Yanggu Youth Punch Bowl Dried Radish Greens and Apple Festival
The 2026 Youth Yanggu Punchbowl Apple and Dried Radish Greens Festival is an autumn festival centered on apples and dried radish greens, the representative agricultural specialties of Yanggu Punchbowl. This year’s theme, “Falling into Punchbowl,” is the organizing idea behind the entire event: visitors can fully immerse themselves in the charms of Punchbowl, from the taste of apples and dried radish greens to the beautiful nature and various attractions. Newly introduced apple and dried radish greens characters appear in photo zones and goods, adding friendliness and fun, and the program includes food and experience activities using local specialties, performances, and events that families can enjoy together.
What to see and do
- Performances: Opening ceremony celebratory concert, daily main performances.
- Events: Making Crown Haitai Punchbowl Apple/Dried Radish Greens collage kits, among others.
- Promotion and Experience: Apple/dried radish greens promotion hall, apple/dried radish greens experience programs, rural experience villages, and more.
- Sales: Food and agricultural specialties, cafe snacks, local restaurants, and more.
At its core, the festival is Yanggu’s representative agricultural specialty festival, where visitors can directly appreciate the excellence of local produce amid the autumn scenery of Punchbowl. The promotion and experience offerings give context to the region’s main products through a dedicated apple and dried radish greens promotion hall, hands-on experience programs, and rural experience villages. For entertainment, the schedule includes an opening ceremony celebratory concert and daily main performances, as well as events such as making Crown Haitai Punchbowl Apple/Dried Radish Greens collage kits. The sales area brings together food and agricultural specialties, cafe snacks, and local restaurants, making it easy to taste what the region has to offer.
Event details
- 🗓️ 2026.11.06 ~ 2026.11.08
- 📍 Address: 15 Haeanseohwa-ro, Haean-myeon, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
- 🛏️ Accommodation near the event
- 💰 Fee: Free admission
- 📞 Inquiry: 033-482-9174
- 🖥️ Website: ygcf.or.kr/Festival/F60000/index
The Punchbowl in Yanggu is a high basin in the mountains of Gangwon-do, close to the Demilitarized Zone. Its formal name is Yupung Basin. During the Korean War, American soldiers called it the Punchbowl because the basin, with its flat floor and encircling ridges, resembled the wide serving bowl used for punch. The nickname has remained in use.
The basin is volcanic in origin. Its floor sits at high elevation, and the surrounding ridgelines drop into slopes that give way to fields. From the rim, the view extends over the mountains of the central peninsula. The altitude keeps temperatures lower than in the lowlands and shortens the growing season. The basin floor is used for potatoes, dried radish greens, and other cool-weather crops.
The same high ground made the area strategically important during the Korean War. Battles were fought for control of the ridges around the basin. After the armistice, the Punchbowl was placed within the civilian control line, a restricted zone near the DMZ. Public access was limited, and the land was left largely to its own devices. The result was not a restored or curated natural park; it was simply an area that had been off-limits for a long time.
Today, the Punchbowl draws hikers and domestic tourists. Roads wind up to the rim, where there are walking paths and lookout points. The lower land is still farmed, and local produce, especially dried radish greens and apples, is available at markets and seasonal events. The area now combines a rural agricultural district with the visible security infrastructure of the nearby border. That combination is part of the reason it draws visitors.
