Autumn attracts people to enjoy more outdoor activities with its magical power of a cool breeze, high and blue skies, and colorful nature. As the autumnal colors tint the trees, many festivals around complete the picture. Celebrating the “Month of Culture,” designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ewha Voice introduces big festivals around the country that Ewha students, Korean and foreign alike, can participate in to enjoy Korean culture with the fresh breeze of autumn. The following festivals are a few of the biggest and most representative festivals celebrated in each
At the heart of
Events are divided according to different categories, namely, Art and Culture, Tour and Events, Games and Competitions, Exhibitions and Lectures. Aside from the traditional music and dance performances, fashion shows and art exhibitions, and traditional folk games will also be prepared for international visitors.
To get to
In Gyeonggi
The three-day festival, which will be held from October 23 to 26, includes a student traditional musical instrument competition, a puppet show, theatrical performances and other rice-making programs. Among the various programs provided, the highlight of the event is the making of a 600-meter-long garaeddok, a rolled rice cake, which is expected to be big enough to serve every visitor.
A contest to select the master of boiled rice will also be held. Judges will evaluate the contestants' rice cooking skills, the process, as well as the final taste of the rice. Also, the festival organizers are planning to cook 2,000 portions of rice and sell each bowl of rice. Other side dishes will be sold for 2,000 won. This symbolized the name “Icheon,” which means two thousand in Korean.
The festival will be held at
Other than rice, what do Koreans eat during almost every meal? It is non-other than Kimchi, a traditional Korean spiced vegetable, indispensable with a bowl of rice. In
From 1994, the Gwangju Kimchi Festival has been held annually for people to taste kimchi with various dishes that go well with it. A kimchi buffet is also prepared along with other local foods of Gwangju. The purpose of the festival is for people to get to know more about kimchi and learn ways to make kimchi. Major events include a gayageum (Korean traditional string instrument) performance, a hanbok (Korean traditional costume) fashion show, and a kimchi concert. During the so-called “Kimchi Concert,” popular Korean singers will be invited to perform. Also, visitors will have the chance to play Korean traditional folk games, participate in kimchi printing, which is color printing with the use of kimchi, and make kimchi with international visitors.
The festival will be held around
At the north east portion of South Korea is the vast land of
Covered with eulalia, the beautiful scene spreads over one of the five greatest pampas grass swathes in our country. Visitors to the festival can enjoy the Jeongseon Arirang performance, make bare mountain souvenirs and encounter the chance to grow cabbages during the weekends.
Heading a little southwest from
This festival allows the participants to experience the actual training that soldiers go through in the army and have the chance to get on board the army vehicles. Theme parades and performances of martial arts will be shown. As part of the festival, a debating tournament will also be held with the topic of national security for university students from November 6 to 8.
At the northern part of the province, the “The 4th Boeun Loess Apple the whole country [I1] Experience Festival” will be held from October 28 to 29 in the Boeun District. This festival is one of the largest festivals in
Participants will be able to pick apples and eat the delicious fruit. Last year, people also had the chance to plant apple trees and participate in weekend farming.
In Busan, the famous Korean port city located in the south-east portion of the country, the “2008 Busan Biennale” is held from September 6 to November 15 at the Busan Museum of Modern Art,
From October 23 to 26 in Seogwipo, the “Seogwipo Chilshimni Festival” is being held for the 14th time. The name ‘Seogwipo Chilshimni’ is a title of a song written in 1938 that evokes nostalgia about the devastated feelings people experienced when Jeju was occupied by the Japanese. Due to the lyrics of the song, the phrase has become a proper noun indicating the Utopia that exists in the heart of the citizens of Seogwipo. The history of this phrase inspired the name of this grand festival. People can make pottery, try natural dying and make bamboo flutes.
Another grand festival will be held from November 8 to 16 at the Moseulpo Port of Jeju
[I1]??? Unless this is the literal title – in English – that the festival uses, I would just delete these three words --- they don’t make sense!