Naju Festival 'Yeongsangang Is Alive' Crowded from the First Day... Success Anticipated

The first integrated festival in Naju and the first to feature the Yeongsan River as its theme, ‘2023 Naju Festival, Yeongsan River is Alive,’ recorded a total of over 50,000 visitors on its opening day, signaling a ‘blockbuster march.’

According to Naju City in Jeollanam-do, on the opening day of the 21st, about 40,000 people gathered at the festival site, Yeongsan River Riverside Sports Park.

A city official said, “An unprecedented number of visitors came to the Yeongsan River festival site,” adding, “In addition, it is estimated that about 10,000 people visited other locations such as the 20,000-pyeong cosmos flower field at Nampyeong Jiseok Riverside, the National Naju Museum area where pink muhly waves bloom, and Geumseonggwan where the Millennium Naju Mok-eupseong Cultural Festival was held.”

On the evening of the 21st, the opening ceremony featured a ‘54-boat Jounseon (transport ship) parade’ and ‘fireworks,’ marking the splendid prologue of the festival’s grand journey. The site was packed with visitors eager to witness the unprecedented spectacle firsthand.

The 54 Jounseon boats recreated the scene of arriving in Naju, fully loaded with specialties from Gaegyeong and Hanyang, celebrating a bountiful catch. For 15 minutes, various fireworks exploded above the Jounseon gliding smoothly across the calm Yeongsan River like a mat, creating a breathtaking spectacle that drew gasps of awe.

Numerous visitors captured the vivid scenes on their mobile phones and shared them on social media platforms such as Instagram, and as the performance ended, cheers and applause continued unabated.

Families with children continued to visit the Agriculture Festa Zone, which was bursting with activities, and the Naju historical and cultural experience zone spanning from Mahan to Goryeo, Joseon, and the modern era. The cafeteria, composed exclusively of carefully selected local businesses, was also crowded every hour.

Scenes of people striking poses to take memorable photos with their children appeared everywhere, and footsteps visiting over 160 booths were filled with anticipation.

Yoon Byung-tae, mayor of Naju, said, “Since this is the first integrated festival attempted this year, we prepared each content with great care,” adding, “We hope you come to Naju and create beautiful autumn memories.”

Naju = Kim Yuk-bong, Honam Reporting Bureau, Asia Economy

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