2024 Gimhae Gaya Cultural Festival, This Year in October

Held to Commemorate the 1st Anniversary of Gaya Tumuli World Heritage Registration

Gimhae City in Gyeongnam Province has decided to hold this year’s Gaya Culture Festival around the same time as the festivals of the cities and counties where the Gaya Tumuli are located, to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the Gaya Tumuli being registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

According to Gimhae City on the 12th, the seven Gaya Tumuli sites including ▲Daeseong-dong Tumuli in Gimhae, Gyeongnam ▲Malisan Tumuli in Haman ▲Okjeon Tumuli in Hapcheon ▲Songhak-dong Tumuli in Goseong ▲Gyodong and Songhyeon-dong Tumuli in Changnyeong, Goryeong Jisandong Tumuli in Gyeongbuk, and Yugok-ri and Durak-ri Tumuli in Namwon, Jeonbuk, were registered as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage on September 17 last year.

Gyeongnam Gimhae Gaya Culture Festival.
[Photo by Gimhae City Hall]

The Gaya Culture Festival, representing Gimhae, has been held for over 60 years since the first Garak Culture Festival in 1962.

Every year, the festival period was adjusted based on the lunar calendar date of March 15, the day of the King Kim Suro Spring Memorial Ceremony, but this year it is scheduled to be held around the lunar calendar date of September 15, the day of the Autumn Memorial Ceremony.

This year’s Gaya Culture Festival will be held from October 16 to 20, starting on lunar September 14.

Gaya Tumuli in Daeseong-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Gimhae City Hall]

The city announced that it will hold the Gaya Culture Festival in line with the 1st anniversary ceremony of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage registration, which will take place in Gimhae on October 18.

From October 11 to 17, the National Sports Festival will be held, and from October 25 to 30, the National Para Games will take place.

The city plans to promote the historical and cultural value of the Gaya heritage both domestically and internationally by linking the 1st anniversary ceremony of the UNESCO registration and the Gaya Culture Festival with major events hosted by Gimhae this year, such as the National Sports Festival, East Asian Cultural City, and the Year of Gimhae Tourism.

During the Gaya Culture Festival period, the Queen Heo’s Journey Festival and the Cultural Heritage Night Festival will also be held together.

Kim Cha-young, Director of the Cultural Tourism Business Office, said, “By holding the Gaya Culture Festival to coincide with the 1st anniversary of the World Heritage registration, more citizens will be able to commemorate and enjoy it.”

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