Fall festivals in Jeollanam-do, 2008 edition.

Here's a list of some festivals in and around Jeollanam-do this fall. I've tried to get as many as I could, but if you know of any other interesting ones in the area, please add them in your comment and I'll stick them into the post. Also, as of my original post some of the festivals haven't announced their dates yet. As they become available I'll edit the post to reflect them. And if anybody has any reviews from this year or last, feel free to share.

I plan to hit the Biennale this weekend, and catch the Lantern Festival and the Namdo Food Festival, and head out to Piagol to walk around amidst the fall foliage. I'd also like to visit Gokseong, Namwon, and Suncheon Bay for the Reed Festival, but who knows if there'll be enough time.

I plan on making weekends out of the out-of-town festivals. For information on other points of interest in Jeollanam-do, take a look at this post I did on Roboseyo's site. Or, suggest your own.



Korea Dance Festival (전국무용게)
* September 3rd to September 12th
* Held at the Mokpo Culture and Fitness Center---not sure how to translate 목포문화체육센터---two-and-a-half kilometers east of the bus terminal. Thanks to Ms. Parker in Korea for the tip.
* Official site.


2008 Gwangju Biennale (광주비엔날레)
* September 5th to November 9th
* A reknowned art festival held biannually in Gwangju with exhibits produced both domestically and internationally. Held predominantly at the Biennale Exhibition Hall, the Museum of Art, and Jungoe Park (중외공원), all on the north side of the city, a few other happenings seem to be . . . happening in Daein Market and Gwangju Theater. The Biennale Hall is accessible via a number of buses, and a 5,000 won cab ride from the Gwangju Bus Terminal or Gwangju Station. The official site has loads more information, including exhibit information and a summary of this year’s theme:

The identity for the 2008 Gwangju Biennale encompasses all related materials — from posters, advertisements, brochures, and catalogs to this website. Just as this year's Biennale has been curated as an "annual report" highlighting exhibitions that took place between January 2007 and September 2008, the identity concept is based not on a single theme, but on bringing together all kinds of content, with the time period as criteria. As such, the basis for the Biennale identity is a flexible, recognizable graphic system using the numbers 07 and 08 as strong graphic elements — bookends, quite literally signifying that the content presented between them comes from these two years. Like the Biennale itself, the identity creates a flexible framework into which all sorts of information can fall, from lengthy narrative text to a wide range of imagery. In this way the content becomes part of the identity itself.

* Official site
* Images from Flickr and Naver.




Hadong Cosmos Festival (하동코스모스축제)
* September 19th to 28th
* Held in Hadong county, in Gyeongsangnam-do but which borders Jeollanam-do. In celebration of the "cosmos" flower. Takes place in Bukcheon-myeon. No information on it in English on the website, but it does tell us a little about the "Real Mullet Festival":

The festival of real mullets called frog founders, fall gizzard shads, or winter real mullets among gourmets are held in Noryang, Hadong.

* Information from the Hadong county site, in Korean.


Bulgapsan Sangsahwa Festival (불갑산상사화축제)
* September
* The 2007 festival was held in September, and was in celebration of the Sangsahwa, a flower considered a symbol of unrequited love since the flowers and leaves never appear at the same time. It is also a significant flower to Buddhists.

1000 years bloom, 1000 years wither, the leaf never meets the flower, love without cause and effect, karma determines life and death.

So reads a piece of Buddhist scripture quoted by Light Enough to Travel who has an excellent post on this. Bulgapsan is a mountain in Yeonggwang and Haenam counties, notable for the festival and for the temple Bulgapsa. Buses run from Yeonggwang to Bulgapsa nine times a day, according to the temple's site.
* Information from the Yeonggwang county site, in Korean.


Yongcheonsa Kkotmureut Festival (꽃무릇큰잔치)
* September
* 꽃무릇 is another name for the Sangsahwa, and there is another festival in Jeollanam-do for it, this one at Yongcheonsa temple in Hampyeong county. People on Naver say buses go to the temple from the Hampyeong terminal, which is probably true but don't quote me on that.
* Information from the Yongcheonsa site, in Korean.


Jeonju Sori Festival (전주세계소리축제)
* September 26th to October 4th
* Held at the Sori Cultural Performance Center (소리문화의전당) in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, which besides the festival has lots of historical points of interest. The English-language version of the festival's site is still dedicated to the 2007 version, but it gives an overview thusly:

Jeonju Sori Festival is an annual festive event held for the aesthetic communication between the musical heritage of Korea, including pan sori performances developed in Jeon-ju, and the today's music lovers. Moreover, it may provide ordinary people and those who love music in Korea and abroad with an opportunity to appreciate highly advanced music of the world and reassess the meaning of traditional music in modern space, and offering various chances to experience while creating a new form of performances.

