Bull Fighting Festival

Cheungdo's Bull Fighting Festival

In our efforts to create some crazy adventures, we went to Cheungdo's Annual Bull Fighting Festival this past weekend. We met up with Trevor's friend from home, Nick, Nick's girlfriend Sara, and their co-worker Brian. The five of us were all surprised at how much fun the festival turned out to be. (Definitely better then the Prawn festival, in the sense that I didn't have to listen to our food being cooked... any food we did eat was brought to us already dead and cooked!!!)

Not knowing what to expect, the day was exactly what it sounds like it would be... a day full of bull's fighting each other. I didn't really know if or what the rules are for a bull fight, but it looked as though which ever bull gave up, turned and ran away was the loser.


Sometimes the bulls would refuse to fight and just start running around the ring. We went down close to the fence at one point and a bull ran right up to where we were standing and started head butting the fence... Scary!!!! But they always caught the bull, after a few rounds around the ring.
This festival seems to be a big source of pride for Cheungdo, as there were sculptures of bulls all over the place. We saw this one, carved from wood, at the festival and the one below it was at a park in the city.

After watching a few fights, we got something to eat and came back just in time for what seemed to be the opening ceremony, as this was the first day of the 4 or5-day festival. There were a few speeches given, in Korean of course, as many people gathered in the ring with flags. Soon enough, one of the speakers yelled, only what I can assume was, something along the lines of "Let the games begin!!!" and balloons were released into the air, noise makers were set off, and coloured smoke filled the air from hang-glider-type contraptions.



The balloons being released.
Streamers were released behind us, from those balls hanging behind Trevor in the pic. After the balloons and noisemakers, a group of young kids put on an an amazing performance with about 6 different types of drums... but we could only see them on the big screen because there were so many people and we were at a bad angle.

I do have a video of one of the bull fights, but again, I'm working on it... Hopefully it will be up this weekend. I have the instructions on how to do it, I just haven't gotten the chance yet...

I would like to just say, that I looked for a little wooden bull souvenir for my sister, who's sign is Taurus the Bull, and is proud of it!!! but I couldn't find any!!! So Erin, I got you the next best thing... Pictures of myself and Trevor riding a bull... See below...

HAHAHAHA... I bet you thought I meant real bulls!!!!

But overall, A great experience!!!!