The 32nd Dongnae Eupseong Historical Festival will be held for 3 days from October 16 to 18 in Dongnae-gu, Busan. It runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The festival began in 1995 as the 1st Chungnyeolje and has continued for 32 years as a history-education hands-on festival. It was selected as a 2026-2027 Culture and Tourism Festival. Using Dongnae at the time of the Imjin War of 1592 as the backdrop for the whole festival, it runs themed programs such as a gate experience and a marketplace experience.

There are 3 signature programs. The "Dongnae Busa Procession" parade, in which several hundred people take part, opens the festival. The "Battle of Dongnaeseong Reenactment On-Site Musical," staged at the historic site where the actual battle took place, is a performance combined with media art. These are joined by the "Dongnae Three-Strand Tug-of-War," in which participants pull the rope together.

19 culture and performance programs have been prepared. Besides the opening ceremony and the Dongnae Eupseong Song Festival, there will be traditional tightrope walking, a hanbok fashion show, a madangguk (open-air play) reenacting the Dongnae busa (magistrate) at work, the opera "Chunhyang Who Came to Dongnae" and North Gate media art. Street performances including North Gate busking, Jeongisu (storyteller) story busking and Jeon Woo-chi magic busking, a children's English musical, and "Donggeuri," an exhibition of works by children with developmental disabilities, are also planned.

There are 24 participation and hands-on programs. At "Dongnae Jangteo," where visitors experience a Joseon-era market street with brass coins in hand, they can visit the Dongnae pajeon (green onion pancake) jumak (tavern), Dongnae Hyeminseo and Dongnae Sangdan, among others. An outdoor escape room, a Byeolmidang character snack experience, a Jang Yeong-sil science experience and a Dongnae busa helmet and armor experience will also run. Nighttime content including the Joseon Hipjaengi Dance Battle, a hanbok disco party, the Wolya Goedam horror experience and saju (fortune-telling) and tarot readings will also be held.

9 side events will be held, including a memorial rite marking the 434th anniversary of the Imjin War, the Dongnae Sale Festival, wish lanterns, the Dongnae Eupseong food market, the Myeongnyun 1beonga Night Festival and an Oktoberfest. For details, call 051-550-4092.

Event overview

  • Dates: October 16 to October 18
  • Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Inquiries: 051-550-4092

Also in Busan during the same period

5 other festivals are being held in Busan during the Dongnae Eupseong Historical Festival.

By Festival Times' count, 48 festivals are taking place nationwide during the Dongnae Eupseong Historical Festival. The full October schedule can be filtered by region and date on the festival schedule page.

The detailed schedule is available on the festival details page. Programs and fees may change depending on the organizers' circumstances.