May is Family Month, and North Gyeongsang Province (Gyeongbuk) is turning up the charm with a lineup of history, culture and tourism festivals across the region.
According to the provincial government, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has designated the Mungyeong Tea Bowl Festival as an Honorary Cultural Tourism Festival. It kicked off on May 1 at the Mungyeong Saejae open set and runs through May 10 under the theme "Mungyeong Tea Bowls: Newly, Beautifully." The festival offers a tea-bowl competition, a fine-ceramics exhibition, an international artists' exchange, tea-bowl throwing demonstrations and family pottery workshops that highlight Mungyeong’s ceramic heritage. On Children’s Day (May 5), family-friendly programming will include a magic show and the EBS musical "Hangeul Hero Aiya."
The Yeongju Korean Seonbi Culture Festival, named a promising festival by the province, opened on May 2. Held around Seonbi Village in Sunheung-myeon, Yeongju, the festival features cultural performances at Yeongju Hyanggyo, a Seonbi Academy lecture by Choi Tae-sung presented in a talk-concert format, and traditional Seonbi performances where visitors can see and learn about scholar culture. On the festival’s final day, Children’s Day, families with young children can enjoy hands-on programs like a children’s Seonbi school, Seonbi picnics and a children’s top-scholar contest.
Starting May 7, Yeongyang County will host the Yeongyang Wild Greens Festival across Yeongyang-eup, with concerts, the preparation of 1,219 servings of wild-greens bibimbap and a Wild Greens Music Festa. Then, from May 14 for three days, Seongbak Forest in Seongju County will hold the Seongju Chamoe & Life Culture Festival, featuring a Taebongan procession reenactment, the Nakwhano-ri flower-falling ceremony, the Byeolmeo tug-of-war and a variety of other events.
Acting Governor Hwang Myeong-seok noted that the recent blockbuster "The Man Who Lives with the King," which drew 16.7 million moviegoers, has increased interest in history and culture tourism for Mungyeong and Yeongju. He said the province will actively promote and support the region’s unique historical and cultural assets so these festivals bring in more visitors and boost local tourism income.
