents Korea but also serves to honor the hard work of farmers and allows the younger generation, especially urban children, to experience the toil involved in rice cultivation. It also offers international visitors a deep insight into Korea’s rice culture. Just last year, during the five-day event, a total of 1.7 million people participated, generating tourism revenue of 80 billion KRW for Geumjeong City—an impressive figure."Additionally, Mayor Lee recommended that Taiwanese visitors, if given the chance to come to Geumjeong City, should not miss this grand celebration. As for must-see attractions, he highlighted the 1,400-year-old Geumsansa Temple and the expansive, breathtaking New Wanju Plains, where the land meets the sky in a stunning horizon.


▲ Geumjeong City is the only place in Korea where you can see the horizon and experience the unity of heaven and earth. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)