On August 18 at 4 PM, a Free Traditional Performance Festival Held at Seoul Nori Madang
Includes Gilnori, Songpa Sandae Nori, Tightrope Walking, Ssireum, Folk Songs, and Pungmul Nori, Open to All Without Reservation
Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that the 32nd ‘Songpa Baekjung Nori’ will be held on August 18th, Baekjung Day, at 4 PM at Seoul Nori Madang (136 Samhaksa-ro).
Since ancient times, our ancestors enjoyed ‘Baekjung Nori,’ a tradition of temporarily setting aside the hard work of farming around the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, when the rice planting season was safely completed, to soothe their minds and bodies with various foods and games.
Uniquely, the ‘Songpa Baekjung Nori’ developed as an urban-style play rather than a rural one due to the characteristics of the region. It originated over 200 years ago when merchants at Songpajang, a commercial center along the Han River, invited professional performance groups to hold grand festivities to attract customers.
Although the tradition nearly disappeared after the great flood of the Han River in 1925 turned the Songpa area into a sandy beach without a trace, it was restored in 1989 through the efforts of the Songpa Folklore Preservation Society, and this year marks the 32nd regular performance, continuing to pass down and preserve this precious traditional cultural heritage.
This year’s ‘Songpa Baekjung Nori’ offers various attractions for the audience. The performance begins with the lively ▲Gilnori (procession) by the pungmul troupe, followed by ▲Ssireum (Korean wrestling) and a stage of ▲Gyeonggi minyo (folk songs). After the thrilling tightrope walking, you can also experience ▲Songpa Sandae Nori, which was designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 1973 and registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2022. The performance concludes with an exciting pungmul play.
The performance will be held for about 120 minutes from 4 PM at Seoul Nori Madang, and anyone can freely watch it for free without prior reservation.
Meanwhile, the Songpa Folklore Preservation Society, which organizes the performance, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and passing down traditional culture. It holds National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 49 ‘Songpa Sandae Nori’ and Seoul Metropolitan Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 3 ‘Songpa Daribalgi’ (stepping on the bridge).
Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “‘Songpa Baekjung Nori’ is a precious local cultural heritage imbued with Songpa’s unique seasonal customs,” and added, “We hope everyone enjoys a relaxing weekend afternoon experiencing the joyful play culture of our ancestors on Baekjung Day.”
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