Geumsan Samgyetang Festival

Ginseng root whole and intact in samgyetang, why I went to see it in summer

If you ask what the most popular health food in Korea is during summer, nine out of ten people will name samgyetang. It is the food that people explain to foreign friends as something that helps you beat the heat by sweating over a hot broth, and they usually respond with a puzzled look. But there is a place that holds a festival just for samgyetang. It is Geumsan, Chungcheongnam-do, the home of ginseng. The Geumsan Samgyetang Festival is the first festival in the country to be built around samgyetang as its theme. It is usually held for three days in midsummer in July at the Geumsan World Ginseng Expo Plaza. In 2025, it was the 5th edition and took place from July 18 to 20. It is not just about selling ginseng; the festival centers on a bowl of samgyetang made with ginseng and medicinal herbs, and combines water play, herbal experiences, and night performances.

I hesitated because I was scared of the heat, but I went in the end. When I arrived, I found a strangely balanced scene: a steaming cauldron on one side of the plaza and children playing in the water on the other. The key to this festival is the combination of hot nourishment and cool water.

A foreign traveler’s day — via Daejeon to Geumsan

First, one thing to know: there is no train station in Geumsan. So almost all foreign travelers go via Daejeon. From Seoul, it takes about 1 hour by KTX to Daejeon; from Busan, about 2 hours by KTX. Once you arrive in Daejeon, you can take an intercity bus from Daejeon Complex Terminal to Geumsan. From Daejeon Complex Terminal to Geumsan, there are 34 services a day, running every 20 to 30 minutes from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. It takes about an hour from Daejeon to Geumsan. The buses run so frequently that you do not need to memorize a timetable; just go to the terminal and take the next bus.

When you get off at Geumsan Terminal, the Geumsan Ginseng Market is right next door, so you will be greeted by the smell of ginseng. The festival venue, the Ginseng Expo Plaza, is a bit far, so taking a taxi or planning your route in advance is more convenient. If you plan to stay for the night performances, remember one thing: the last bus to Daejeon leaves at 9:30 p.m., so if you watch until the end of the show you may miss it. I did not bring a car, so I only watched part of the evening stage and left early. If you are driving, exit at Chubu IC or Geumsan IC on the Tongyeong-Daejeon Expressway; it is quick, so a private car or rental car is the most comfortable option.

There is no separate admission fee. You enter for free and buy only what you want to eat. Samgyetang is sold at the booths, and in 2024 all booths were standardized at 13,000 won per bowl. The broth, with a whole ginseng root inside, was deep and the chicken was not dry, so I felt the price was justified. However, payment methods and English menus varied from booth to booth, so bringing a little cash will save you from awkward moments in front of the line.

It is not only samgyetang — sambaek, water play, and herbal experiences

What makes this festival unexpectedly fun is that, beside the traditional samgyetang, there are many variations aimed at younger tastes. There are convenience foods using ginseng and chicken, and menus for those who find a full bowl too heavy, such as the 'Sam-samhan Chicken Food' corner. In 2025, local groups also introduced items like perilla leaf rice cakes and ginseng shakes, and they offered that year’s special samgyetang with ginkgo nuts added to Geumsan ginseng. Ginseng shake is divisive, but it is an experience worth trying once.

As evening comes, the atmosphere changes completely. During the day it is busy with family-oriented water play ('Sam-cation'), herbal experience halls, and hands-on programs like making fans, but once the sun sets, people move toward the stage. The 'Sambaek (ginseng and barley) Party,' aimed at the tropical night heat, is exactly what it sounds like: an outdoor drinking concept tying together ginseng and beer, followed by busking and trot performances. In 2024, trot singers such as Park Seo-jin took the stage and received a strong response. The stage program is mostly in Korean, so it may be hard to understand every lyric, but the energy filling the plaza comes across regardless of language.

• Daytime (family-oriented): water play Sam-cation, herbal experience hall, fan and flower tea making, cooking classes
• Evening (adults-oriented): Sambaek Party, summer night busking, trot and pop stages, starlight flea market

Things to know before you go to save yourself some trouble

The biggest variable is the weather. Since it is an outdoor plaza in midsummer July, shade is scarce at midday. A hat, water, and a hand fan are essential, and if possible, arriving late in the afternoon and aiming for the evening hours is easier on your energy. Korea’s July overlaps with the monsoon season, so rain is possible, and in past festival periods there were years that suffered flood damage from heavy rain. A raincoat is more convenient than an umbrella in the plaza, and if rain is forecast, the outdoor performance schedule may change, so check the official channel once before you leave.

English guidance is not very abundant. It is hard to say that translation staff or English apps are fully prepared, so you will likely order using photos and hand gestures. On the bright side, samgyetang has a simple menu structure, so just saying 'one samgyetang' will work, and the price is standardized across booths, so there is almost no worry about being overcharged. If you want to buy ginseng, it is best to check the day’s market price at the official festival sales booth. A 4-geun gongsam usually costs around 130,000 to 160,000 won, with prices fluctuating depending on quality and market conditions.

So who is it recommended for?

It suits people who want to experience Korean health-food culture intensely through one dish, and families who want to fill a day with water play and hands-on activities in the daytime and performances in the evening. On the other hand, if you are a city-style traveler who values English guidance and public-transport convenience, I recommend using Daejeon as your base camp and making it a day trip. A bowl of broth infused with the scent of ginseng and the music in the plaza at sunset—those two scenes alone will make Geumsan’s summer memorable.