* Official site.


Gokseong Simcheong Festival (곡성심청축제)
* October 2nd to 5th
* In Gokseong county at the Simcheong Train Village on the Seomjin River. Cheong, surrname Sim, is a character from the pansori Simcheongga, and who has become a symbol of filial piety. I'm not sure exactly what the festival entails, although I've always wanted to visit that village. It's a scenic area, too, being in the foothills of Jirisan. If you're interested in reading the latest updates on the 2002 festival, you can find it from the Gokseong county page here.






Jinju Lantern Festival (진주남강유등축제)
* October 1st to October 12th.
* In the city of Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, a beautiful display that’s about as close to a must-attend festival as you’re going to get down here. Lanterns float on the river a short walk from the bus terminal, and are also displayed along the hillside. There are also a couple of tunnels strung with lanterns made by local students. Nearby attractions include 진주성, a fortress overlooking the river. Unfortunately it does have its roots in trying to kill Japanese, but there's nothing you can do about that. As far as accomodation goes, last year I was told I'd better make a reservation at a love motel in advance, but seeing how many motels there are in Jinju (Naver pulls up 102) that doesn't seem necessary. I was at the 여우비, but passed dozens of motels while walking there from the river. That area of 계동, 10 or 15 minutes behind the E-Mart that's behind the fortress, has quite a few motels.
* Bus schedule for Gwangju, and for Suncheon, if you can navigate Korean.
* Official site.
* Images from Flickr.


Mokpo Hairtail Festival (은빛갈치축제)
* October 3rd and 4th
* Not sure how to translate that, but it's held at Mokpo's Peace Park in honor of fish who reflect silver in the water.
* Information from the Mokpo city page, in Korean.




Namwon Heungbu Festival (남원흥부제)
* October 4th and 5th
* In the city of Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, across Jirisan from Jeollanam-do. It’s a pretty little town, and this festival is dedicated to the well-known folk tale of Heungbu and Nolbu. The city calls itself the "City of Love" because of all the places related to the popular folk tale Chunhyangga, set in the city.
* Official site
* Images from Naver




Gwangju Chungjangno Festival (광주충장로축제)
* October 7th to October 12th.
* Held on and around Chungjangno in downtown Gwangju, accessible via subway stations Geumnam-ro 4-ga or Culture Complex. Attractions include concerts, art exhibitions, a “시간여행” with relics from the 1960s and 1970s, and of course b-boys. The sites are spread out over a few locations in the Chungjangno area, though you can check the website for more information and for a small map.
* Official site.
* Images from Naver.



Can't find the real poster yet.

Namdo Food Festival (남도음식문화큰잔치)
* October 9th to 13th
* Another of the province's biggest and most popular. This one is held at the Nagan Folk Village, which is worth a visit in and of itself. Last year they ran shuttle buses from the Gwangju bus terminal to Nagan, though I can't confirm whether that will happen this year because the webpage is currently down and now that the webpage is up and running we see there will again be shuttles to Nagan from Gwangju up to eight times each morning. Here's transportation information and a timetable for those shuttles. Suncheon buses 63 and 68 run to the Folk Village, although when the festival isn't on they run rather infrequently, so I recommend setting out early. Suncheon is near and dear to my heart, and there are plenty of places to visit if you decide to make a weekend out of it: Suncheon Bay, Seonamsa and Songgwangsa temples (Seonamsa is better), and the Suncheon Drama Set, to name a few.
* Official site.


Myungryang Strait Festival (명량대첩축제)
* October 11th to October 14th
* To commemorate the Battle of Myungryang Strait, a naval battle fought during the Imjin Wars with the Korean fleet led by national hero Yi Sun-shin. A solar-powered turtle ship will debut to the public this weekend. Held at two locations across the straight from each other in Haenam and Jindo.
* Official site.
* Images from Naver.





That 2007 poster looks pretty neat.

Gwangju Kimchi Festival (광주김치대축제)
* October 15th to 19th
* Like a lot of these things, the festival's official site inexplicably leads to a previous year's information, and doesn't give the dates for this year's festival but for a little blurb there on the homepage. The English-language version doesn't work, either. A reliable source told me the festival is lame, and seems like an excellent place to go and get swarmed by photographers eager to snap shots of white and brown people elbow deep in cabbage. That's not my thing, if you haven't noticed yet, and I don't think I could handle this festival. It's held at and around the Gwangju Folk Museum on the northside of town near Biennalle Hall, is accessible by a number of buses, and is a cheap cab ride as well.
* Official site







I couldn't resist.

