Hyo-seok Culture Festival

Do you have heard about the Hyo Seok Cultural Festival (평창 효석문화제) before? Yes? No? Don’t worry! Let’s me share about this festival together with you today ❤

In PyeongChnag ,2018 Winter Olympic hosting city, you will be amazed with endless flower field and the great novel from this beautiful village by Lee Hyo Seok (1907-1942). Hyo Seok Cultural Festival is held to commemorate modern Korean writer Lee Hyo Seok and his popular novel ‘When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom’ which demonstrates the connection between human life and beauty of nature through the dazzling scenery of Bongpyeong. The festival offers various participatory programs such as poem exhibition, literature night, Hyo Seok essay contest, nature experiences (e.g. fingemall colouring using balsam), buckwheat food cooking, and many more. Furthermore, visitors may tour Lee Hyo Seok’s birthplace and memorial hall.

Address: 157, Ihyoseok-gil, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

강원도 평창군 봉평면 이효석길 157 (봉평면)

Admission/Participation Fees: Free

Period: 2-10 September 2017

Transportation: Take an intercity bus to Jangpyeong Intercity Bus Terminal. From Jangpyeong Terminal, take a local bus bound for Bongpyeong or Phoenix Park shuttle bus.

Lee Hyo Seok 李孝石 (1907-1942)

The person who wrote under the pen-name ‘Gasan’ was born February 23, 1907 in Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do. Lee wrote more than 70 pieces of fiction and first attracted attention of the literary world in 1928 when his story ‘City and Ghost’. Was published in <Joseon Jigwang>. Lee published many other works including “Unanticipated Meeting”, “Shattered Red Lantern”, and “At Sea Near Russia”, all of which reflected his socialist sympathies. When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom, is set in Lee’s hometown Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, and the area is still famous for its buckwheat production. *Joseon Jigwang (Light of Korea) is the monthly magazine (1922-1930) claiming to support racial movement. It mostly featured academic essay and literary work.

Story 1 ‘When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom’ (1936)

Mr. Heo, a lonely Jangdolbaengi (vendors who move around the 5 days market mainly in Pyeongchang, Yeongwol and Jecheon area) lost all the money at gamble and moved to Bongpyeong market place in Pyeongchang with his best buddy, Mr. Cho. they met young jangdolbaengi guy, Dong-L over there and decided to move to the other market place together.

While they walked through the buckwheat flower field in the night time, Mr. Heo talked about his lifetime love he has met 20 years ago in Bongpyeong market when he was a young Jangdolbaengi. It was a night that buckwheat flowers bloomed just like a ‘scattered salts’ on the field.

Lee Hyo Seok Culture Village (이효석문화마을) and Lee Hyo Seok Memorial Hall (이효석 문학관)

Lee Hyo-seok Culture Village is the place where the author Lee Hyo-Seok (penname “Gasan”) was born and raised. The village is also the setting of the author’s story "When the Buckwheat Blossoms,” one of the most celebrated Korean short stories to date.

In 1990, the village place was designated ‘first national cultural village’ by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The village is comprised of the author's birth house, a water mill, Chungjujip, Gasan Park, Lee Hyo-seok Memorial Hall, and a buckwheat museum. At the height of the blossoming season, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of snow-white fields of buckwheat flowers and from late August to early September, the annual Lee Hyo-seok Cultural Festival takes place.

Lee Hyo-seok Cultural Festival commemorates the modern Korean writer and features buckwheat-themed programs. Events include a Hyo-seok essay contest, traditional performances, a costume parade, a photo contest, and "When the Buckwheat Blossoms" films and performances. During the festival, visitors can enjoy makguksu (buckwheat noodles) and memil buchim (buckwheat pancakes) and tour the locations that appear in the famous short story.

The literary house consists of the Literature Exhibition (chronology of Lee Hyo Seok’s works), Literary Class, Art Research, Creative Idea Room, and a Theater for literary plays. There is also a mock-up of the old Bongpyeong Marketplace and videos for children, as well as many different activities. The facility houses valuable documents such as the author’s first printed newspaper, magazine, and book publications. In addition to its deep literary significance, the house is known for its exquisite exterior, Literary Garden, and buckwheat flower trail.

Address

73-25, Hyoseongmunhak-gil, Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

강원도 평창군 봉평면 효석문학길 73-25

Admission / Participation Fees

Individuals - Adults 2,000 won / Teenagers 1,500 won / Children 1,000 won

Operating Hours

October-April 09:00-17:30

May-September 09:00-18:30

Closed

Mondays (closed the following day if Monday is a national holiday), January 1, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day) & Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) holidays

Bongpyeong 5 Days Market (봉평5일장/봉평시장 (2, 7 일))

Bongpyeong Market opens on days with '2' and '7' with the interval of five days.  One can imagine as the protagonist in the famous novel by Lee Hyo-seok 'When the Buckwheat Blossoms' as he or she goes through the market. Recently, memil without fail, has been the top product in the market. From Memil Mak-guksu (buckwheat noodles), Memil-buchim (buckwheat pancake), Memil-jeonbyeong (buckwheat crepe), Memil-Jjinbbang (buckwheat steamed bun), Tojong Memil-Sundae, Memil Guksu-Jeongol (buckwheat noodles hotpot), Memil Namu Bibimbap and more, a variety of buckwheat-related foods can be found in this market.

Address

14-1, Dongijangteo-gil, Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

강원도 평창군 봉평면 동이장터길 14-1 (창동리)

Market Opening Dates

Every 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd & 27^th

Hyo-seok Culture Village Buckwheat Food Street (효석문화마을 메밀음식거리)

The Lee Hyo-seok Culture Village is a place where author Lee Hyo-seok (penname “Gasan”) was born and raised. The village is also the setting of the author’s story "When the Buckwheat Blossoms,” one of the most celebrated Korean short stories to date. At the height of the blooming season, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the snowy-white fields of buckwheat flowers, and from late August to early September.

Buckwheat’s prominence in Pyeongchang comes about largely from its pristine nature. The culinary hero, buckwheat, memil in Korean, comes in different varieties, including memil-guksu (buckwheat noodles), memil-muk (buckwheat jelly), memil-buchim (seaoned buckwheat jelly), and memil-kkotsul (buckwheat flower makkolli). The natural buckwheat dishes are said to possess healing power.

Since ancient times, Korea has been making and enjoying jelly and noodles made from buckwheat. It is no exaggeration to say that buckwheat jelly and noodles are one of Korea's national dishes. There is something special about buckwheat dishes in Bongpyeong. Its beautiful nature, along with its preserved literary and artistic heritage, has played a part in maintaining the good taste of its buckwheat dishes. It's a great place to find a thriving food culture.

Address

31, Gipung 3-gil, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

강원도 평창군 봉평면 기풍3길 31

Story 2 Traditional Market Revitalization Project with Hyundai Card

Bongpyeong Market Project in 2014 conserved the basic infrastructure of the market and adopted exterior design in each shop under the slogan of “Development for Sustainability”, encouraging merchants to strive for change. As Bongpyeong Market draws in as many as 5,000 people with its more than 100 stores during peak season, Hyundai Card designed and installed standardized canopy tents and stands for all the stores to create an organized aesthetic and provide more space for visitors.

-------------------------------------------THE END--------------------------------------------