The Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival is held annually, each March, in Cheongdo, South Korea.
Bullfighting in Korea is a 1000 year old tradition, and the event in Cheongdo is the biggest in the country. Unlike Spanish-style bullfighting, no humans are involved in the actual battle. It is between two bulls and two bulls only. Also, no bulls are killed in the fights, but there is definite blood shed. I'm a bit soft-hearted when it comes to animals, so it was not my cup of tea. I did, however, have a great time socializing with friends. There was a surprising huge turn out of waygookins (foreigners). And I got to see a ton of friends from Seoul and Yongin that I had not seen in quite some time. I was even interviewed by a small Korean film studio based in Daegu who was filming a documentary on the event.
It was a good day, but I doubt I will attend again next year. As I mentioned earlier, it was not exactly my "thing." But most of my friends had a blast cheering and making bets on the bulls. Also, a group of my friends ingeniously crafted paper-mache bull horns, which almost outshone the actual bull fights!
Most importantly, it has been checked off my Korean festival list, so no complaints here!
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