We all love to see some cultural aspects when visiting or living in another country, and what is the best way of doing this if not attending a different festival? Below you have a list of some of the most famous of all of them!
Andong Mask and Dance Festival (안동 국제 탈춤 페스티벌)
The Andong Mask and Dance Festival dates back to 1997 and is held annually in late September, early October in Andong.
The festival period is 10 days, during which visitors can participate in various workshops, concerts, mask exhibitions, and plays in Korean folklore.
Where is Andong?
Andong is the capital of northern Gyeongsang Province and is the largest city in the province. Andong is the UNESCO-protected city of Andong Hanoe.
How to get there:
Train: take the train from Seoul Station and then at Dongdaegu Station transfer to the local train to Andong. For the schedules, reservation, or Korail Pass you can check their website.
Bus: Express bus from Gangnam Express Bus Terminal or Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (East Express Bus Terminal) until Andong Station. If you want to check the schedule and reserve the tickets you can do it at their website.
What are traditional Korean masks and what do they mean?
Traditional Korean masks were used in the past for various activities such as traditional plays, for those who went to war, and for certain shamanistic rituals. These masks are now often found in museums. As a significant part of Korean culture, these masks can be purchased at the festival as well as at various souvenir shops in the country.
Festival activities and fees
Admission to the festival is free but some plays have an entrance ticket, also some workshops have a participation fee. Workshops include mask making where participants can make their own masks.
During the festival, participants can also watch various dances combined with traditional music as well as certain exhibitions of masks, bonsai, and other objects from Korean folklore.
Mungyeong Chasabal Traditional Pottery Festival (문경 찻사발 축제)
The traditional Chasabal Pottery Festival is held annually at the Mungyeongsaejae Open Studio in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province.
How to get there:
Bus: Take a bus from Gangnam Express Bus Terminal to Jeomchon Bus Terminal in Mungyeong. From there, go to the bus across Homeplus supermarket for Mungyeongsaejae. If you don’t want to take the bus from the terminal you can also take a taxi. For the schedules and reservations check their website.
The significance of the festival
The festival has various themes related to pottery and clay workers, and during the festival, pottery workers use Mangdaegi which is the oldest type of Korean ceramic kiln to bring the most traditional air.
Activities and fees
Admission is 5,000 won, and the festival's activities include: packaging of various clay vessels, QR scan of Chasabal statue, finding pearls in the mud, tea ceremony, writing wishes in clay, etc.
Korean Royal Palace Cultural Festival (궁중 문화 축전)
It is held annually for an entire month each spring in Seoul. The festival includes various activities and events taking place at the five royal palaces in Seoul.
The significance of the festival and the fare
The festival aims to explore the royal palaces including various festivities and traditions. Most of the events and activities have their own inside the five palaces and the Jogmyo altar.
Activities and rates
Most of the activities during the festival are free. Activities include traditional medicine tea ceremony, the funeral ritual at the Jogmyo altar, traditional concerts, etc.
Buddha's Day (부처님 오신 날) and Lotus Lantern Festival (연등회)
Buddhism is one of the two major religions of Korea along with Christianity, and given this fact, every spring, the day of the Buddha is celebrated in Korea, considered a national day.
Each country celebrates this day on different occasions. In Korea, Buddha's Day is celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth Monday in the lunar calendar (around May of each year).
Meaning and activities
Buddha Day in Korea runs for an entire week and focuses on celebrating the Buddha's birthday. The most important event around this holiday in Korea is the lotus lantern festival which takes place one weekend before that day. The parade starts at Dongguk University, one of Korea's leading Buddhist universities, and runs to the Jognro area and ends at the Jogyesa Temple in the Insadong area. Spectators can watch this parade for free or visit the temples.
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