'2026 Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival' wraps up in grand style

The 2026 Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival, Gwanak-gu's signature history and culture festival, was held Friday and Saturday at Nakseongdae Park and the surrounding area.

Drawing a cumulative 170,000 visitors over two days, the festival brought together youth, families and residents to color the autumn with emotion, affirming its standing as a global history and culture festival.

Marking its 10th anniversary, this year's festival was held under the theme "Tomorrow Gang Gam-chan — Opening the Future," inviting visitors to reflect on the patriotic spirit of General Gang Gam-chan from a millennium ago and apply it to present-day values. Through a range of community participation programs, the festival also looked back on a decade of milestones while charting a new path forward.

On the first day, Friday, the festival opened with a solemn memorial rite for General Gang Gam-chan at Anguksa Shrine — the general's ancestral hall — followed by the Inheon Calligraphy Competition. The main plaza then hosted a series of programs led by and for young people: a Youth Art Festa at 3 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by a Youth Dream Concert featuring hip-hop clubs from Seoul universities alongside Dynamic Duo and Sins, filling the festival's opening night with youthful passion and energy.

"Nakseongdae Yabyeolhoe," a special program interpreting the "star" motif from the legend of General Gang Gam-chan's birth through historical commentary and astronomical observation, also drew visitors. Held in partnership with Seoul National University Observatory, the event offered a unique experience of revisiting the general's birth legend while stargazing.

The second day, Saturday, was filled with programs for the whole family. History lecturer Seol Min-seok hosted a Gang Gam-chan Talk Show under the theme "The Man Who Saved the Nation with a Brush," captivating the audience. A "Challenge! Golden Bell Quiz Show" followed, giving residents a fun and accessible way to learn about the general's life, achievements and historical significance.

That evening at 7 p.m. in the main plaza, the 10th-anniversary special performance "Gang Gam-chan, Born of a Star & Aerial Fireworks Performance" served as the festival's grand finale. The ancient legend of a star falling at Nakseongdae was reimagined against the backdrop of a futuristic space station, weaving together traditional performing arts, contemporary dance, live music and video to convey the general's courage, solidarity and community spirit. A dazzling cascade of fireworks poured from a crane, lighting up the night sky and bringing the crowd's excitement to a peak.

Community participation spaces scattered across the green lawn added to the festival's energy. At "21 Dongne Hanbakwi," residents from all 21 neighborhoods introduced their communities' pride and character through hands-on content. The Goryeo Market featured local restaurants and bakeries offering an array of food. "Byeolbyeol Playground," which reimagined Goryeo-era weapons and the Battle of Gwiju as eco-friendly games, and "Find Little Gang Gam-chan," a mission tour of the festival grounds, also drew steady crowds.

This year, the festival expanded its footprint to include Nakseong Kkotdeul Garden, a garden-style rest and cultural space that opened in March. The garden hosted a 10th-anniversary archive exhibition, a children's painting competition, the Inheon Arts Festival, the Byeolbyeol Stage and an archery experience at Gwanakjeong, giving families a shared space to enjoy history and culture together.

Visitors shared a range of impressions, expressing satisfaction with the hands-on programs and high hopes for the event's continued growth. "It seems like the Gang Gam-chan Festival's theme gets a little better every year, and that makes me happy," one visitor said. "I hope it keeps building a play culture that every generation can enjoy together." Another visitor said the archery experience at Gwanakjeong was the most memorable part of the festival.

A third day of programming had been planned for Sunday, including a Citizen Pungnyu Festival and a Lifestyle Arts Festival, but all events were canceled due to deteriorating weather conditions, including strong winds. The festival concluded its two-day run amid the reverberations that had echoed through the maple-lined forest paths, leaving organizers with the regret of being unable to share the final day's programs with residents.

Gwanak-gu District Mayor Park Jun-hee said the festival's 10th anniversary was made possible by the enthusiastic support and participation of residents. "Thanks to your warm encouragement, we were able to create a festival where everyone became one," Park said. "We will continue to breathe together with our residents and develop this into a leading history and culture festival that goes beyond Korea to reach the world."