[Korean Culture to Enliven Fall Festivals; 11 Events Include Porcelain Exhibitions, Food Shows, Mask Dances, Ginseng and Mushroom Displays...]
When cool breezes drive away the sultry heat and put closure on the
memories of the never-ending rains, a variety of fall festivals will
be awaiting to open.
The Korea National Tourism Organization has announced 11 festivals
ranging from porcelain shows to a kimchi festival, recommended for
this September and October.
A ginseng festival will be held in Kumsan, South Chungchong Province, Sept. 10-14. The festival will be highlighted by a 1.5km-long candle parade to be attended by Kumsan residents and tourists on the opening day. Nearly 250 varieties of Kumsan ginseng will be on display, and 30 dishes containing ginseng will be offered for your culinary pleasure. Foreign tourists will also get to take part in Korean traditional games using 'cheki' (shuttlecock) and 'yut' (four sticks).
In Kangjin, South Cholla Province, a porcelain festival will open Sept. 16 for a five-day run. Known for its maintenance of Koryo Dynasty's celadon tradition from 9th century to 14th century Kangjin has 188 pottery kiln sites, the most in the nation.
A ceramic ware festival is also due Sept. 18-27 in Ichon, Kyonggi
Province. The festival's various programs will range from a pottery
show, bringing together ceramic wares from Japan, China and Korea,
to 'talchum' (mask dance) performances, a tea ceremony and pottery
classes.
A mushroom festival will take place in Yangyang, Kangwon Province,
Sept. 25-27. Visitors will be able to travel to a natural pine mushroom farm sprawled along a mountainside located in Hyonbok-myon, Yangyang-gun, near Mt. Sorak. Delicious mountain mushrooms will be on sale at inexpensive prices.
Reservations for the mushroom farm tour are available till Aug. 31.
Charges are 30,000 won for a foreign adult, 20,000 won for a Korean
adult and 10,0000 won for a Korean teenager. For further information
call 0396-670-2213.
The Andong International Talchum (mask dance) Festival is scheduled
to open Sept. 25 for a five-day run in Andong, North Kyongsang Province. The event will be attended by 26 Korean troupes and four
foreign groups and will provide spectators with a superb opportunity
to see a wide variety of traditional mask dances at home and abroad.
In Yongdong, North Chungchong Province, a music festival will pay
homage to Park Yon (1378-1458), a Korean composer and musician. Park
has been praised for his roles in arranging Korea's traditional music theses as well as playing ancient musical instruments native to Korea. The festival will be held Sept. 26-30.
The Tongyong city government plans to organize a lacquer ware festival from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3. Tongyong in South Kyongsang Province takes pride in 300 years of manufacturing lacquer ware products.
About 100 kinds of lacquer ware products will be on sale. Various lacquer ware exhibitions are planned along with a flamboyant festival in celebration of the Hansan sweeping victory scored by Admiral Yi Sun-shin of the Choson Dyansty (1392-1910). Yi defeated the Japanese in front of Hansan Island near Tongyong.
A culinary show featuring distinctive foods originating from South
Cholla Province will be presented Oct. 1-7 at a small town in Nakan-up, Sunchon, South Cholla Province. Five-hundred kinds of traditional foods and dishes featuring a combination of traditional and modern recipes will be exhibited.
Organizers said a variety of events including a traditional wedding
ceremony and a revival of traditional marketplaces are also planned.
A four-day seafood festival will open at the Chakalchi Market in Pusan Oct. 16. Located next to the sea, the event will bring together a music festival, a food show, a cruise tour and competitions involving various craftsmen.
The Kwangjju city government will host a kimchi (spicy, pickled cabbage) festival in Kwangju Oct. 16-20 in an effort to promote kimchi, one of Korea's most representative foods.
Foreigners will be asked to take part in kimchi-making competitions.
Lectures on how to make kimchi will also be available.
A fall festival featuring the theme of autumnal leaves will be held
at Mt. Naejang in North Cholla Province, which is famous for the
glorious tints of its autumn foliage, Oct. 22-25.
The festival will feature a music festival, exhibitions and various
games.
(Kim Song-ae Staff reporter)
1998.08.21
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