Exciting Traditional Performance Festival 'Songpa Baekjung Nori' Held

Traditional Performance Festival Featuring Songpa Sandae Nori, Tightrope Walking, Ssireum, Folk Songs, and Pungmul at Seoul Nori Madang on the 27th at 4 PM... Free Admission for All

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it will hold the traditional performance "Songpa Baekjung Nori" at Seoul Nori Madang on August 27 in celebration of the upcoming Baekjung.

"Baekjung" (15th day of the 7th lunar month) is a traditional folk seasonal festival during which farmers, exhausted from agricultural work, soothe their minds and bodies with alcohol, food, and various games. The rituals and games held on this day, such as village rites and yard stepping, are collectively called "Baekjung Nori."

In particular, "Songpa Baekjung Nori" differs from rural Baekjung Nori in that it is an urban (commercial area) play organized by Songpa Market merchants in the late Joseon Dynasty who invited skilled professional entertainers to gather people on Baekjung day.

After the 1925 Great Flood of the Han River turned Songpa Ferry into a sandy beach, the tradition was discontinued, but it was restored starting with the first performance in 1989. The Songpa Folklore Preservation Society has held performances annually to pass down the tradition, and this year marks the 31st performance.

This "Songpa Baekjung Nori" performance is richly composed, featuring Songpa Sandae Nori, Songpa-gu’s representative traditional performance, as well as a lively street parade by a pungmul band announcing the start of Baekjung Nori and wishing for its success, along with ssireum (Korean wrestling), folk songs, tightrope walking, and pungmul performances.

The performance will be held for two hours from 4 p.m. at Seoul Nori Madang, and anyone can freely watch without separate reservations.

The organizer of this performance, the Songpa Folklore Preservation Society, holds the intangible cultural heritage No. 49 "Songpa Sandae Nori" designated by the nation and Seoul intangible cultural heritage No. 3 "Songpa Daribalgi." Notably, "Songpa Sandae Nori" was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2022, recognizing its value.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, "To celebrate Baekjung, a traditional folk seasonal festival, we have prepared this stage to introduce Songpa’s traditional performances to the residents and share the joyful play culture of our ancestors. I hope everyone enjoys the exciting performance at Seoul Nori Madang this weekend and has a meaningful time rediscovering the power of our culture."

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