The 14th Palgongsan Mountain Traditional Marketplace Seungsi Festival, sponsored by Daegu City and organized by Donghwasa Temple of the 9th District of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, will be held at Donghwasa Temple for three days from October 1 to 3.
Celebrating its 14th year, the Seungsi Festival recreates the traditional mountain marketplace of monks as a festival. It goes beyond the simple exchange of goods needed by monks and temples, serving as a space for sharing Buddhist culture and traditions unique to each temple. This festival is the only event of its kind in Korea, reviving a precious national cultural heritage.
In particular, this year’s festival is the first to be held since Palgongsan was designated as a national park. Starting this year, the festival will be held annually from October 1 to 3, featuring a variety of exciting events such as monks’ competitions (wrestling, foot volleyball, table tennis), cultural performances, traditional games, Buddhist cultural experiences and exhibitions. These offerings provide a special opportunity to relive tradition and culture amid the beautiful nature of Palgongsan.
On the first day, October 1, a Donghwasa pungmul (traditional percussion) performance will take place in the morning. In the afternoon, a parade will start at Donghwamun Gate and proceed to the Unification Yaksa Great Buddha, followed by the opening Buddhist ceremony at 2 PM on a special stage in front of the Great Buddha. From 5 PM, the opening celebration concert will feature singers Kim Heungguk, Jang Mihwa, Yang Hayoung, the fusion gugak Granada Band, Kim Sohyang and a musical gala show, Ko Jungwoo, Jung Soora, and others, entertaining the audience.
On the second day, October 2, there will be a Yeongsanjae ritual demonstration, along with monks’ competitions in wrestling (Ssi-nyeomin), foot volleyball, table tennis, and a monastic Beopgo drum contest.
On the final day, October 3, the festival will conclude with performances by Cheonsang Sori-dan and the vocal class of Korea National University of Arts, a children’s Taekwondo demonstration, a wrestling (Ssi-nyeomin) event with wrestler Lee Taehyun, and a Sejong Symphony Korean Traditional Orchestra performance under the theme “See You Again at Seungsi.”
In addition, from 10 AM to 7 PM throughout the festival, visitors can enjoy a variety of regular programs: the Seungsi Madang (recreation of the mountain traditional marketplace, food stalls), Exhibition Madang (Beopgyedo with autumn chrysanthemums, grand lantern exhibition, media facade video), and Experience Madang (traditional games, monastic robe cosplay, craft/drawing experiences, temple sound experience, and more).
Meanwhile, in anticipation of increased visitors to Palgongsan on the temporary holiday of October 1, Daegu City will add two more “Express No. 1” buses running between Dongdaegu Station and the festival venue, reducing the interval from 13 to 11 minutes. Three shuttle buses will also operate between Cine80 and the festival entrance, ensuring the safety and convenience of visitors with comprehensive transportation measures.
Kim Sunjo, Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs of Daegu City, stated, “I hope that the ‘Seungsi’ festival, a valuable cultural heritage of our region, will establish itself as Daegu’s representative festival where not only citizens but also domestic and international visitors can participate and enjoy. I especially ask that every effort be made to ensure transportation and safety for all attendees, so that Daegu can become a truly global tourist city.”
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