HAMYANG GINSENG FESTIVAL

[Anchor Lead]

Hamyang in Gyeongsangnam-do Province is South Korea's largest producer of mountain-cultivated ginseng and is currently holding a wild ginseng festival. Visitors can even try digging up wild ginseng roots for themselves. Here's more.

[Pkg]

Novice ginseng diggers comb across a low lying hill. They were earlier told to look for those with red berries.

[Soundbite] "I found a root!"

But what they're digging up is not real. It's just for the experience. However, if they do successfully uproot the replica, they will receive a gift of real ginseng.

[Soundbite] JEONG IN-HO(YEOSU RESIDENT) : "I felt the rare thrill of finding ginseng in the mountains."

During the ginseng festival, an auction also takes place.

[Soundbite] "Three people bidding KRW 150,000. Going up to 160,000, 170,000, 180,000!"

Bidders can purchase ginseng roots cultivated from nearby farms at an affordable price.

[Soundbite] YUN HO-SEON(GEOJE RESIDENT) : "It's really cheap here at auction. In past years, I paid more for this product. Today the price is amazing."

The ginseng variety called 'Sanyangsam' in Korean refers to wild ginseng seeds grown deep in the mountains. They are known to have similar medicinal effects to those found in the wild. The county of Hamyang-gun, which is the largest producer of these mountain-cultivated ginseng roots in Korea thanks to its germanium-rich soil and abundant highlands, hosts a ginseng festival every year to promote the local specialty. This year in particular, the festival features exhibitions as well as interactive and night-time programs and will continue through September 15th.