Abundant Activities Including Keyring-Making and Fire-Spinning Games
Buan County in North Jeolla Province will hold the 2025 Byeonsan Haenyeo Festival on December 31 at Byeonsan Beach, a renowned spot on the west coast for sunset views.
According to the county on December 18, this year’s festival is a hands-on and emotionally engaging year-end event where residents and tourists can come together against the backdrop of Byeonsan’s beautiful sunset. The festivities will run from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a variety of performances scheduled around the expected sunset at 5:30 p.m.
The pre-ceremony events will feature the local Nanta team “Baramkkot Nanta” and the traditional music troupe “Cheondung Sori,” followed by a performance from the three-member popera group “Raoniel,” further enhancing the year-end atmosphere.
The highlight of the festival will be the lighting ceremony of the LED daljip (traditional bonfire structure) and a wish lantern event, where participants will illuminate lanterns containing their hopes for the new year, sharing a special moment of wishing for a hopeful year ahead.
Additionally, the opening ceremony will include a New Year’s congratulatory video screening and a traditional drum performance, setting an uplifting tone for the festival. To mark the Year of the Red Horse (Byeongo Year), a variety of interactive programs are also planned.
Festival attractions include the “Wish Flower Garden” decorated with azalea-shaped wish notes symbolizing Buan, a “Red Horse” keyring-making activity, an LED fire-spinning game, a cozy bonfire zone, a New Year’s message photo zone, and tarot and fortune-telling experiences, all adding to the participatory fun of the event.
There will also be food stalls offering winter snacks. For the celebratory performance, trot singer Shin Seungtae, known as the “Wild Horse of Trot,” will take the stage, and a fireworks display will light up the winter night sky over the sea, adding to the emotional impact of the sunset.
County Mayor Kwon Ikhyeon said, “This festival is a warm occasion to share well-wishes and hope at the end of the year,” adding, “I hope all residents and tourists can enjoy a memorable year-end together with the beautiful nature of Byeonsan.”
Meanwhile, a variety of sunrise events are also scheduled for January 1 next year. These will take place across Buan County, including Haetteulmaru Local Garden in Buan-eup (7:00 a.m.), Gyejung Village Hall in Gyehwa-myeon (6:00 a.m.), Byeonsan Beach in Byeonsan-myeon (6:00 a.m.), Baeksan Sacred Site in Baeksan-myeon (6:00 a.m.), and Gaemsa Temple in Sangseo-myeon (6:00 a.m.).
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