I found out about the bullfighting festival last year perusing some of my travel materials and became immediately excited. The dates ranged from March-April so wasnt sure when it would be held. I read a few peoples blogs from last year and was anxious to find the dates for this year. From about Febuary I was checking to see if an event website was up for this year but it kept showing dates from 2010.

Finally, dates were posted for March 2011 and I continued to wait anxiously. Some friends were also interested in going and I saw another event page on Facebook. Then we heard the Sea Parting Festival in Jindo was cancelled due to Foot and Mouth disease, which seemed odd since there are no animals there, yet the bullfighting festival had not been cancelled. I expected it would be due to many animals being kept together, and sure enough, the official website pulled all the dates for 2011.

I had a korean co-teacher read the website and he found a message that said it had been 'postponed'. This is a big draw for the town, probably their biggest revenue source, drawing people from all over korea and overseas. I doubted they would let the opportunity pass and lose all that income. So the waiting game began again to see when they would reschedule.

After a few weeks new dates were posted for April. I received two other invites on facebook, there was a large bus group coming from seoul, and another bus group from daegu, so it seemed more positive this time. The week of the event I had somebody call to ask if it was actually confirmed or not, as now I was getting paranoid that with the delay, warmer weather, and extra publicity, it was going to be packed beyond capacity, so we needed to get there extra early.

Then the whole NH banking drama hit this week shutting down for 36 hours (see previous entry) so I couldnt buy my train or event tickets ahead of time. Fortunately, by weeks end, everything sorted itself out and the event was a go. I was still paranoid it would be sold out, hearing stories about other events, so bought train tickets for all the group and my festival ticket.

There were nine of us this week taking the slower local Munganghwa train from Daegu to Cheongdo. The train ride is only 30 mins and only cost 2500w ($2.20). From the train we saw the large silver domed stadium, but the train kept going for about another five minutes so it would be too far to walk.

The Cheongdo train station is quite welcoming to the town. There is a lifesize bull and a few replica traditional homes and figures of people in costumes. Outside there was an information tent and they told us to goto the bus station just across the road and up one block. For another 1200w ($1) we took the bus to the event.

Most of us had bought our tickets ahead of time but they were selling them for 5000w ($4.50). Inside the compound there were many different type of bull sculptures made from different types of materials. The large bullring was behind, reminiscent of the bullrings I had seen in Spain. The outer walls of the stadium are decorated with various artwork depicting bulls in traditional life.

The first thing I wanted to do was go in, so we saw some of the morning matches. I'd never seen a bullfight before, other than spanish matadors on tv, so wasnt sure what to expect. The stadium was only half full so we got good seating near the front. The bulls would be paraded out in the outer ring as they enter the main ring. Bulls are painted with letters on their side. Not sure if this was their name, name of owner, or town they originated from.

Some bulls would be dressed in elaborate blankets as they were led in. They they would be led by ropes to face each other until their horns were locked. Then a wrestling match ensues for a few minutes as they continue to grind their horns into each other. Sometimes they lose their position and at one point one bull looked as though it got its head under the other ones head and was going to flip him over. The matches were short and they kept bringing out another pair of bulls.

Video 1 : Morning Bullfights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJo8ShHu Ce0

Around noon we decided to check events outside. The outer courtyard had traditional tents and vendors seen at other festivals, with the two giant balloon markers above. The centre of the courtyard was an event performance stage. They had a spin the wheel game where I won a bull shaped money jar. There was also one of those revolving electric bull rodeo rides. They were selling Cheongdo strawberries, persimmon chocolates, and other traditional foods.

Some of the vendors were strange, like a food dicer (the one you see on infomercials), and a dental health clinic? There was also a mini farm with some bulls, chickens, and rabbits. The lower level of the arena is a bullfighting museum. It had a lot of artwork depicting bulls in fights or traditional life, as well as traditional furniture and ceramics.

At noon there was a magic show. First the guy does the usual tricks like making a cage of doves dissapear under the drape then a dove appears in his hand. After a few more palour tricks there was a levitating act. A boy from the audience was selected to lie on the table. Then he removes the two side supports from the table while it hovers on the air. The trick was performed again with a lady. This time after levitating the table he rotated it to each side. I can only think that it must have been a magnetized board with something on the ground to pull this off.

Later there was a really freaky show. A guy dressed in a black cape with gold dragon designs had a mask on his face and would hide behind his cape like zorro or the phantom of the opera. The music was creepy and everytime he would reveal his face his mask would change colour. He did this a few times with at least five or more mask changes. Finally he reveals his face and take off his helmet.

Video : Creepy Mask Changing Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rf1MAkV UoM

Afterwards, headed back in for some of the afternoon fights. I heard they become more interesting as the bulls become tired. Some of them did not want to fight and were being dragged. Others would kick up sand with their feet showing their displeasure. At one time a bull ran over one of the attendents but fortunately he got up after a minute or so and was unharmed.

The stadium was more full now. People were doing the wave in ripples around the stadium and dancing as the big screen tv would pick out groups of foreigners. I saw lots of people I knew from Daegu, Seoul, and Busan. The event had a large number of foreigners, unlike other festivals I goto which are mostly locals with a few foreigners.

How the matches were working now is that the two bulls would be locked in horn battle until one concedes by running away. It did not appear too violent as other animal fights could be. They dont charge and ram each other. They are free to run away so long as they put on a show for a minute or so. Also they were reacting to sound. The attendents would shout at them and slap them. When the MC would whip up the crowd to cheer and shout the bulls would become more agitated.

Video 2 : Afternoon Bullfights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0J0fPyA MnU

Then a lady 'matador' (not sure what the correct korean name would be?) entered. She kept going face up to the pulls and shouting and taunting them. The crowd would all join in and shout and jeer. After a while a bull conceded and ran off as she went and patted the winning bull. Some people in the row ahead were placing 1000w ($1) bets on each fight.

After a while the fights become repetitious so headed out to find the others. There was supposed to be a US Army Rodeo Team and Japanese Bullfighting but that might have been on another event day. Outside, the performance area had an old guy dressed in a flourescent yellow bikini singing some strange song. You know its time to go and they ran out of ideas when they have to dress an old guy in a bright neon bra!

When we got to the train station the cheaper Munganghwa train we came on for 2500w ($2.20) was sold out for the next hour, so we took the next train which was the next price up Saemaul for 4700w ($4.50). The seating was much more plush with more legroom, actually more comfy than the most expensive high speed KTX trains to seoul.

The bullfights will last for five days ending on Tuesday. In September they are also expecting to have daily bullfights again. Cheongdo also has a wine cellar in an abandoned train tunnel which many people went to. There will also be a 'tug of war festival' but not sure when.

Next weekend is the Busan Fishermans Festival at Gwangalli Beach. April has been a very busy month for festivals. I already mentioned Korea is Festival Obsessed, and with the long hot summers, they move alot of them to Mar/Apr and Sept/Oct to avoid the summer heat.

The internet can also be quite strange and rewarding. Someone in Italy saw my event page on facebook so told me about their own bullfighting festival in Italy!
http://www.regione.vda.it/turismo/propo ste/manifestazioni/tradizione_folklore/ batailles_de_reines_e.asp