Come to Gwangyang Seomjingang 'Mangdeok Port' for an Autumn 'Welcome'

Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival, Gwangyang City Tour Night View, etc.

Rich events including Mangdeok Port Raw Fish Restaurant Street Stamp Tour, etc.

Gwangyang City in Jeollanam-do is attracting attention by proposing a fall greeting trip to Mangdeok Port on the Seomjin River this coming autumn.

Gwangyang Mangdeok Port is bustling with small and enjoyable events such as the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival, Gwangyang Night View City Tour, and Mangdeok Port Raw Fish Restaurant Street Stamp Tour, starting from the 25th.

At Mangdeok Port in Gwangyang, you can enjoy a full course of dishes such as raw gizzard shad, seasoned raw gizzard shad, and grilled gizzard shad.
Photo by Gwangyang City

Marking its 22nd year, the Gwangyang Jeoneo Festival will be held for three days from the 25th at Mangdeok Port Mujeopseom Square under the theme "Moonlight Ferry! At Mangdeok Port! The End of Summer with Nutty Jeoneo!"

This festival features programs that highlight its identity, such as the Jeoneo Song Contest, Jeoneo Catching Experience, and Jeoneo Catching Sound Demonstration, as well as a writing contest utilizing the location of the Jeong Byeong-wook House, which preserves the posthumous works of poet Yun Dong-ju, attracting interest from citizens and tourists alike.

Additionally, a variety of performances including the Youth Happiness樂 Festival, children's Nanta, magic juggling, 7090 folk music, fusion gugak, and the Forever Wind Orchestra are scheduled, along with congratulatory performances by invited singers such as Jeong Dong-won and a spectacular fireworks show, raising expectations.

The Gwangyang Night View City Tour operates on weekends (Friday to Sunday) at 3 PM, departing from the East Gate bus stop of Suncheon Bay National Garden, allowing boarding without reservation and providing a comfortable way to enjoy the romance of Mangdeok Port.

The Night View City Tour boards at Suncheon Bay National Garden (3 PM) and Gwangyang-eup Bus Terminal (3:30 PM), enjoys romance at the Gwangyang Wine Cave, and then has dinner at the Yi Sun-sin Bridge Food Town.

Following that, the tour visits the subtle night views unique to Gwangyang Bay such as Yi Sun-sin Bridge and Sunshine Beach Park, as well as Baedaldo Island Garden and Mangdeok Port, concluding at Gwangyang-eup Terminal (9 PM) and Suncheon Bay National Garden (9:30 PM).

In particular, the “Gwangyang City Tour Boarding Review Event,” which offers gifts such as AirPods Pro, department store vouchers, and Gwangyang Love Gift Certificates, is receiving high acclaim.

To participate in the review event, users must upload their Gwangyang City Tour review on their personal SNS, capture the post, and apply on the City Tour “Event Application” page on the Gwangyang City Culture and Tourism website.

The “Seomjin River Mangdeok Port Raw Fish Restaurant Street Stamp Tour,” operated by the Food Hygiene Division of the Gwangyang City Health Center, is also enlivening the footsteps of tourists who hasten to Mangdeok Port to welcome autumn.

For more details, please refer to the City Tour and Stamp Tour sections under “Tourist Information” on the Gwangyang City Culture and Tourism website.

The autumn Jeoneo caught at Mangdeok Port, where the Seomjin River meets the sea, boasts firm flesh and rich flavor due to its active movement in the fast currents, and is abundant in calcium, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids, benefiting everyone from children’s bone growth to seniors’ vascular health.

Jeoneo is enjoyed in various ways: sliced and dipped lightly in savory doenjang for a full bite of Jeoneo sashimi, sweet and sour seasoned Jeoneo sashimi salad, and Jeoneo grilled with coarse salt until golden brown. Nothing is wasted as it is eaten whole, including the head.

Although the rise in water temperature has increased Jeoneo production in places other than Mangdeok Port, the port’s beautiful scenery and outstanding flavor remain unmatched.

Jeoneo also carries a cheerful and humorous narrative. The name Jeoneo includes meanings such as 錢漁 (Jeoneo), meaning it is so delicious that people buy it without thinking about money, and 全漁 (Jeoneo), meaning it can be eaten whole without discarding the head.

Proverbs like “The smell of grilled Jeoneo brings back the daughter-in-law who left home,” “There is a lot of sesame on the head,” and “One autumn Jeoneo can kill ten bowls of new rice” are full of satire and humor.

Mangdeok Port is a historic site that was the base of the Jeolla Left Naval Command and a shipyard where boats were built. It is also a literary space with the Jeong Byeong-wook House, which preserved the handwritten posthumous works of Korea’s most beloved poet Yun Dong-ju, and the Yun Dong-ju Poetry Garden.

Walking along the parabolic curve of Mangdeok Port and crossing the Star Counting Bridge gracefully spanning the blue sea, visitors are warmly welcomed by the neatly arranged Baedaldo Island Garden.

Baedaldo Island Garden, listed among the 25 Safe Tourism Destinations by the Korea Tourism Organization, is followed by the Haemaji Bridge, known for its simple beauty, and then the Baedaldo Waterfront Park where poplar leaves flutter.

Mangdeok Port and Baedaldo Island Garden are famous for their beautiful sunsets, and the brilliant night views created by the Star Counting Bridge and Haemaji Bridge leave a deep impression on travelers.

Jung Gu-young, Director of Tourism, said, “Mangdeok Port, where the autumn food festival featuring Jeoneo, the symbol of autumn food, is held every year, is the most abundant and romantic place to welcome autumn in Korea,” adding, “We hope visitors fully enjoy a sensory journey tracing the autumn atmosphere, history, and literary traces filled with festivals and diverse events at Mangdeok Port.”

Reporter Heo Seon-sik, Honam Coverage Headquarters, Asia Economy hss79@asiae.co.kr

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