Cheap Flights to Yanji (YNJ) from UK Airports

Traditional performances and sporting events are highlights of the Yambian Korean Folklore Festival

The city of Yanji in Northeast China, is situated in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province and is home to the largest number of ethnic Koreans outside Korea itself. Much of the city is bilingual, with Korean often being the most commonly spoken language. Because of the vast number of Ethnic Koreans living in this destination, the people of Yanji are very invested in Korean heritage and promote their culture with a series of events throughout the year. The most popular of these is the Yanbian Korean Folklore Festival.

Usually held in early September the festival is a grand celebration of Korean culture and visitors can witness a great number of performances and displays throughout the festival. Participants dress up in traditional Korean costumes and perform songs and dances, while examples of Korean art can be viewed and there is plenty of traditional food to sample. Ancient Korean sports are displayed in a number of competitions including Korean Wrestling, kite flying, spinning tops, and Nol-Ttwigi. This is a form of seesawing where participants stand on each side of a board then jump, forcing their fellow competitor into the air.

Tours of the nearby Changbai Mountains are also offered during the festival. Mount Changbai is a volcanic mountain that has a large crater lake, Lake Tianchi (Heavenly Lake) at its centre. The views from this mountaintop destination are stunning and visitors are highly encouraged to take one of the tours to witness this spectacular natural wonder.