A Festival Among Citizens
Cooperation Beyond the River
On October 25, Yangsan City will embark on a major journey to shape the city's future through three large-scale events held at Hwangsan Park.
On October 25, Yangsan City will host a series of major events, including the Eggya Festa, the Nakdonggang Cooperation Era Grand Transformation Declaration Ceremony, the 2026 Yangsan Year of Visit Proclamation, and the Nakdonggang Siwolae Concert. Through these events, the city will present its vision for a future city, expanding Yangsan’s name nationwide and to the world.
Mayor Na Dongyeon stated, "Yangsan is now becoming a global city centered on daily life, where citizens take the lead and the city itself becomes the stage. This event will showcase the new flow of the city, which starts with citizens and expands through cooperation and solidarity."
▲ "Eggya Festa," where citizens are the main characters... Happiness ripens at Hwangsan Park
Yangsan is the largest egg-producing region in Korea. The citizen festival "Eggya Festa," which reinterprets local resources as cultural content, will be held at Hwangsan Park from October 25 to 26.
The keywords for this year’s festival are participation and empathy. Programs include the "Egg Cooking Show" featuring Lee Miyoung, a renowned school meal chef known as the Black-and-White Chef, and celebrity chef Oh Seduk; the citizen cooking competition "Egg Battle"; "World Egg Spot," which introduces egg dishes from around the world; and a ramen zone featuring the newly coined "Nakdonggang Ramen." A variety of programs have been prepared.
In particular, as suggested by the Chinese character "夜" (night) in the festival’s name, the event will recreate the atmosphere of a night market in autumn, becoming a "night festival" for both citizens and tourists to enjoy together. The entire venue will be decorated with lights, food stalls, and hands-on programs, leaving a lasting impression on both locals and visitors.
An event official stated, "Beyond just eating and having fun, the festival will establish itself as a citizen-driven economic and cultural platform. It will simultaneously boost farm income, revitalize the local economy, and foster citizen unity, signaling the potential success of the Yangsan-style festival model."
▲ "Nakdonggang Cooperation Era Grand Transformation Declaration Ceremony"... Seven cities join hands
On the same day at Hwangsan Park, the "Nakdonggang Cooperation Era Grand Transformation Declaration Ceremony" will also take place. Seven cities along the Nakdonggang River-Yangsan, Gimhae, Miryang, Buk-gu (Busan), Sasang-gu, Saha-gu, and Gangseo-gu-will join forces to present a new model for inter-local government cooperation.
This declaration will be held in an expanded format as Miryang City newly joins the "Nakdonggang Council" in April 2025. During the event, the cities will share "CONNECTED Nakdonggang (樂動江)," a joint vision for uniting joy, and will formalize a cooperative system to connect the Nakdonggang River, which has been historically, ecologically, spatially, and administratively fragmented.
As the central city of the Nakdonggang midstream area, Yangsan will lead practical cooperative projects such as ecological tourism, cultural exchange, and transportation system expansion. The Nakdonggang Council is also being highlighted as a potential network hub for balanced development in the Yeongnam region.
Local experts analyzed, "This cooperation is not just a declaration, but the beginning of an actionable alliance. Coexistence centered on the Nakdonggang River will become a turning point for balanced development in the Yeongnam region."
▲ "2026 Yangsan Year of Visit" and "Nakdonggang Siwolae Concert"... Yangsan opens its doors to the world
If the festival brings citizens together and river cooperation connects the region, the final stage is Yangsan, a city reaching out to the nation and the world.
Yangsan City will declare 2026 as the "Year of Visit to Yangsan" and is preparing a large-scale campaign to attract both domestic and international tourists.
The city’s major tourism assets include Hwangsan Park and the Nakdonggang River, which have recently become national hot spots, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tongdosa Temple, Yeongchuksan Mountain, and family-friendly, stay-type tourist destinations. The campaign will focus on experiential programs that can be enjoyed year-round. Through these efforts, Yangsan aims to become a "city where people stay and want to return."
Additionally, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of Yangsan’s elevation to city status. To commemorate this, the city will host the "Nakdonggang Siwolae Concert," a celebratory event for visitors following the "Year of Visit to Yangsan" proclamation, allowing everyone to enjoy beautiful melodies in Hwangsan Park on an autumn night.
Mayor Na Dongyeon emphasized, "Yangsan’s strength lies in its capacity as a complex city that encompasses nature, culture, and industry. By harnessing the power of citizens at Eggya Festa, strengthening regional solidarity during the Nakdonggang Cooperation Era, and making 2026 the Year of Visit, we will elevate Yangsan as Korea’s leading tourist city."
▲ "A festival where citizens smile, a city joining hands on the Nakdonggang River, and Yangsan opening the road to the world"
The Eggya Festa, which promotes daily joy and economic revitalization; the Nakdonggang Cooperation Era Grand Transformation Declaration Ceremony, which opens the door to intercity solidarity and shared prosperity; and the 2026 Yangsan Year of Visit and Nakdonggang Siwolae Concert, which will serve as a springboard for Yangsan’s leap onto the national and global stage-these three events each have different themes, but their direction is one.
Yangsan’s vision starts with citizens, expands through regional cooperation, and moves toward the world (a festival where citizens smile, a city joining hands on the Nakdonggang River, and Yangsan opening the road to the nation and the world). Yangsan is now emerging as a city of regional innovation that designs the future, rather than just a local city.
Most notably, Yangsan stands out as the only city outside the Seoul metropolitan area with a growing population. Based on its vibrant local economy and sustainable urban structure, Yangsan is being recognized as a symbolic city that offers the "answer to sustainable growth" in an era of regional extinction.
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