Andong to host Wolyeong Yahaeng night festival linking historic bridge and independence movement site

Andong city in North Gyeongsang Province will hold Wolyeong Yahaeng, its signature summer night cultural heritage festival, from Friday through Aug. 9 at Wolyeongyo bridge and Imcheonggak, the city announced Tuesday.

Now in its ninth year, the festival is co-hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration, North Gyeongsang Province and Andong city, and organized by the Korea Spirit and Culture Foundation.

This year, the event expands beyond its traditional focus on Wolyeongyo to include Imcheonggak — a landmark of Korea's independence movement — connecting Joseon-era folk cultural heritage with modern independence movement history along a single historical and cultural route.

Alongside this expansion, 11 new programs have been added to offer visitors a wider range of cultural heritage experiences.

Along the newly created route, visitors can take part in programs that reflect on the significance of the independence movement.

One highlight is a historical walking program inspired by independence activist Lee Sang-ryong's journey into exile in Manchuria. Departing from Imcheonggak at 7:30 p.m. daily throughout the festival, participants walk to Waryong Tunnel and Andong Mugunghwa Park.

A standing program titled "Taegeukgi Hwinallimyeo 1894 Andong-ui Bam" lets visitors make Taegeukgi-themed bead ballpoint pens and decode independence army ciphers, exploring the meaning of the national flag and the spirit of the independence movement.

On Saturday, a family night marathon called "Learn&Run" will set off at 7 p.m. from a riverside stream, running through Imcheonggak, Wolyeong Garamgil and across Wolyeongyo.

A range of family-oriented programs will also be on offer.

These include a nighttime pet photo booth called Wolyeong Meongmeong Charyeongsso, a children's history and culture quiz show, a playground area, a small market, and a picture-book concert organized in partnership with the North Gyeongsang Province Patriots and Veterans Foundation.

Advance-reservation programs have been expanded to nine offerings, including a mindfulness session set in the historic Seonseong-hyeon site and a K-Sound Bath session combining traditional wellness practices with sound meditation.

The festival will also feature exhibitions and performances — among them a special exhibition on traditional Andong cuisine, an Andong Mugunghwa flower festival, a concert by the Andong City Choir, the traditional Notdaribbalgi stepping game, the Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori mask dance, and the musical "Shin Ungbujeon."

"This year's Wolyeong Yahaeng has been prepared so that visitors can experience everything from Joseon-era folk culture to the history of the modern independence movement, all along an expanded route from Wolyeongyo to Imcheonggak," Andong Mayor Kwon Gi-chang said. "I hope it becomes a special summer night where both residents and tourists can enjoy the value and beauty of Andong's cultural heritage under the moonlight."