Most cities have their own festival. Among them, there are some unusual festivals in Ulsan, South Korea. They are Ganjeolgot Sunrise Festival and Ulsan Whale Festival. Ganjeolgot is a cape wherein the sun rises first in South Korean inland areas, so most people go there to celebrate New Year's Day or the first day of the year. Ulsan Whale Festival is the only whale festival in South Korea.

▲ The sunrise in Ganjeolgot

First, Ganjeolgot Festival is held every December 31st to January 1st. Ganjeolgot is a cape wherein the sun rises first in South Korean inland areas. It is a famous festival, so people go to the coast to catch a glimpse of the first sunrise. There is also the biggest letterbox in South Korea, and it is the second-largest mailbox in the world. Many people come to this festival, and the number of tourists is constantly increasing. The famous festival started on December 31st, 1999 in Ganjeolgot. People can enjoy many New Year performances there, such as watching fireworks display, watching the sunrise, and wishes New Year wishes.

▲ The appearance of Ulsan Whale Festival

Next, Ulsan Whale Festival is held every June 6th to June 9th. It started in 1995. Ulsan is famous for the whale. There are murals there which show the appearance of the whaling. These are called Bangudae Petroglyphs, and these are engraved on rocks. A historian said that the history of whaling started after the independence of Koreans from Japanese. In the 1970s, whaling was the industry that most people did for a living. However, in the 1980s, because of senseless whaling in the 1970s, some whales became endangered. Eventually, the whaling was stopped by IWC (International Whaling Commission) in 1986. However, there is a village in Ulsan called Jangsaengpo wherein the tourists can go sightseeing of whales. There are many activities that can be done there. People can experience the prehistoric whaling reappearance and board on a cruise.

The scale and the number of tourists of Ganjeolgot Sunrise Festival and the Ulsan Whale Festival are constantly increasing. Most of the people who went to these festivals said that these were unusual, and they enjoyed the events. Going to other festivals can be nice, but it is good to experience these unique festivals in Ulsan.