10 Events in Gyeonggi-do That You Shouldn't Miss

Visitors looking for a fun hands-on lesson in Korean history should not miss the annual Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival. A short bus ride from Seoul, the Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, celebrates the legacy of King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty every October. The free event includes traditional music and martial arts performances as well as a play area offering a glimpse of 18th century life. The coinciding Suwon Love Light and Food Culture Festivals round out the experience.

Each fall, South Korea draws half a million book lovers from all around Asia for a week-long celebration of the written word. Although a relatively new event, now entering its 5th year, the Paju Booksori festival has already been distinguished as Asia's largest festival celebrating books with around 100 publishers and many notable book-related organizations in attendance. The event takes place at the dozens of bookshops in Paju Book City, one of only 16 official book towns in the world and includes a variety of themed exhibitions, performances and hands on activities for the whole family.

For those interested in getting their hands on beautiful handmade Korean pottery, look no further than the Yeoju Ceramic Festival. The yearly springtime event culminates with a special exhibition and performances. The festival seeks to raise awareness of Korean ceramic artists and to celebrate the city's thousand-year ceramics tradition. The large on-site ceramics sale is also a great opportunity to support the local economy.