Naju-si 'Yeongsanpo Honggeo Festival' Concludes Successfully... 100,000 Visitors

The Yeongsanpo Honggeo Festival in Naju, Jeollanam-do, attracted over 100,000 tourists over three days, demonstrating the enduring strength of the region's longest-running festival.

According to the city on the 28th, the 20th Yeongsanpo Honggeo Festival was held from the 24th to the 26th at the Yeongsangang Riverside Citizen Sports Park area.

From the 24th to the 26th, the 20th Yeongsanpo Skatefish Festival was successfully concluded at the Yeongsangang Riverside Citizen Sports Park area.
[Photo by Naju City]

Under the theme "Taste Honggeo, Get Drunk on Music, Be Dyed by Poppy," the festival showcased a variety of foods and abundant attractions that allowed visitors to experience the essence of Yeongsanpo’s 600-year-old tradition of aged honggeo (fermented skate).

Especially, this year’s first attempt at a 50% permanent discount booth was a huge success, drawing crowds eager to purchase top-quality domestic aged honggeo at half price, resulting in daily sell-outs.

Merchants from the Honggeo Street in Yeongsanpo also participated in a 30% permanent discount sale during the festival as part of a win-win effort to popularize honggeo dishes, receiving great positive responses.

Food booths installed on both sides of the main stage at the festival captivated visitors’ taste buds with generous portions at reasonable prices.

Booth vendors froze prices to prevent overcharging at the festival site, setting meal dishes like Honggeo Aeguk at 10,000 KRW and side dishes such as honggeo sashimi and seasoned honggeo at under 30,000 KRW, earning praise.

During the festival, events such as the daily giveaway of 1,000 eggs, Namdo Takju (traditional liquor) tasting, as well as a night market, flea market, and Pumba performance stage were set up on one side of the festival grounds, delighting tourists’ eyes and palates.

The Yeongsangang riverside, spanning 12,000 pyeong, was adorned with a spectacular field of red poppies, attracting crowds who strolled along the flower paths and took photos.

Programs that allowed festival visitors to participate directly, such as surprise honggeo auctions, pretty honggeo slicing, and honggeo tower building, also drew attention.

The performance stage featuring popular trot singers added to the festival’s excitement.

Starting on the 24th with Naju-born singers Cha Hyorin and Lee Sangchae, the 25th featured Woo Yeon-i, Bae Il-ho, Chun Ga-yeon, Park Geon-woo, and Donghoo, while the 26th saw Muryeong, Choi Yoon-ha, Na Hye-jin, Kim San-ha, and Kim Byeo-ri energize the stage with lively trot medleys.

The main performance and finale was delivered by Kim Hee-jae, a singer from Mr. Trot Season 1, who thrilled the audience with a lively performance combining singing and dancing.

Following the singer performances, a spectacular fireworks show lighting up the Yeongsangang night sky concluded the three-day Yeongsanpo Honggeo Festival.

Jang Haeng-jun, chairman of the festival organizing committee, said, “We thank the merchants of Honggeo Street, citizens, and tourists who visited the festival site for their active cooperation in making the festival successful. We hope it will continue to grow into a premium food festival, reaching its 50th and 100th editions as Naju’s longest-running festival.”

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae stated at the closing ceremony, “We will do our best to have the 600-year-old tradition of aged honggeo registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, allowing it to spread worldwide beyond Yeongsanpo and Namdo’s representative dishes as a food culture.”

He added, “We will enhance the attractiveness of Naju tourism through revitalizing the Yeongsanpo commercial district, including the Honggeo Street and Namdo Food Street development, designation of Jeollanam-do autonomous commercial zones, creation of the Yeongsangang reservoir garden, and hosting the 2024 Naju Yeongsangang Festival in October.”

Naju = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yukbong baekok@asiae.co.kr