The Jeju Wildfire Festival in South Korea sets mountains ablaze to pray for a bountiful harvest

The 15th of the first lunar month is when the Chinese celebrate the Lantern Festival, but in Jeju, South Korea, the Wildfire Festival takes place. This traditional event carries meanings of praying for peace, health, and a good harvest. Now in its 15th year, the festival will be held from February 2 to 4 at Sinseondae in Bongnaeryeong, Aewol-eup, Jeju City. The highlight is the mountain fire, where a 300,000-square-meter area of Sinseondae serves as the stage for setting the wildfire. The fire engulfs the grass huts on the mountain as well, creating a spectacular scene of burning mountains. It symbolizes the burning away of the misfortunes of the past year and prayers for a successful new year.

In addition, the event will also feature folk entertainment activities such as torch parades, straw rope weaving experiences, stone-carrying competitions, and dice games. The straw rope weaving activity originates from early Jeju residents who tied straw ropes in a go-board pattern to prevent thatched roofs from being blown away by the wind — now it’s one of the activities for visitors to try. The stone-carrying competition is a traditional rite of passage on Jeju Island, where participants race while carrying round stones weighing between 100 and 130 kilograms.

The origin of the Wildfire Festival on the 15th of the first lunar month dates back to early times when mountain villages in Jeju, after finishing busy farming work, would gather their cattle for open grazing. Residents set fire to the grass to clear away harmful weeds and pests. This year’s Wildfire Festival offers exciting activities such as stone tower stacking, writing family mottos, and climbing Sinseondae — all worth experiencing. Additionally, there will be local food stalls, a Jeju specialty promotion hall, and a folk market, providing visitors with delicious food and fun.

Jeju Wildfire Festival official website: buriburi.go.kr/foreign/chi/htmls/main.htm