Festivals to celebrate rebirth of four rivers

By Lee Hyo-sik

The end of the year will also mark the completion of the four river restoration project. To celebrate the revival of the four river systems — the Han, Nakdong, Geum and Yeongsan — municipal administrations across the country have planned the “2011 Riverside Autumn Feast,” comprising five festivals throughout October.

Five municipalities through which the rivers flow will attract tens of thousands of tourists seeking to enjoy diverse waterside leisure activities and experience unique and rich cultural heritage prominent in the areas. The municipalities are Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province, Andong in North Gyeongsang Province, Buyeo in South Chungcheong Province, Naju in South Jeolla Province and Busan.

“Through the restoration work, the four rivers have been reborn with full vitality. To celebrate their revival and promote them as new tourist spots, we have been and will be organizing festivals in cooperation with local administrations this month,” said an official at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

He said the government will make more efforts to turn the rivers into a human-friendly cultural and entertainment destination.

“When people come and see how the four rivers have been improved, they will realize the success of the restoration work. In cooperation with local administrations, the central government will come out with ways to make the rivers a more sustainable tourist destination and benefit the regional economies,” the official said.

Han River

The “Southern Han River Festival” held in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, attracted tens of thousands of visitors during its five-day run on Oct. 1 to 5. It showcased a range of concerts and art performances, as well as trekking and other outdoor events.

Some of the tourist attractions in the county include tombs of King Sejong and Hyojong, Empress Myeongseong’s birthplace, and the famed Sileuksa temple and Pasa fortress.

Nakdong River

The 2011 Riverside Autumn Feast started off with the “Nakdong River Culture festival,” which was hosted by Busan Metropolitan Government between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3.

To publicize the transformation of the riverside land in the northern part of the city, which was often inundated by heavy rainfall, into an environment-friendly leisure and sports complex, the festival showcased a range of events, including fireworks, and cultural performances.

Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, also hosted the autumn cultural festival on the waterfront of the Nakdong River on Oct. 4-8 in conjunction with the International Mask Dance Festival. Visitors to the city, the home of Korean Confucianism, were able to enjoy both festivals.

Some of major tourist attractions in Andong include Byeongsan Seowon. Seowon is a memorial hall for Confucian services to honor distinguished scholars and statesmen. Also, tourists are strongly encouraged to visit Sosu Seowon in Yeongju where they can take part in diverse cultural activities, such as making traditional Korean paper.

Geum River

To celebrate the revival of the Geum River, Buyeo City hosted an autumn festival from Sept. 20 through Oct. 9. During the event, thousands of visitors visited an ancient capital city of the Baekjae Kingdom and took part in a range of cultural and leisure activities.

If tourists want to see more of what the ancient Kingdom was like, they should visit Naeso Temple in Buan, North Jeolla Province, which was established 1,300 years ago.

They may also want to consider taking a drive on the 33.9-kilometer Saemanguem Seawall linking the port city of Gunsan and the Byeonsan Peninsula. It is the world’s longest man-made dike.

YeongsanRiver

Naju will host the “Yeongsan Cultural Festival” from Oct. 27 to 31 as the last autumn fest designed to celebrate the completion of the four water project. It will be held on the waterfront of the Yeongsan River, showcasing a wide array of cultural performances and leisure activities.

Visitors are also strongly recommended to go aboard a “Geobukseon” or turtle-ship, which was created by Admiral Yi Soon-shin during the Japanese invasion (1592-98). The turtle ships played a crucial role in the Korean Navy’s victory over the Japanese at the time.

Visitors can see how the ships were made and watch a 3D movie featuring a series of Yi’s victories over the Japanese.