Gangjin Celadon Festival Night Blossoms More Joyfully with Light

Colorful Light Sculptures, Bulmyeong Camp, and Celebration Performances Night Event

[Gangjin＝Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su] The ‘Gangjin Celadon Festival’ will be filled with various attractions and performances at night, offering a different kind of enjoyment from the daytime.

According to the county on the 20th, the celadon festival will be held in Gangjin, located at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, where the world’s best celadon was crafted until the fall of the Goryeo Dynasty in the 14th century.

From the 23rd of this month to the 1st of next month, the Gangjin Celadon Festival will be held around the Goryeo Celadon Museum.
[Photo by Gangjin-gun]

Boasting a history and tradition of 51 editions, this is the first time the festival is held in winter. Final preparations are underway to make it a warm festival despite the cold, using fire and light.

The festival will take place from the 23rd of this month to the 1st of next month at the Goryeo Celadon Museum area, marking the end of winter and the beginning of early spring. A total of 28 events, large and small, will be held, including a snow sledding area, zipline, wood-fired kiln lighting, celebratory performances, celadon rice cake pulling, celadon making, and the Gangjin Three Generations experience.

Additionally, the festival site will feature various spaces such as the Gangjin Celadon photo zone, local specialty product sales booths, experience areas, celadon sales booths, a transparent air dome, and a local food sales corner.

Gangjin County plans to decorate the festival grounds with colorful themed lights according to the festival concept of ‘Light and Fire.’

Special light sculptures that highlight the characteristics of celadon, which cannot be seen at other festivals, will be installed at 10 locations including the main entrance of the Celadon Museum, the pond, the potter’s statue, and open spaces.

The LED light sculptures will serve as photo zones during the day and display their unique colors at night, expected to become popular ‘life shot’ spots among the MZ generation. Viewing of the light sculptures is available until 9 p.m.

Another reason why the Gangjin Celadon Festival is especially enjoyable at night is the ‘Fire Camp,’ where visitors can grill food on the spot, operating day and night.

It not only warms the cold body but is also set up like a camp village (for 4 or 8 people), allowing visitors to enjoy the romance and leisure of winter nights. Families, friends, and couples can comfortably gather around the fire and grill Gangjin’s representative specialties, making participation itself a healing experience.

The opening celebration show featuring popular domestic singers is the highlight of the festival. On the 25th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., performers including Lim Chang-jung, Gummy, traditional musician Kim Junsu, Gangjin, and Moon Hee-ok will take the stage.

Especially, Kim Da-hyun, known as the daughter of Master Kim Bong-gon and a contestant from Miss Trot 2, will perform on the 23rd. On the 26th from 5 p.m., a celadon trot madanggeuk (traditional Korean musical play) will be held, and from the 23rd to the 28th, celadon busking inside the air dome will take place.

Also, every day during the festival at 7 p.m., a ‘Wood Wish Burning’ event will be held in the open space in front of the special stage. Visitors can purchase wood pieces, write their wishes on them, and burn them.

The LED wish lantern flying event is also one of the must-try experience events at the festival.

This program involves releasing lanterns with tourists’ wishes written on them into the sky, held together with the Wood Wish Burning event. The spectacle of colorful lanterns covering the sky is expected to be especially popular with children.

Gangjin County Governor Kang Jin-won said, “We have carefully prepared attractions and sights to enjoy not only during the day but also at night. As this festival, reborn with the ‘fire and light’ spirit of Goryeo potters’ craftsmanship, is held, we hope everyone will come and create unforgettable precious memories.”

Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-su kys86120@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.