Guri Cultural Center Participates in Gyeonggi Folk Arts Festival with 'Guribeol Maldari Balpgi'

Meaning Enhanced by Participation of 80 Members from 7 Groups Including Guri Cultural Center Pungmul Team

The Guri Cultural Center in Gyeonggi Province (Director Tan Seong-eun) announced on the 6th that it participated in the 26th Gyeonggi Province Folk Arts Festival held near Topyeonggyo Bridge on the 1st with Guri City's traditional game, ‘Guribeol Mal Daribalgi’.

Guri Cultural Center participated in the 26th Gyeonggi Folk Arts Festival held near Topyeonggyo Bridge on the 1st with Guri City's traditional game, 'Guribeol Maldari Balgi.' Photo by Guri City

‘Guribeol Mal Daribalgi’ is a folk game played during the first full moon of the lunar year, where the entire village would noisily gather on the plank bridge and Mi-eum stone bridge between Beolmal and Dolsom in Topyeong-dong, Guri City, as a talismanic ritual to prevent flood damage.

Based on the verification by Han Yu-seong, a holder of Songpa Sandanori and Seoul Dapgyo Nori, the Guri Cultural Center rediscovered this game and participated in the Gyeonggi Province Folk Arts Festival from 1993 to 1995. After being forgotten for a long time, it returned to the citizens of Guri in 2021 through re-verification by Han Cheol-su, the third-generation grandson of Han Yu-seong and director of the Guji Old Life Research Institute.

The competition on that day proceeded in the order of street play, bridge stepping, Seonsori Taryeong (a type of traditional song), and a harmonious Madangnori (yard play). About 80 people voluntarily participated, including the Guri Cultural Center Pungmul group, Traditional Play Research Association, Geonwon Chwita Band, Ullim Arts Group, Baebangi Gut Preservation Society, Namyangju Northern Preservation Society, Guri Sangnok Volunteer Group, and Gyeonggi Senior Enjoyment Center clubs, adding significance to the event.

About 100 people attended the event, including Jeong Gyeong-cheol, Vice Chairman of the Gyeonggi Province Cultural Center Federation; Won Deok-jae, Welfare and Culture Director, representing Guri Mayor Baek Gyeong-hyeon; Shin Dong-hwa, Chairman of Guri City Council; city council members Kim Seong-tae and Jeong Eun-cheol; cultural center officials; and citizens, who gave enthusiastic applause.

Tan Seong-eun, director of the Guri Cultural Center, said, “Beol Mal Daribalgi is a meaningful folk game where residents gather under the first full moon of the lunar year to step on the bridge and pray for the village’s peace. I thank the citizens who participated in the event today, and we will spare no support to participate again next year.”

Han Cheol-su, director of the Guji Old Life Research Institute who re-verified the game, said, “I thank the Guri Cultural Center for supporting the establishment of this game, which follows my grandfather’s will, and Professor Yoo Seung-pyo of the Guri Cultural Center Pungmul group for directing the play reenactment stage. We will heed the various advice from the judging panel and strive to further develop the verification for the next participation.”

Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi Province Folk Arts Festival is a large-scale arts festival held annually by the Gyeonggi Province Cultural Center Federation, traveling throughout Gyeonggi Province to discover, preserve, and pass down folk arts from 31 cities and counties and to raise awareness of traditional culture’s importance.

Starting with ‘Goyang Sonori’ in Goyang City on May 15, the festival will conclude its six-month journey with ‘Seongnam Imusljipteo Dajigi’ in Seongnam City on the 9th. The results of the judging for each city and county’s competition are scheduled to be announced around mid-November.