Uljin County to Host the 38th Pyeonghae Danoje as a National Festival

Namdaechon Danoje Renamed, Leaping Forward as Uljin's Signature Cultural Festival

Creating a Cultural Street in Pyeonghae-eup Downtown, Offering Abundant Attractions

Dano, one of the four major traditional holidays in Korea, will be celebrated with a special festival in Uljin!

The 38th Uljin Pyeonghae Dano Festival held as a nationwide festival.

Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province, will host the 38th Pyeonghae Dano Festival on June 8th and 9th throughout the streets of Pyeonghae-eup.

The Pyeonghae Dano Festival is a unique traditional event held to wish for the well-being and prosperity of the community. Since 1984, it has been organized annually by the Pyeonghae-eup Youth Association and local residents, except during the COVID-19 period.

This year’s Dano Festival is especially meaningful as it marks the first attempt to introduce various changes, aiming to elevate the event into Uljin’s representative traditional cultural festival.

The county changed the festival’s name from “Pyeonghae Namdaecheon Dano Festival” to “Pyeonghae Dano Festival” and expanded the venue to cover the entire Pyeonghae-eup area, allowing the whole town to emerge as a single brand.

Under the concept of “Newtro in Pyeonghae,” the festival will blend tradition with tourism by transforming Pyeonghae-eup into cultural, play, and Pyeonghae zones, turning the entire town into a cultural street. Visitors can enjoy a variety of attractions, food, and local agricultural specialties, laying the foundation for regional coexistence.

Centered around the Wolsong Geunjul, a traditional tug-of-war passed down in Pyeonghae-eup, the festival will offer various performances and participatory cultural content for visitors. National-level events such as the National Sports Tug-of-War Competition, featuring 13 leading teams, and the Uljin Geumgangsong National Gugak Competition will further establish the Pyeonghae Dano Festival as a prominent nationwide event.

On the first day, the play zone will feature a spectacular tightrope performance by tightrope prodigy Nam Changdong, followed by Uljin’s signature Byeolsingut ritual. A special Dano experience zone will also be available, where visitors can participate in traditional activities such as washing hair with changpo water, making Dano fans, crafting changpo soap, and making surichwi rice cakes.

The Pyeonghae zone, set in the heart of Pyeonghae-eup, will offer retro-themed experience zones such as a nostalgic costume shop, photo studio, and stationery store. The cultural zone will feature celebratory gugak performances, a vibrant percussion performance by the Taeguk Team, and a congratulatory performance by the Gyeongbuk Provincial Gugak Orchestra.

The opening celebration on June 8th at 7 p.m. will showcase performances by Newtro artists Doshiui Aideul and Ddanddara Family, as well as Korea’s leading trot singers Lee Hyojin and Song Gain. The night sky of Pyeonghae will be lit up with a spectacular drone light show and fireworks, offering a feast for the eyes.

Additional events include performances by local art groups and music clubs, the Pyeonghae Dano Singing Contest to select the town’s top singer, the Pyeonghae Dano Park Golf Tournament, and the Pyeonghae Dano Health Walking Competition, providing a wide range of entertainment for festival visitors.

With the festival now held in the streets of Pyeonghae-eup, safety management will be prioritized with the cooperation of the police and fire departments, and a joint safety inspection is scheduled for June 7th to ensure a safe event.

County Governor Son Byeongbok stated, “We have done our best to prepare the Pyeonghae Dano Festival as Uljin’s signature event by preserving our fading traditions and adding unique content. We ask for active participation from residents and visitors to make the festival shine even brighter. I would also like to thank the residents of Pyeonghae-eup for their continued support and cooperation in keeping the spirit of the Dano Festival alive and preparing for this year’s event.”