Hamyang Mountain Sam Festival

Grown in germanium-rich soil at altitudes above 500m, Hamyang wild ginseng is prized for its dense, firm texture and high saponin content, earning it a reputation as a premium product. Hamyang was the first in Korea to introduce a ginseng traceability system, letting consumers check exactly how their ginseng was produced, and its Sanyangsam Guardian activities keep quality consistently high, setting it apart from other ginseng. The festival is held at Sangnimgongwon Park, Natural Monument No. 154, where the mystery of a thousand years still lingers, with programs that pass down the fading history and culture of wild ginseng and the mountain herbalists (simmani) who gathered it. It also aims to boost the local economy by using the county's signature clean forest product, wild ginseng, to expand markets for local specialties and by linking programs with the area's forest, cultural, and tourism resources. The festival takes place every year around September to October.