Yeoju Namhangang Daeboreum Daljiptaeugi Festival – Korean folk game that brings good fortune

Festival name	Yeoju Namhangang Daeboreum Daljiptaeugi Festival
period	February 24, 2024
location	Dalmaji Square below Yeongin Bridge, Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do (575 Cheonsong-dong, Yeoju-si)
fee	Free (experience and food not included)
home page	https://yj4333.modoo.at/

In Korea, the first full moon festival is held all over the country, but it feels like a more special festival because it is held only on that day.

Among the areas near Seoul, I visited the Yeoju Namhangang Full Moon Festival. I really wanted to see the highlight of the festival, the full moon burning, at least once.

The full moon burning is a Korean folk game where a straw house is burned when the full moon rises to ward off evil and bring in good fortune.

I couldn’t get to the festival early due to other schedules, so I arrived late at around 6:30 in the evening.

This festival, held at Dalmaji Square under the Namhangang Lovers’ Bridge, featured experiences such as burning a moon house, playing with fireworks, flying kites, and writing wishes, as well as various performances and food stalls, making for an extremely exciting atmosphere.

There was a large parking lot, but it was already full, so we used the nearby Yeoju Library parking lot.

On the stage, there was a performance, and on the opposite side, there were various booths lined up. The food market was full of people filling their hungry stomachs with noodles, rice cake soup, stir-fried pork, vegetable pancakes, fish cake skewers, alcohol, coffee, etc. On the other side, there were a few food trucks selling takoyaki and other things.

I could experience the rat fire game for 5,000 won, but it was so popular that I had to wait in line for about 15 minutes. When it was my turn, I was given a can to put on fire and had fun spinning it around.

Originally, it was fun to throw the can and see the sparks fall, but there was no space for that, so I had to be satisfied with just turning it.

Still, since it was an experience I couldn’t do often, I think it was a special memory even though it was a short time.

At 7 p.m., many people began to gather around the straw house to watch the burning of the moon house. The house was 15 meters high and 12 meters in diameter, much larger than I had expected. I couldn’t help but feel excited about how cool it would be to burn it. They said it took several days just to make this house.

The opening declaration and congratulatory speeches were followed by the burning of the moon house, which began at around 7:30. The sight of it burning in an instant was truly spectacular.

I felt that it was a festival worth visiting at least once because it was a Korean folk game, and it was even more meaningful.

The fireworks added to the beautiful scene. It rained at the end, so I had to hurry home. The firefighters came to put out the fire, but it must have been easier to put out the fire.

So far, I have written about my visit to the Yeoju Namhangang Daeboreum Daljiptaeugi Festival. Although it was a festival that I only stayed for a short time due to my schedule, I was able to leave with short but deep memories. If you want to make special memories on the first full moon of the lunar year, visiting a festival like this would be a good idea.