Naju-si to Host 'Samsek Yusan Nori' at Cultural Arts Center on the 8th

On the 8th at 7:30 PM, Naju City in Jeollanam-do will hold a special performance by the Naju Municipal Gugak Orchestra titled "Samsek Yusan Nori" at the Naju Culture and Arts Center.

According to the city on the 7th, Samsek Yusan Nori was a folk game and a representative festival for women, centered around the women living in Naju Eupseong, where three social classes?yangban (aristocrats), sangmin (commoners), and cheonmin (low class)?gathered as one group regardless of their social status.

Before the busy farming season began, in spring, people went to the mountains for spring play, commonly called "Hwajeon Nori," "San Nori," or "Yusan" (遊山). It is said that men held poetry gatherings while women enjoyed the day singing Ganggangsullae, folk songs, and taryeong.

This performance has been significantly revised in choreography and acting compared to traditional Madanggeuk, focusing on enhancing the audience's understanding of the play with splendid visuals and lighting designed by professional writers.

Naju Three-Color Traditional Games Poster.
Photo by Naju City

The Naju Samsek Yusan Nori performance, which was presented as a Madanggeuk at the Naju Mok Hyangcheong in September, received high praise from local residents as a modern acceptance of a lost regional cultural heritage.

Experts who watched the performance especially praised that the original form of the play was not damaged within the play and that various local folk songs from the region were restored and fully utilized as content in the play.

Yoon Jong-ho, the artistic director of the Municipal Gugak Orchestra and the general director of the play, said, "The bright atmosphere felt throughout the play will allow the audience to enjoy the performance happily, and it will be a stage where they can take pride as the protagonists preserving Naju's unique cultural heritage."

The performance will take place on the 8th at 7:30 PM in the main auditorium of the Naju Culture and Arts Center. Admission is free, and tickets will be distributed on-site on the day of the event.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, "Naju Samsek Yusan Nori is a cultural heritage unique to Naju that represents the eupchi society culture, distinct from ordinary rural villages. We hope it will be used not only for citizens' cultural and artistic enjoyment but also as a tourism and cultural product representing the region."

Naju = Kim Yuk-bong, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr