'Andong International Mask Dance Festival 2023' Opens... Crowds Gather

Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori UNESCO Listing Spurs Global Festival Growth

Old Andong Station Returns to Citizens... Expanding Festival Space Connecting North and South of Original Downtown

The ‘Andong International Mask Dance Festival 2023’ will be adorned with the passion and excitement of the festival throughout the old downtown area for eight days, starting with the opening ceremony on October 2nd.

Andong International Mask Dance Festival Linked Andong Old Downtown Event Held.

The opening ceremony held on the 2nd, under the theme ‘Radiant Blossoming: Mask and Mask Dance,’ elevated the festival’s energy with a theme performance featuring a drone show in the sky, videos, a grand communal celebration involving tourists and Andong citizens, and fireworks.

The ritual events were significantly reduced, and the festival began with participatory events centered on citizens and tourists, combining cutting-edge technology fusion performances with traditional plays.

Especially this year, the opening stage featured a series of killer contents that received great responses from the audience. The parade wishing for the successful hosting of the festival and the ‘Hwayangyeonhwa’ performance by the mask play troupe (Kkotnunkkaebi), the festival’s mascot, drew cheers from the crowd.

Following this, the opening declaration marked the vigorous start of the Andong International Mask Dance Festival 2023.

The theme performance showcased mask dance plays registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage under the theme ‘Laughter at Eighteen,’ along with the Hahoe Byeolsingut Mask Dance’s Gangsin Madang.

The vivid LED crown dance by the Saengdonggam Crew and the fireworks show titled ‘The Flower Burns Again’ were also performed. Then, with a countdown, the grand communal celebration and fireworks marking the grand opening of the festival took place, concluding the opening ceremony.

Since its inception in 1997, the Andong International Mask Dance Festival is celebrating its 24th edition this year. This year, the festival expanded its space by designating the old station site as the main venue and completed a new festival framework connecting the Mask Dance Park and the old downtown area.

As the festival grounds expanded, the programs were diversified and enhanced. In addition to the main stage, performances can be enjoyed at the Mask Dance Park stage, the Mask Dance Performance Hall, the busking stage at the old Andong Station plaza, and in the old downtown and Ungbu Park. These include major intangible cultural heritage performances such as the Hahoe Byeolsingut Mask Dance, as well as various domestic and international mask dance and cultural performances.

In particular, programs such as the grand communal mask play in which everyone wearing masks can participate, the World Mask Play Competition, the newly introduced Resident Autonomy Competition, and Mask Talent will add excitement to the festival.

Also not to be missed are the experience programs, flea markets, and food zones where families, friends, and couples can create lasting memories together.

At Mask Dance Park, there is a food zone and food trucks offering various snacks and treats, while the old downtown area features representative dishes of Andong. A new space for experiences with pets will also be operated. In addition, a rich variety of mask experience programs and a flea market where charming accessories can be purchased have been prepared in diverse ways to ensure the successful hosting of the festival while coexisting with the local economy.

Mayor Kwon Ki-chang said, “We will revitalize the local economy by transforming the old Andong Station, filled with citizens’ memories and recollections, into a communicative space connecting the city center and the festival through cultural regeneration, turning a disconnected space into a new one.” He added, “We will do our best to attract the hearts and footsteps of people worldwide by blending Korea’s mask dance, registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, into dynamic content full of fun and emotion.”

Opening of Andong International Mask Dance Festival 2023, Crowds Gathered.

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