Clap for the fun and clap for the rhythm at the 2015 Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival

(October 7 – 11, 2015) Anseong Machum Land

The Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival is coming to town! The Baudeogi festival was designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism as one of Korea’s top performance art festivals in 2015.

Oppressed by the ruling class, the common people of late Joseon Dynasty transformed ‘Namsadang nori’ from a lowly form of entertainment into a performance genre brimming with humor and criticism. Namsadang nori performances cleansed the hearts of the people and propelled wisdom by spearheading social reform. Among all the groups that performed this particular genre, ‘Anseong Namsadangpae’ – led by ‘Baudeogi’, a female ‘Kkocdooseh’ – was recognized as the paramount group across the nation.

In addition to Namsadang nori performances every weekend, the Namsadang nori Training Center in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, hosts the Namsadang Baudeogi Festival every October and contributes to promoting the excellence of Korean traditional art as well as the value of the nation’s tradition. 

The 2015 Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival prepared for its five-day schedule with a commemoration ceremony for Baudeogi and a road side performance parade a day before the opening ceremony. Taking place next to the Gyeonggi Garden Culture Exhibition, the Baudeogi festival seems more glamorous and exciting than ever. 

■ What is ‘Namsadang nori’?

Registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, Namsadang nori was a wandering clown show that performed for modest citizens; it did not settle in one place and was, in principle, composed solely of men.

At the time, there were numerous groups across the country; however, the only group remaining today is the Anseong Namsadangpae, which performs out of Anseong’s Cheongnyongsa Temple.

The performances appeared on six ‘madangs’ with cheerful music in the background. Approximately 20 to 30 people playing the ‘kkwaengggwari’, ‘janggu’, ‘buk’, ‘jing, ‘sogo’ and ‘taepyeongso’ all came together for a diverse range of performances. This included: the ‘beona nori’, which involved spinning a round-shaped ‘beona’ and making jokes with each other; ‘salpan’, in which the clown and ‘ggun’ joke with each other and perform tricks on the ground; ‘eoreum’, featuring tricks on a rope suspended high in the air; ‘deotbwaegi’, which involves trading jokes while wearing masks; and ‘deolmi’, which belongs to a traditional puppet show. 

Throughout the five-day event at Anseong Machum Land, you can enjoy all sorts of performances – both Korean and foreign – led by this Namsadang nori.

Art 7:00 p.m. on the first day (October 7), the opening ceremony featuring ‘Namsadang pungmulpae’ and other folk performances from around the world as well as a congratulatory concert and fireworks will take place. Apart from official events for the closing ceremony on October 10, six to seven global folk performance sessions are scheduled at the Namsadang Performance Hall, main stage, fringe stage, and market stage. Also, traditional performances promoting the excellence of traditional Korean culture such as ‘jangochum paju nongak’ will be staged each day. Finally, the festival will feature various activities and exhibitions that offer a glimpse into everyday life during the time when Namsadangpae groups were widespread. 

As for the folk performances from around the world that will be staged at the festival, 11 teams from countries including Indonesia, Slovakia, Mexico, the Philippines, Spain, and Brazil will be there offering spectacular performances.

These performance teams will join the parade once a day in addition to their global folk performance and road side performances the day before. This is another feature of this year’s event that is increasing expectations for the Baudeogi Namsadang Festival. 

In addition, since this is a festival for families with children, there will be plenty of activities on hand.

Various programs including a reproduced Anseong market place, the largest market during the Joseon Dynasty, as well as an activity section to learn and play musical instruments such as janggu, buk, jing, and kkwaenggwari used by the Namsadang pungmulpae group will be available at the festival. Also, agricultural and livestock farming activities that help people experience the abundance of autumn right before harvest will be provided. Another outstanding feature of the festival is the Baudeogi slow mail box, which is being introduced for the first time this year. 

Apart from the Namsadangpae group, Anseong is famous for its agricultural products including Anseong rice, pears, grapes, ginseng, and beef.

To satisfy demand for Anseong agricultural products, as evidenced by last year’s record sales, the number of sales booths for agricultural products during the festival will be increased to 74 in total. This will help recreate the glory of Anseong market’s past and set the stage for a street food festival. 

The Baudeogi festival is just couple of weeks away. Last weekend, when I visited Anseong Machum Land, it was busy prepping for the autumn festival.

Fancy structures have already been erected. 

What makes this year’s Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival even more exciting is the fact that the Gyeonggi Garden Culture Exhibition will take place simultaneously.

This exhibition will take place on a 10,000-pyeong complex with wild flowers and a waterfront park with beautiful lotuses in full bloom. The exhibition sheds new light on the value of parks as a place for urban cultural activities, and you can see various types of gardens within everyday living spaces such as verandas, rooftops, and outdoor areas. 

With the blue autumn sky perfect for a day out, beautiful garden culture, and exciting performances, it can’t get any better than this!

Among the gardens being prepared at the large wild flower complex, this traditional garden seemed ready to open.

From distinct appearances using instruments like kkwaenggwaris and jings to landscaping that utilizes trees themselves…

Just looking at the preparation work alone gave me confidence that the exhibition is going to be beautiful.

The 2015 Anseong Baudeogi Festival, at which you can see traditional performances from Korea and around the world, will start its spectacular proceedings with a road side festival. The road side event will begin at 6:00pm on October 6 at the Jungang-ro road in Anseong City, and over 3,000 people from more than 30 organizations across Anseong will participate. During the festival, performances will continue from 10:00am to 9:30pm daily.

The Festival will take place at Anseong Machum Land for five days from October 7 to 11, 2015. 

http://ggholic.tistory.com/10173