They say autumn is the best season to visit Korea. The sky is bluer, the air fresher and festivals even richer.
Don't forget to take your camera for the 2008 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, an event that will decorate the night sky with thousands of rainbow-colored lanterns. This year's festival has the theme "Water, Fire, Light and Our Wishes” and will run from Oct. 1 to 12 on the banks of the Namgang River in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province).
With Jinjuseong Fortress, Chokseongnu Pavilion, Jinju National Museum and others as a lovely backdrop, the festival is on its way to building a reputation among overseas tourists.
The opening ceremony will begin with the lighting of lanterns for the invocation of long-ago spirits. The waves of bright color will continue on from there. Twenty-three thousand lanterns will be hung, containing people's written wishes and 30,000 lanterns will be floated down the river.
There will be an exhibition of some 200 traditional masks from 22 countries and another display of some 3,000 creative lanterns. Overall, a total of 60,000 lanterns will burn for two weeks.
The lanterns will come in various shapes and colors, from traditional lanterns to some that are in the shape of the Statue of Liberty, a Trojan horse, the Greek god Zeus, a windmill, a little mermaid, a sphinx and more. Even the signs for the festival and trash can are made of lanterns.
Making your own lantern is, of course, something you can do at this festival. There will also be a street parade, a pleasure cruise, a love bridge and folk games. For refreshments, you can visit the Dragon Lantern cafe and other traditional pubs.
A concert will make the fountain come to life with dazzling fireworks galore. People can sample traditional dishes, wear royal clothes and take pictures of lanterns from around the world -- all in one place.
The festival grounds will also have five information booths, including three with interpreting services. A shuttle bus will be available.
On at the same time are the 5th Gaecheon Art Festival, the 115th Jinju National Bullfights at Jinju Bullfighting Stadium in Panmun-dong, the 2008 Jinju silk fair, Jinju Song Festival among others.
The origin of lantern lighting dates back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) when a war broke out between Korea and Japan in the late 15th century. Known as the "imjin-waeran" or Japanese invasion between 1592 and 1598 in Korea, the lanterns were used by the Korean side not only as military signals, but also for communication between soldiers and their families. They would be floated in the sky or on water. Some 70,000 civilians, officials and soldiers were killed in Jinju alone. Then in 2001, at the 4th Gaecheon Art Festival, lanterns were floated to appease their souls. The following year, the activity was made a special part of the night festival.
The festival was voted by Japanese tourists as favorite Korean festival in fall, according to the Japanese travel magazine BBB last February. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry, after recognizing the Jinju Yudeung Festival as a great festival in 2005 out of over 1,000 such events nationwide, designated it as the greatest festival for three straight years from 2006 to 2008.
Over 3 million tourists from home and abroad visit the festival to enjoy the night, leading to an influx of 100 billion won according to the city of Jinju. A total of 29.5 million people have attended the festival, with over 2 million coming from other provinces and another 15,000 from overseas.
For transportation from Seoul, take a bus for Jinju at Seoul Nambu bus terminal on subway line no. 3. Get off at Jinju terminal and head to the banks of the Namgang on the other side of Jinjuseong Chokseongnu.
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By Kim Hee-sung
Korea.net Staff Writer
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