Muddy, mucky and marshy, the Boryeong Mud Festival on Saturday saw thousands flock to Daecheon beach on the west coast of South Korea for a blowout of gunky mud wrestling competitions, a bespattered mud marathon, soiled mud massages, along with a mud mega tub, mud painting, a mud slide, mud trampolines and even a mud showroom. Beginning July 19 and running until July 28, the annual Boryeong Mud Festival is now in its sixteenth year.

Popular with tourists from around the globe, the festival attracts visitors who wish to immerse themselves in the beneficial properties of the Boryeong mud. Said to treat skin diseases, wet clay absorbs toxins in the skin, increases blood circulation and improves circulation in the body. Yet for many of the dirty participants, rolling around in the mud for plain old-fashioned muddy fun was the name of the dirty game.