Donghae's "Together to the Sea" festival, a performance and tourism event marking the final days of summer, runs Friday through Sunday at Hansim Beach in Cheongok-dong, just beside the city center.
According to Donghae city, this year's festival breaks from its traditional venue-centered format and is being held at Hansim Beach for the first time, showcasing the coastal landmark as a key tourism asset. The event brings together performances and hands-on activities in a space where the sea and the city meet.
The program is open to all ages and includes an opening-night celebration performance, a drawing contest, a treasure hunt, snorkeling, a pull-up competition and a "spacing out" contest.
Cheongok-dong is Donghae's busiest commercial district. When Samcheok County's Bukpyeong-eup and Myeongju County's Mukho-eup merged in 1980 to form Donghae, a new town was built at the midpoint between the two former towns — an area known as Changmulnaegi, or Cheongok, meaning "a valley where cool springs rise." Hansim Beach sits right next to this urban center, with Gamchu, Gobulgae and Hapyeong beaches stretching along the coast to its north and south.
Hansim was once a quiet stretch of beach with a single café, drawing anglers and those seeking solitude by the sea. Today it has been transformed into a well-appointed destination, featuring an arts promenade along the Haeparang coastal trail, a beachside rest area and a cave photo zone — a passage once used by local residents.
To the south of Hansim Beach stands a "mini Papillon rock," a formation resembling the top-heavy boulder seen in Thailand in the film "Papillon." To the north lie a cliffside walking trail, a small pebble beach and leisure facilities at the Hansim breakwater.
Thirteen civic organizations in Cheongok-dong joined forces to organize the festival, preparing an opening-night celebration performance, a drawing contest, a treasure hunt, marine leisure activities, a pull-up championship and a spacing-out contest. A variety of experience booths and a Hansim street-food zone have also been added to the lineup.
The setup mirrors the spirit of the Myeong-dong festival in Seoul, where local residents themselves organize an event that draws visitors from across the country and abroad.
Yun Seong-gyu, head of Cheongok-dong in Donghae, said he hopes the festival will be a place where residents and tourists come together to enjoy the beauty of Hansim Beach. "We will continue to develop differentiated tourism content that connects the city center and the coast, and contribute to the local economy," he said.
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