Naju Yeongsangang Culture Festival (영산강문화축제)
* October 24th to 26th
* Held near the Yeongsan River in Naju. Other points of interest in Naju include two large gates, the remants of an old wall that surrounded the city, and Samhanji Theme Park, a filming location for a popular historical drama.
* Official site

Hampyeong Chrystanthemum Festival (대한민국 국향대전)
* October 29th to November 23rd.
* A beautiful festival from the looks of it, held in Hampyeong county, site of the Butterfly Festival each spring. Pictures and further information available from Naver.

Gogeum Moonlight Festival (고금원송축제)
* October 28th and 29th
* Held in Gogeum-myeon, Wando county.
* Information from the Wando county site.


Gwangyang Char-broiled Meat Festival (광양숯불구이축제)
* October 10th to 12th
* There's got to be a more graceful way to translate that. Held at a park on Seocheon, a stream that runs through town. In West Gwangyang, actually, the part of town with Gwangyang Station and the bus terminal. There's a short profile on last year's events here, and more information from the poor souls at the Gwangyang English Town:

w : I'm hungry.
m : Me, too.
w : Do you like bulgogi?
m : Yes, I do.
w : Gwangyang Sut-bulbogi festival opens in Seocheon.
m : Sut-bulgogi?
w : Yeah, Sut-bulgogi. The main food is beef.
The beef is roasted on a charcoal fire.
It's very delicious and sweet.
m : And then, how much is it?
w : It is about 12,000won.
m : Are there any events there?
w : Yes, there are many events.
m : I see. Let's go there. Hurry up!
(m : man w : woman)

And no, I have no idea what the "Mr. Korean Cattle Contest" is.
* Old information from the Gwangyang city page in Korean and English.


Maryang Harbor Festival (마량미항축제)
* Nine days in October
* The dates haven't been set for this festival at the harbor in Maryang-myeon, one of my favorite spots in Gangjin. It's a very scenic spot, but it'd only be worth going if you live in the area. The last bus from Maryang to Gangjin-eup leaves before 8 pm, so plan accordingly if you don't want to be stranded.
* Information from the Gangjin county site, in Korean.
* Photos from my October, 2006 visit.


Boseong Seopeonje Sori Festival (서편제소리축제)
* October 25th
* The dates haven't been set here, either, for the festival celebrating the region's pansori traditions. Last year it was held over two days.
* Official site.


Hwasun Unju Culture Festival (화순운주문화축제)
* October
* Held at Unjunsa temple, one of the most noteworthy in the province. Last year's was held for two days. Asia Planet says:

Every fall, Unjusa Temple hosts a large-scale festival, and visitors flock to this area to enjoy other spots such as the Dogok Hot Springs and the exotic Yeomsotang (goat stew).

* Old information from the Hwasun county page, in Korean.


Suncheon Bay Reed Festival (순천만갈데축제)
* October 28th to November 4th
* At Suncheon Bay, accessible via city bus No. 1. Also a stop on the Suncheon City Tour.
* Official site.
* Images from Naver.



Jindo Arirang Festival (진도아리랑축제)
* November
* The dates haven't been released for this festival in honor of Jindo's version of the famous Arirang folksong, though last year's was held in November.




Jangseong Baekyang Maple Festival (장성백양단풍축제)
* November 1st and 2nd
* At Baekyangsa temple in Jangseong county, a place many public school teachers in Jeollanam-do have been since it was part of our week-long orientation.
* Information from the Jangseong county site, in Korean.
* Images from Naver.


Daeheungsa Maple Festival (대흥사단풍축제)
* November
* No dates set yet, so with this and with the other 단풍 festivals in Gurye and Jangseong, you may have to play it by ear. Held in Haenam county, at another notable temple in the province, Daeheungsa.
* Information, in Korean.





Piagol Valley Maple Festival (피아골단풍축제)
* Another popular spot for viewing the changing maples is Piagol Valley at the base of Jirisan in Gurye county. It's crowded, but I didn't find it overwhelmingly so last year. Buses run from the terminal in Gurye-eup to both the valley and to Yongoksa temple (pictured above), a short walk away. Buses ran rather infrequently when I was there, so I'd advise getting to Gurye-eup in the morning. There was a festival in late-October last year, but I went a week later and it was still good. There is no information on the 2008 festivities.
* My photos from last fall, photos from Naver.