My Impression of Korea - Korea.net
My Impression of Korea - Korea.net My Impression of Korea - Korea.net
COVER Unique Festivals Add to Korea’s Autumn Flavor With its crisp air and crystal blue sky, autumn is the season most widely loved by locals and foreigners. The countryside is particularly beautiful, colored in a multitude of rustic hues. Mountains and hills are ablaze with autumn foliage. Rich traditional and unique festivals across the nation beckon tourists with mild temperatures. The folk festivals rooted in ancient agrarian customs give flavor to Korea’s autumn. Fortress Circumambulation in Gochang One of the famous autumn festivals is the Fortress Circumambulation in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do. The fortress, called Moyangseong, was built during the early Joseon Dynasty. It is surrounded by Bandeungsan and has three gates, two floodgates and a covering tower. Fortress Circumambulation has been handed down and preserved as a unique folk custom. Oral tradition states that if you walk around the fortress once with a stone on your head, all diseases will be cured. If you walk around three times, you will go to paradise. The annual event is generally held in early October for five days. The Fortress Circumambulation in Gochang A farmers’ traditional band heralds the opening of the Moyangseong Festival in Gochang 6 KOREA NOVEMBER 2008 NOVEMBER 2008 KOREA 7
COVER Information on Autumn Festivals Gochang Moyangseongje http://gochang.go.kr/festival Prehistoric Culture Festival http://sunsa.ro.to Acha Mountain Goguryeo Festival http://www.gwangjin.go.kr/english Andong Mask Dance Festival http://www.maskdance.com Pampas Grass Festival http://worldcuppark.seoul.go.kr/eng http://www.jangheung.go.kr/english Prehistoric Culture and Goguryeo Festivals in Seoul Seoul offers tourists valuable information on ancient life in Korea through two folk festivals. One of the two festivals is the Prehistoric Culture Festival, organized by Gangdong-gu Office in eastern Seoul, which is annually held around Oct. 10. The festival is performed in and around the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Housing Site. During the event, participants can experience the life of old. Other activities include learning old dances and musical instruments and making earthenware. Around the same time, another event called the Acha Mountain Goguryeo Festival is held on the mountain’s historic site. Along with Baekje and Silla, Goguryeo (37 B.C.- A.D. 668) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Ahead of the festival, major streets in Neung-dong area of Gwangjin-gu, Rendezvous Square of Acha Mountain Park and Gwangjin Square are decorated with banner flags to create the atmosphere for the festival. The festival begins with a street parade of about 500 people, who wear Goguryeo clothing and ornaments. Modern-day Goguryeo horsemen will also take part. Various cultural events are offered during the three-day festival, such as the Goguryeo Martial Arts Performance, which shows the dynamic skills of Goguryeo horsemen. Acha Mountain Goguryeo Festival 1 A festival organizer holds a ritual to open the Acha Mountain Goguryeo Festival in eastern Seoul 2 “Gyeongseodo Sorigeuk,” a traditional musical, being performed as part of a cultural event for the Goguryeo Festival in Seoul 3 Actors in Goguryeo Martial Arts Performance 1 2 Prehistoric Culture Festival Children experience Korea’s primitive life at the Prehistoric Culture Festival in Seoul 3 8 KOREA NOVEMBER 2008 NOVEMBER 2008 KOREA 9
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COVER<br />
Information on Autumn<br />
Festivals<br />
Gochang Moyangseongje<br />
http://gochang.go.kr/festival<br />
Prehistoric Culture Festival<br />
http://sunsa.ro.to<br />
Acha Mountain Goguryeo Festival<br />
http://www.gwangjin.go.kr/english<br />
Andong Mask Dance Festival<br />
http://www.maskdance.com<br />
Pampas Grass Festival<br />
http://worldcuppark.seoul.go.kr/eng<br />
http://www.jangheung.go.kr/english<br />
Prehistoric Culture and<br />
Goguryeo Festivals in Seoul<br />
Seoul <strong>of</strong>fers tourists valuable information<br />
on ancient life in <strong>Korea</strong> through<br />
two folk festivals.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the two festivals is the<br />
Prehistoric Culture Festival, organized<br />
by Gangdong-gu Office in eastern<br />
Seoul, which is annually held around<br />
Oct. 10. The festival is performed in<br />
and around the Amsa-dong<br />
Prehistoric Housing Site.<br />
During the event, participants can<br />
experience the life <strong>of</strong> old. Other activities<br />
include learning old dances and<br />
musical instruments and making<br />
earthenware.<br />
Around the same time, another<br />
event called the Acha Mountain<br />
Goguryeo Festival is held on the<br />
mountain’s historic site. Along with<br />
Baekje and Silla, Goguryeo (37 B.C.-<br />
A.D. 668) was one <strong>of</strong> the Three<br />
Kingdoms <strong>of</strong> <strong>Korea</strong>.<br />
Ahead <strong>of</strong> the festival, major streets<br />
in Neung-dong area <strong>of</strong> Gwangjin-gu,<br />
Rendezvous Square <strong>of</strong> Acha Mountain<br />
Park and Gwangjin Square are decorated<br />
with banner flags to create the<br />
atmosphere for the festival. The festival<br />
begins with a street parade <strong>of</strong> about<br />
500 people, who wear Goguryeo clothing<br />
and ornaments. Modern-day<br />
Goguryeo horsemen will also take part.<br />
Various cultural events are <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
during the three-day festival, such as<br />
the Goguryeo Martial Arts Performance,<br />
which shows the dynamic skills <strong>of</strong><br />
Goguryeo horsemen.<br />
Acha Mountain<br />
Goguryeo Festival<br />
1 A festival organizer holds<br />
a ritual to open the Acha<br />
Mountain Goguryeo<br />
Festival in eastern Seoul<br />
2 “Gyeongseodo Sorigeuk,”<br />
a traditional musical,<br />
being performed as part<br />
<strong>of</strong> a cultural event for the<br />
Goguryeo Festival in<br />
Seoul<br />
3 Actors in Goguryeo<br />
Martial Arts Performance<br />
1<br />
2<br />
Prehistoric Culture Festival<br />
Children experience <strong>Korea</strong>’s primitive life at the Prehistoric Culture Festival in Seoul<br />
3<br />
8 KOREA NOVEMBER 2008<br />
NOVEMBER 2008 KOREA 9
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