TAEBAEK, Jan. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — In the Taebaek area of Gangwon Province, the gateway to Taebaek Mountain National Park, impressive large-scale snow sculptures are taking shape at Danggol Square. These sculptures, centering around the theme ‘The World Embraced by Taebaek,’ are part of a snow sculpture exhibition that has become a hallmark event of the Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival.
Over the years, the festival has featured hundreds of snow sculptures. Notable pieces reflecting contemporary themes, such as King Kong in 2006, Gwanghwamun in 2009, and Psy in 2013, have garnered immense popularity.
The 31st Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival, running from January 26 to February 4, is set to be held in the vicinity of Taebaeksan National Park and Hwangji Pond Culture Square.
This year, the festival will showcase a total of 39 snow sculptures. Among them, the largest sculpture titled ‘The Legendary Land of Taebaek’ measures 40 meters in length, 10 meters in height, and 7 meters in width. The second-largest piece, ‘Soaring Blue Dragon,’ stands at 35 meters long, 5 meters high, and 5 meters wide.
Additionally, the national university student snow sculpture competition, organized by the Taebaek Youth Chamber of Commerce, begins on January 20. Teams from universities including Gachon University, Kyung Hee University, Namseoul University, Seoul National University, the University of Seoul, and Hongik University, totaling 10 teams, will participate. The competition boasts a total prize pool of 23.5 million won.
A representative from the Taebaek Youth Chamber of Commerce explained, “The National University Snow Sculpture Competition is one of the longest-running programs of the Taebaek Mountain Snow Festival.
Participating teams must complete their sculptures by January 25, and the judging will be based on criteria such as originality, artistic value, durability, commitment, and completion.”
An official from the city of Taebaek also weighed in on the festival, saying, “This year, we are focusing on expanding the scale of the popular snow sculpture exhibition and laying the groundwork for becoming a global festival.”
Image credit: Taebaek City / photonews@koreabizwire.com
