Exploring life before civilization

Visitors take a photo during the Paleolithic Festival last year at Jeongok-ri Prehistoric Site in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province. / Courtesy of Yeoncheon County Office

Yeoncheon to host Paleolithic Festival May 3-7

By Jung Min-ho

YEONCHEON, Gyeonggi Province ― Bullets and tension are among the words that used to be associated with Yeoncheon County, which was part of North Korea before the 1950-53 Korean War.

But the city with a population of only a little more than 40,000 has successfully turned itself into one of the most interesting places to visit during spring with a colorful event.

The 25th Paleolithic Festival will be held at Jeongok-ri Prehistoric Site, May 3 to 7. The annual event offers a glimpse into what it was like to live in an era without anything artificial other than polished stones.

“About 140,000 people came for the festival last year, which is more than three times the number living here,” said Chung Se-mi, an event organizer. “We are expecting more visitors this year.”

The most popular program, especially for children, is “eating like a primitive man,” in which they eat beef after cutting it with a sharp stone and cooking it over a fire.

Lunchtime

They can also try throwing a spear, catching fish with bare hands and many other fun games. Helpers, dressed up as primitive men, will be there to spice up the atmosphere.

Special shows such as magic and mime performances have been prepared. For people who are planning to camp near the venue, there will be also evening outdoor concerts May 5 to 8.

Hantan River Campsite, which is just across from Jeongok-ri Prehistoric Site, is one of the largest campsites in Korea. Visitors can set up their own tents or rent one of the cabins or trailers. Reservations are recommended for busy times like the festival period.

A view of Hantan River Campsite

Yeoncheon officials came up with the festival idea after U.S. solider Greg Bowen discovered a hand axe there in 1978. It was critical evidence that defies the Movius Line, a theoretical line that separates those parts of the world with or without Acheulean hand axe technology.

Bowen’s finding suggested that the technology level in East Asia wasn’t “inferior” to the region inside the line during the Paleolithic era as previously claimed.

People who are interested in learning more about the era can visit the Jeongok Prehistory Museum, which is near the event site.

Jaein Waterfall

In addition to the festival, visitors can try many other activities, such as fishing and kayaking. Yeoncheon’s beautiful natural landscape makes the experience all the more pleasant.

The city is one of the few places where people can see red-crowned cranes, and there are many other kinds of birds to be found in the area.

Columnar joints, a geological structure of sets of intersecting closely spaced fractures, is another charm of Yeoncheon, where volcanic activity used to be common.

Jaein Waterfall is another one of the most popular tourist attractions. It takes about 20 minutes by car to get there from the festival site.