Festivals Calendar - September 2019
Andong International Mask Dance Festival / Andong City Government
The following are the major cultural and tourist festivals to be held in South Korea in September.
Hyoseok Cultural Festival
When: Sept. 7-15
Where: PyeongChang, Gangwon Province
Lee Hyo-seok (1907-1942) was one of the most famous Korean novelists of the 20th century. The highland town of PyeongChang is famous as his birthplace and for the gorgeous buckwheat flowers that cover the land in autumn. The festival commemorating the novelist, the author of "Buckwheat Season," offers various programs amid the backdrop of the village. They include performances of traditional folk plays, re-enactments of traditional marketplaces, performances of traditional and modern music and dance, and writing contests. Visitors will also have the chance to taste local specialty dishes made from buckwheat flour.
For more information, call (033) 335-2323/4 or go to www.hyoseok.com.
Baekje Cultural Festival
When: Sept. 28-Oct. 6
Where: Buyeo, Gongju and Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province
This festival, one of the oldest cultural festivals in the country, highlights the golden days of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C. - A.D. 660). An ancient kingdom located in the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula. Baekje was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. This year's festival will present nearly 100 events, including parades, a memorial ceremony for the four great kings of Baekje, folk games, exhibitions and traditional Korean music and mask dance performances.
For more information, visit the festival's website at www.baekje.org or call (041) 635-6980.
Andong International Mask Dance Festival
When: Sept. 27-Oct. 6
Where: Andong and Hahoe Village, North Gyeongsang Province
From old times, the mask dance has been used to indirectly criticize the "yangban" class, or the ruling elite of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), by the common people.
Direct criticism of yangban was strictly forbidden during that time, so the common people satirized them from behind masks, developing the craft into various forms of mask dances with regional variations.
Visitors to Hahoe Village, one of the two South Korean villages recently added to UNESCO's World Heritage List, can see the village's Confucian cultural characteristics.
For more information, call (054) 841-6397/8 or visit the website at www.maskdance.com.
Muju Firefly Festival
When: Aug. 31-Sept. 8
Where: Muju, North Jeolla Province.
Fireflies, known as "banditburi" in Korean, were ubiquitous here several decades ago but disappeared from most of the country during its industrialization. The insects are now considered symbols of a clean environment. The 22nd annual Firefly Festival in Muju offers a firsthand look at the environment through activities such as an exploration tour to see wild fireflies. Various modern and traditional art performances, including folk plays, will be offered, as well as rafting and chances to catch trout with bare hands.
For detailed information, visit the website at www.firefly.or.kr or call (063) 324-2440. (Yonhap)