Firmly Established as a Nationwide Festival... Closing on the 27th
Mayor Won Gang-su: "The Dumpling Festival Has Become a Valuable Asset of Wonju"
On the 30th, according to Wonju City, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Mayor Won Gang-su), it has been confirmed that over 500,000 visitors attended the ‘2024 Wonju Mandu Festival,’ which heated up the old downtown area of Wonju, Gangwon-do, from the 25th to the 27th. This has led to the evaluation that the Wonju Mandu Festival has firmly established itself as a nationwide-scale festival.
Over the three days from the 25th to the 27th, the "2024 Wonju Dumpling Festival" heated up the old downtown area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, attracting more than 500,000 visitors in a grand success. The photo shows a scene from this year's Wonju Dumpling Festival. At the closing ceremony, which concluded the grand event with a splendid finale on the 27th, awards were presented to the winners of the kimchi mandu eating and making contests, followed by the final performance of the festival’s highlight, the ‘Mandu King Big Show.’
Following this, Won Gang-su, Mayor of Wonju, and the festival promotion committee declared the official closing of the festival and promised to meet again next year, accompanied by dazzling celebratory performances by Gong Hoon, Park Gun, and others.
Over the three days from the 25th to the 27th, the "2024 Wonju Mandu Festival" heated up the old downtown area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, attracting more than 500,000 visitors in great success. The photo shows a scene from this year's Wonju Mandu Festival. Wonju City extended the festival period to three days under the theme ‘Wonju Mandu Road Taste Pilgrimage’ and doubled the festival venue size, offering a richer and more diverse experience than last year.
During the three days of the Wonju Mandu Festival, the old downtown area, where traditional markets are concentrated, was packed with over 500,000 visitors participating in the festival. Compared to last year’s 200,000 visitors, this is more than double. The visitor count was scientifically measured by installing a human body temperature detection unmanned people counter at the festival entrance, tracking one-way traffic flow.
Over the three days from the 25th to the 27th, the "2024 Wonju Mandu Festival" heated up the old downtown area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, attracting more than 500,000 visitors in a grand success. The photo shows a scene from this year's Wonju Mandu Festival. Notably, many foreigners attending the ‘30th Wonju International Walking Festival’ during the festival period also visited the Wonju Mandu Festival, enjoying various mandu and programs, highlighting the festival’s potential as a global event.
This year, all food booths operated exclusively by selling ‘mandu,’ enhancing the festival’s specialization. To eradicate overcharging, sales prices were capped at 5,000 won or less, providing mandu guaranteed for taste and quality.
Wonju City facilitated smooth operation of over 50 mandu booths by implementing one-stop business registration and real-time complaint resolution through group chat rooms, while also conducting booth-specific satisfaction surveys via QR codes.
Over the three days from the 25th to the 27th, the '2024 Wonju Mandu Festival' heated up the old downtown area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, attracting more than 500,000 visitors in a grand success. The photo shows a scene from this year's Wonju Mandu Festival. Visitors lined up in long queues at each booth to taste over 100 varieties of mandu sold at more than 50 booths across 10 themes, including meat mandu, kimchi mandu, global mandu, nationwide famous restaurant mandu, and unique vegetable mandu.
Especially at this year’s first and second mandu startup showcase booths, the prepared mandu sold out completely, proving the development potential of the Wonju mandu industrialization. Additionally, the ‘Mandu King Big Show,’ held twice daily, saw the audience singing along to the festival’s theme song and enjoying the stage together.
Over the three days from the 25th to the 27th, the '2024 Wonju Dumpling Festival' heated up the old downtown area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, attracting over 500,000 visitors in a grand success. The photo shows a scene from this year's Wonju Dumpling Festival. The kimchi mandu making experience and Wonju Mandu Art Playground were bustling with applicants eager to participate, and the kimchi mandu quick-making and eating contests, held four times daily, attracted diverse visitors from across the country. The ‘Autumn Concert,’ where visitors could enjoy mandu while feeling the autumn atmosphere, the mandu master cooking show, and the Wonju Video Media Center’s Mandu Broadcasting Station further heated up the festival.
Wonju City installed large LED screens suspended in the air on all four sides of the Jungang-ro Culture Street intersection, allowing spectators to view the stage from the east, west, south, and north.
Over the three days from the 25th to the 27th, the '2024 Wonju Mandu Festival' heated up the old downtown area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, attracting over 500,000 visitors in a grand success. The photo shows a scene from this year's Wonju Mandu Festival. Citizens of Wonju and visitors from outside, who came to the traditional market area, enjoyed high-quality performances throughout the old downtown area, overcoming the limitations of narrow spaces. The revitalized commercial district received praise for raising the city’s brand value alongside the festival’s primary goal of stimulating the local economy.
In particular, through collaboration with local safety-related institutions and organizations, thorough measures were taken to ensure ‘festival site safety,’ successfully achieving a ‘festival without accidents’ for the second consecutive year. Nearby Seongji Hospital contributed to alleviating parking difficulties by providing 350 parking spaces free of charge during the festival period.
Over the three days from the 25th to the 27th, the "2024 Wonju Mandu Festival" heated up the old downtown area of Wonju, Gangwon Province, attracting more than 500,000 visitors in a grand success. The photo shows a scene from this year's Wonju Mandu Festival. Local companies in Wonju captured two benefits?regional economic revitalization and corporate promotion?by conducting events linked to the festival through business agreements. In this way, the cooperation of local related institutions, organizations, and companies in hosting the festival added meaning of regional harmony and integration to the Wonju Mandu Festival.
Won Gang-su, Mayor of Wonju, said, “I thank everyone who visited the festival in an orderly manner so that the nation’s only Wonju Mandu Festival could be held safely again this year.” He added, “Now, the Mandu Festival has become a precious asset of Wonju symbolizing inclusion, consideration, and harmony, and through the developing Mandu Festival, the Old Downtown Re-creation Project will continue.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
