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¡°Most Remarkable Rebellion¡±
Spotlight · Written by Yoon Sui
Heung, Energy of Dancing
Cheonan World Dance Festival
Heung in English means ¡°fun and excitement,¡± two emotions felt from dance.
The city of Cheonan in Chungcheongnam-do Province (in short Chungnam) hosts an annual global dance festival to bring out heung.
Ranked as one of the nation¡¯s top ten festivals by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the event seeks
to connect everyone regardless of nationality or age group through the universal language of dance.
Feel the Fever
Now in its 16th year, the Cheonan World Dance Festival promotes a melting pot of dance styles that caters to everyone¡¯s taste. The host city is home to folk ballads that keep traditional Korean sentiment alive. In this year¡¯s edition, the festival is expected to offer more vibrant programs starting with a large-scale street parade and featuring folk and traditional dances from the world over.
Open-Stage Competition
The festival¡¯s dance competition is not to be missed, with the stage always open for anyone who wants to dance. The Youth Eoul Madang is a public place for teen participants to play musical instruments, act, dance or perform impersonations. Other platforms allow non-Koreans to show their talents and participate in reenactments of traditional Korean weddings. In short, everyone who wants to have fun can be a star at this event.
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Chungnam
Life Is a Festival
© Korea Tourism Organization
Hansan Ramie Fabric Cultural Festival
/ June 7-10
Named one of Korea¡¯s most promising festivals held this year, the Hansan Ramie Fabric Cultural Festival highlights mosi, a natural ramie fiber with exceptional quality. This event aims to promote the excellence and historical value of mosi weaving given its designation as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, and ultimately bolster the status of mosi in the fabric industry. Seocheon-gun County is a bastion of the culture and history of this traditional fabric preserved for 1,500 years, and visitors can appreciate the elegant and sophisticated mosi clothes and crafts that bridge the past and present. Considering mosi-based clothes are convenient to wear in hot weather, it is a timely festival for everyone to enjoy.
Celebrating its 30th year, the festival this year has the theme ¡°From Wish to Wish¡± featuring cultural programs such as weaving performances, the Hansan Mosi Global Fashion Show and a song contest.
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© Boryeong Mud Festival
Boryeong Mud Festival
/ July 19-28
The Boryeong Mud Festival, held at Daecheon Beach, is the nation¡¯s most popular event among non-Koreans. The purpose of this gala is to promote the host city¡¯s premium mud, which is in demand worldwide thanks to the mud¡¯s high quality. To promote cosmetics made from such mud, the city installed a mud mask house and launched the annual festival in 1998.
Stretching as far as 136 km along the beach, Boryeong mud is rich in minerals, especially germanium and bentonite, and emits large amounts of far-infrared rays highly beneficial to the skin. The festival has attracted millions of visitors from all over the globe over the last two decades for good reason. Its opening ceremony, the mud game competition, gut (shamanistic rite) performance, a mud makeup contest, concerts and water sports are among the numerous activities to choose from.
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© Nonsan City
Ganggyeong Salted Seafood Festival
/ Oct. 16-20
The Ganggyeong Salted Seafood Festival, launched in 1997 amid the Asian economic crisis to boost the regional economy, has grown every year with plenty of food and entertainment. Since last year, programs focusing on Nonsan and vicinity have been added to encourage residents to participate and offer better visitor access to the cultural assets of the town of Ganggyeong-eup. The circular train around town is great for seeing cultural sites. The festival is no longer exclusively about food but encompasses a range of unique cultural experiences in the town.
At night, the festivities continue with starlight trails along Ganggyeong Port near the town¡¯s beautiful Geumgang River and Oknyebong Peak. Visitors can also purchase Korea¡¯s famous jeotgal (salt fermented seafood) at discounts.
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© Seosan Haemieupseong Festival
Seosan Haemieupseong Festival
/ Oct. 11-13
Haemieupseong Fortress, built during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), features 600 years of high culture and history. One of the country¡¯s most famous historical sites, Haemieupseong is considered the most perfectly preserved fortress in Korea and lies at the heart of Chungcheong-do Province, where legendary Admiral Yi Sun-Shin, who famously led his navy to victory over Japan, oversaw the province as a military officer. Haemieupseong also hosted major historical events such as the Donghak Peasant Revolution and the persecution of Catholics in the late 19th century, and houses the country¡¯s largest martyrs¡¯ shrine.
Expect a wide variety of entertainment and performances including tightrope walking, beonanori (spinning plates on the tip of a stick), pungmulnori (rural folk percussion), traditional taverns, drawing performances, traditional games and crafts.
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