Sancheong-gun is the home of traditional oriental medicine, producing many famous doctors. Herbs grown in the foothills of Jirisan have excellent efficacy. To develop the local herbal medicine industry, Sancheong-gun holds the Sancheong Herbal Medicine Festival every September to October.

The home of medicinal herbs

Sancheong, the hometown of the medical book Donguibogam written by Heo Jun, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage, is a place where many great doctors practiced medicine. Native medicinal herbs that grow in the clean natural environment centered around Jirisan are widely known for their excellent quality and efficacy. Sancheong-gun has been hosting the Sancheong Herbal Medicine Festival since 2001 to promote the benefits of having over 1,000 types of medicinal herbs growing naturally in the area, and it has now established itself as a cultural tourism festival designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Visitors can experience free oriental medicine treatment, taste oriental medicine food, attend lectures on herbal medicine, and learn about herbal medicine by seeing, smelling, and touching herbs at the herbal medicine cultivation complex along the Gyeongho River sides. 

24th Sancheong Herbal Medicine Festival

The festival runs from September to October each year, and this year it kicks off on September 27 and will run through October 6 with the theme ‘The Medicinal Herb Festa 1613! Follow your breath, follow the scent of Sancheong herbs!’ This year, there will be a variety of new programs, including foot baths, gongindan making, ki boulder experience, herbal medicine experience, herbal sachet making, dressing up as a doctor, herbal medicine making, herbal medicine kangjeong, kid’s train, pet healing zone, hip photo studio, Sancheong restaurant, and visible radio.