Gwangju Nam-gu 'Chaek Aeho-gadeul' Gather in One Place in November

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] A book festival where residents who love reading gather in one place to communicate through books will be held in the Nam-gu district of Gwangju Metropolitan City early next month.

Nam-gu will hold the 9th Nam-gu Residents Book Festival at Yuan Neighborhood Park in Bongseon-dong from 10 a.m. on November 5.

About 1,000 people, including public and small library staff, private reading group members, and local bookstore representatives, are expected to attend this year's festival.

The Nam-gu Residents Book Festival will open with a ceremony centered on the main stage set up in the plaza of Yuan Neighborhood Park, and various experiential activities and performances will be held at several booths arranged throughout the park.

First, at the opening ceremony, awards will be presented to the winners of the writing contest held in September under the theme "Traveling Together Through Books," and commendations will be given to those who have contributed to reading.

Then, at the Bongseon 2-dong Administrative Welfare Center near Yuan Neighborhood Park, a humanities program titled "Creative Stories for Readers," exploring poetry literature for adults, will be held from 11 a.m., and from 1 p.m., a program called "A Day in the Writer's Village," where children aged 7 to 13 create a collection of children's poems, will take place.

Along the walking trail in Yuan Neighborhood Park, a fairy tale walking path program will be operated, allowing participants to experience the world of fairy tales. Here, activities such as making seed pots, Ushara water bottles, Ssedam bags, mascots, and a reading quiz will be offered.

Twelve reading culture experience booths and a puppet show booth will be set up at the Yuan Neighborhood Park playground and badminton court.

Participants can experience nostalgic alley games such as plogging demonstrations and playing ttakji (traditional Korean paper tile game), upcycling bookbinding workshops, and Christmas ornament making. The Mirunamu Housewives Puppet Troupe will perform two puppet shows: "The Farting Daughter-in-Law" and "Ddungi and Ppungi."

A Nam-gu official said, "We have prepared various experiential events to emphasize the importance of reading and promote reading habits," and added, "We ask for much interest and participation in the Nam-gu Residents Book Festival, where neighbors communicate through books."