Bull Fighting

Bull Fighting
March 12, 2006

Today I went to Cheongdo for the annual Bull Fighting Festival. It's probably not what you think. There's no guy with a red cape taunting the bull to charge at him. There are two bulls literally fighting. They go head to head (I'm hilarious!) and lock horns (I just couldn't help myself.) and go hoof to hoof (I promise...last one.) to see who the toughest bull in the ring is.

The festival lasts about one week with many matches and over a hundred bulls from Korea and even other countries. We didn't stay all day because it was quite cold. Some matches were over quickly. One bull might just be too afraid to fight the other and runs off. Other matches took 30 minutes or more. The bulls just keep butting heads and locking horns...pushing each other back and forth till one gives up, turns to the side and runs off.

It was a surreal experience, but interesting to watch. I don't think this would be allowed in America because of animal rights activists. But I think this type of entertainment has been going on quite a while in Korea and will probably continue for many years to come.