'Hahoe Seonyu Julbulnori 2026' festival set for Saturday at Hahoe Village

Andong City in North Gyeongsang Province announced Thursday that it will hold "Hahoe Seonyu Julbulnori 2026," a festival of water and fire, starting at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mansongjeong, within the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hahoe Village.

The event is part of the Cultural Heritage Administration's project to discover and foster future intangible cultural heritage. It is co-hosted by the Hahoe Seonyu Julbulnori Preservation Society, the Andong Hahoe Village Preservation Society and the industry-academic cooperation foundation of Gyeonguk National University, with support from the Cultural Heritage Administration, North Gyeongsang Province and Andong City.

By tradition, around the 16th day of the seventh lunar month, seonbi scholars of Hahoe would take to the Hwacheon River beneath Buyongdae cliff for boat excursions, savoring the refined pleasures of nature and the arts.

Between Mansongjeong and Buyongdae, ropes hung with charcoal-filled pouches were strung up and set alight, while egg-flame lanterns and falling-fire displays added to the festive atmosphere of the boat outings.

This year's event will recreate that traditional culture of refined leisure, showcasing the beauty of Hahoe Seonyu Julbulnori as firelight weaves across the rippling Hwacheon River and the night sky.

A range of performances and hands-on activities have also been arranged for visitors.

The program opens with "Sotdaejanggi Nori," a traditional performance featuring acrobatics atop a sotdae pole, followed by a jangseung guardian-post performance and the Hahoe Byeolsingut Mask Dance.

Additional highlights include "Pungnyu Jieum," a fusion set by vocalist Lee Bong-geun and the band Jeokbyeok, and "Pungnyu Dongnak," blending traditional Korean music and dance. Hands-on activities round out the program — visitors can make charcoal pouches, write wishes on prayer slips and inscribe wishes on egg-flame gourd lanterns.

Andong Mayor Kwon Ki-chang said the event is "a meaningful occasion to revive the seonyu julbulnori and the culture of refined leisure that once flourished in Hahoe around the 16th day of the seventh lunar month." He added that the city would work to ensure "the historical and cultural value of Hahoe Seonyu Julbulnori becomes widely known and grows into an intangible heritage that is fully passed down to future generations."