What to expect at Gwangalli Eobang Festival this year

The popular Eobang Festival will take place from the 12th to the 14th of this month at Gwangalli Beach and Suyeong Historical Park in Busan.

The festival aims to promote sustainable and eco-friendly practices under the theme of ‘People, Environment, and History’ and is based on the Joseon Dynasty’s joint work called ‘Eobang,’ which involved the cooperation of naval forces and fishermen to encourage and guide fishing.

‘Eco-friendly’ is the key to this year’s Gwangalli Eobang Festival

The festival emphasizes eco-friendliness, and participants will engage in beach environmental cleanup activities with environmental YouTubers. All food booths at the festival will use multi-use containers instead of disposable items to protect the environment.

A fishing boat performance in the old Jwasu English Room called ‘Jindueohwa’ will use gasoline instead of LED bulbs, while the ‘Golden Barley Harvesting Experience’ event will allow elementary school students to participate in harvesting green barley planted at Millak Beach Park last winter.

The ‘Gyeongsangjwasusa Street Parade’ and the ‘Gwangalli M Drone Light Show’ are two highlight programs of the festival. The Eobang Folk Village, which replicates a fishing village in the Joseon Dynasty, offers experience corners such as a 5-day market, hanging a Japanese black pine wishing place, an Eobang tavern, kite flying, traditional Korean clothes, an antique shop, and haenyeo hall.

Traditional character reenactment actors placed throughout the festival grounds add excitement and help time travel to the past. A mission experience is also held, and souvenirs are presented upon completion of the mission.

A performance of ‘Musical Eobang’ directed under the theme of ’25 Dragons and the Birth of Eobang’ will take place. Additionally, 60 fishing boats will perform in the waters of Gwangalli for the ‘Jindueohwa’ event, while the ‘Eobang Net Dragging Hanmadang,’ in which about 1,000 musical members participate and experience dragging a large net, is also eye-catching.