Wow, where should I start? I dived right into action the moment I touched down at Incheon International Airport.
A two-hour drive from Incheon, and there we were — Boryeong, the host city of the 28th edition of the Mud Festival. We made a stop at a Korean restaurant and enjoyed a treat of Korean beef radish soup 
. We then proceeded to the Festival Secretariat, where I received my #VisitChungnam appointment as a Chungnam Tourism Supporter for the years 2025 and 2026 together with the rest of the ambassadors — Manuel, Chebet, Nicole, Chan, and Renata.
. We then proceeded to the Festival Secretariat, where I received my #VisitChungnam appointment as a Chungnam Tourism Supporter for the years 2025 and 2026 together with the rest of the ambassadors — Manuel, Chebet, Nicole, Chan, and Renata.
Deeply immersed in this place of nostalgia and healing, I got to experience the Mud Festival on 8th August with my fellow Ambassadors. A time was had.
We then shared a meal together before heading to Sanghwawon, a traditional Korean garden located on Jukdo Island, where I spent the night in a natural, soothing, calm, and tranquil environment. Best night ever? I think yes. The next day, being a Saturday, we began with a tour of the island, learning more about its history. What struck me most was the unique architecture — some of the materials used to build the houses are now extinct, making them extremely rare. The lush green environment added to the serenity. We then stopped at the magical Muchangpo Beach before heading to our next spot, Cafe Riris, where I tried edible flowers 
. I had never thought of them as a meal before in my life. Well, I was now fully immersed in Korean tradition. Later, we visited Gaehwa Art Park, home to various tourist attractions and beautiful art pieces in the Mosan Fine Arts Museum.
. I had never thought of them as a meal before in my life. Well, I was now fully immersed in Korean tradition. Later, we visited Gaehwa Art Park, home to various tourist attractions and beautiful art pieces in the Mosan Fine Arts Museum.
Just like any Saturday around the world, we joined the K-Pop Super Live Party at the festival later that night, dancing our fatigue away to some lively Korean music.
Then came the last day, Sunday. We began with a short stop at the Seongjusa Temple Site, a centre of Zen Buddhism where over 2,000 Buddhist monks once trained. It’s now a preserved tourist site surrounded by green mountains — a perfect example of why holy places like temples are often found in such serene settings. Cultural heritage is deeply preserved in South Korea, and this was evident when we visited Baekunsa Temple, where we were warmly welcomed, as is the norm in Korean Buddhism philosophy. We were guided through the basics of Buddhist prayer, learning what each ring of the bell means. After three hours, we could perform a prayer ourselves. The visit ended with tea with the monk. Remarkably, this temple site has stood in this location for 341 years.
We wrapped up our Chungnam fieldwork with sky biking and zip-lining over the wonders of Daecheon Beach — a future beach volleyball venue for the Chungcheong 2027 FISU World University Games Summer. I had never considered trying such adrenaline-filled activities, but Boryeong tested me — and it wasn’t as scary as I thought. Being adventurous, I was thrilled when we took the Boryeong Underwater Tunnel to Wonsando Island for a quick relaxation session by the calm waters at BytheO.
It was truly a Great Geographic Society fieldwork expedition. If you made it to this point, you should #VisitChungnam in the 2025–2026 season 
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