The festival carries forward the spirit of Moon Sun-deuk, who connected with the world through his extraordinary voyages.
The 2026 Sinan International Moon Festa, designated as South Jeolla Province's representative performing arts festival, will be held in Heuksando-myeon, Sinan-gun on July 4, organized by the World Madang Art Promotion Association.
The festival centers on Moon Sun-deuk, a dried skate merchant from Uido. In 1801, while transporting skate purchased on Heuksando to Yeongsanpo in Naju, he was caught in a violent storm. He drifted through the Ryukyu Kingdom (present-day Okinawa, before its annexation by Japan), Luzon (the Philippines, then a Spanish colony), Aomen (Macau, opened by Portugal) and the Qing dynasty (China) before returning home to Uido after three years and two months.
During his years adrift, Moon experienced a wide range of cultures. After returning home, he met the exiled scholar Jeong Yak-jeon and left behind accounts recorded in works including "Pyohae Simal," "Ungok Japjeo" and "Yuam Chongseo." The documentary heritage passed down through Moon's descendants has been designated a South Jeolla Province cultural heritage.
The festival comprises two components: the main event and a humanities lecture series called "Seom Road Skola." The main event, held on Heuksando, will feature the madangguk (outdoor folk theater) performance "Moon Sun-deuk's Drifting Voyage" alongside performing arts showcasing the cultures of the countries Moon visited. A companion program will present a special exhibition on Moon Sun-deuk organized by the Silhak Museum of the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation at the Heuksando Migratory Bird Museum.
"Seom Road Skola" is a two-night, three-day performing arts and humanities program. Thirty participants recruited through social media will visit cultural heritage sites related to Moon Sun-deuk on Uido, Bigeum-do, Docho-do and Heuksando, experiencing his life through performing arts and historical exploration.
"The Sinan International Moon Festa is a performing arts festival built around the historical and cultural legacy of Moon Sun-deuk, Sinan-gun's foremost maritime figure," a Sinan-gun official said. "If you are planning a trip to Heuksando, we strongly recommend the first weekend of July, when the festival takes place."
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