Andong Maskdance Festival

October in Korea is a month full of Festivals. Festivals are happening just about everywhere, everything from the Busan International Film Festival to the Gwangju Kimchi Festival; there’s something for everyone.

During the first weekend of October, Blair and I went to the Andong Maskdance Festival. The Andong Maskdance Festival has a variety of events and hands-on programs, including the National & International Mask Dance Performance, World Mask Competition and World Mask Exhibition.

Andong is a short hour and half drive from Daegu. We left early in the morning and spent the entire day exploring the festival at the Hahoe Folk Village (away from the main festival site which was downtown). The village is a World Heritage site and regarded as valuable part of Korean culture because it preserves Joseon period-style architecture, folk traditions, and various relics.  

We spent most of the day taking in the sights around the village, shopping, making masks, and watching the traditional mask dances.

We stayed late into the evening to catch the Seonyujulbal Nori (Hahoe’s traditional fireworks display) which was truly a unique experience.  

The Seonyujulbal Nori dates back to Joseon dynasty. Originally, the fireworks display was a part of a large poem-writing party that occurred annually along the river. First, hundreds of pieces of mulberry root charcoal begin to burn on thick rope extending from Buyongdae Cliff to the Mansongjeong Pine Tree Forest. As the charcoals burn, fire slowly falls from the ropes, creating a raining of fire effect. Meanwhile, hundreds of eggshells with a piece of cotton burning inside are sent down the river. At the same time, scholars on a boat write and read poems. When someone finished writing a poem, people would shout “drop the fires!” In return, bundles of dried pine tress would be set to fire and dropped of the cliff. 

After the fireworks, a friendly group of Koreans offered to give us a ride... After sorting out the language barrier, we realized they meant all the way back to daegu, not just the bus terminal.