Jeju World Heritage Festival makes joyful live return

Staff members of the 2022 Jeju World Heritage Festival shine flashlights inside Manjanggul on Jeju Island, during a press tour to promote the festival, Aug. 24. Courtesy of World Natural Heritage Village Preservation Association

By Kwak Yeon-soo

JEJU ISLAND ― The World Heritage Festival on Jeju Island, which seeks to promote the cultural significance of the volcanic island's UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites, will return for the third year with a promise to be bigger and more exciting than ever.

It marks the return of the in-person event that was put on hold as the festival had to cancel live events and offer online alternatives last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The World Heritage Festival was launched in 2020 to promote UNESCO-designated cultural heritage and natural heritage sites in Korea. This year, Jeju was chosen along with the cities of Andong and Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province and Suwon in Gyeonggi Province to hold the festival.

Under the theme of "Connect," the 2022 World Heritage Festival in Jeju Island will be held from Oct. 1 to 16 at three sites ― Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, Mount Halla and Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone.

Collectively, they were designated as a UNESCO Natural Heritage site in 2007. Since then, these locations have been strictly protected by the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), with unauthorized entry being barred.

Staff members of the 2022 Jeju World Heritage Festival walk down the stairs in Gimnyeonggul on Jeju Island, during a press tour held to promote the festival, Aug. 24. Courtesy of World Natural Heritage Village Preservation Association

Manjanggul (Manjang Cave), a part of Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, is a 7.4-kilometer-long lava tube known for its multi-colored carbonate roofs and floors and dark-colored lava walls. However, only 1 kilometer of the No. 2 entrance has been open to the public as a tourist attraction. The remaining No. 1 and No. 3 entrances are normally off-limits to visitors. Gimnyeonggul and Bengdwigul are usually closed to tourists.

However, selected participants among those who sign up for the expedition will be granted full access to Manjanggul, Gimnyeonggul and Bendwigul to see traces of lava that erupted from Geomunoreum.

"Although there is still a debate over the date of volcanic eruption, it is widely believed that an immense volume of magma erupted from Geomunoreun about 8,000 years ago," said Kim Sung-soo, chief of the walking trail program.

"Unlike conventional lava tubes, of which the upper tube is No. 1 and they go down the slope to No. 3, Manjanggul travels conversely from No. 3 down to No. 1. That's because Bu Jong-hyu, the schoolteacher who first discovered the cave, decided to do so," he added.

The lava flowed down the coast and traveled northeast for more than 13 kilometers until it finally came to a halt after reaching Woljeongri Beach. From the lava's devastation, many tube systems were created.

A staff member of the 2022 Jeju World Heritage Festival stands inside Bengdwigul on Jeju Island, during a press tour held to promote the festival, Aug. 25. Korea Times photo by Kwak Yeon-soo

Ki Jin-seok, a researcher of Jeju World Natural Heritage Center, explained the geology of the three different caves.

According to him, Manjanggul is a rare specimen showing unique formations, such as lava ropes formed during the creation of the lava tube. Gimnyeonggul has characteristics of both a lava tube and a limestone cave. Bengdwigul is one of the most complicated labyrinthian lava tube systems in the world.

"For geologists, Bengdwigul is invaluable because it demonstrates how lava continuously flowed over the surface of the ground and the complex route it took to eventually form a tube deep underground," Ki said.

Created close to the Earth's surface, this cave has a number of entrance holes throughout.

"Due to its complex structure, many people hid inside the cave during the Jeju 4.3 Incident," Ki said, referring to the 1947-54 Jeju Massacre in which about 10 percent of the islanders were estimated to have been killed.

People walk across Mosani pond in Deokcheon-ri Village on Jeju Island, during a press tour held to promote the 2022 Jeju World Heritage Festival, Aug. 24. Courtesy of World Natural Heritage Village Preservation Association

Kang Kyung-mo, the chief officer of the festival, explained that another highlight of the Jeju festival is "Finding a World Natural Heritage Village." He stressed the local community's engagement to boost tourism development.

A total of seven villages ― Deokcheon-ri, Gimnyeong-ri, Seonheul 1-ri, Seonheul 2-ri, Haengwon-ri, Seongsan-ri and Woljeong-ri ― participated in planning and executing this year's festival, according to the World Natural Heritage Village Preservation Association.

For instance, Deokcheon-ri will provide campsites near a pond and develop photo booths for newlyweds and young shutterbugs. Gimnyeong-ri will offer classes run by "haenyeo," or female divers. Tourists will be given opportunities to get hands-on experiences making "taewak," which provides a float on which a haenyeo can rest to catch their breath while the attached net holds their catch.

"While preparing for the festival, we realized that even local residents are not familiar with some natural heritage sites. We tried to persuade them first to understand why we need to preserve our heritage. Once they fully understand the festival's intention, villagers can be at the forefront of stressing the importance of our heritage," Kang said.

"In the future, we want to make sure local communities benefit from taking part in the festival. Right now, they are required to return the income to authorities because these villages receive government funding."

Jeju "haenyeo" or female divers, Kang Chang-bok, left, and Koh Young-hee teach how to make a model "taewak," which provides a float on which a haenyeo can rest to catch their breath while the attached net holds their catch, during a press tour in Gimnyeong-ri, Jeju Island, Aug. 24. Courtesy of World Natural Heritage Village Preservation Association

Apart from walking tour programs, the festival will also offer a wide range of exhibitions and concerts themed with the cultural legacies of the region.

A nature-friendly exhibition titled "Water and Fire: Border Space," which includes junk art, will be showcased. A music festival will be held on Seongsan Ilchulbong Tuff Cone.

Asked about attracting foreign visitors amid the pandemic, Kang said, "We will provide interpreters, commentators and audio clips for foreigners who come to the festival. Our ultimate goal is to promote our cultural heritage to the world."