This is probably a bit random, but it’s been ages since I’ve posted any videos here. On the evening of the opening and closing Saturday of the Andong Mask Dance Festival, Hahoe Folk Village hosts a traditional firework performance. They string ropes from the village, across the river, to the top of the cliff. The ropes are covered with some sort of sap or dried pine needles and set on fire. Various performers read poetry and sing songs while sparks are raining down and floating candles drift past on the river. Meanwhile, actors dressed in traditional garb begin performing a play on a barge in the middle of the river, their shadows cast on the cliff face with a spot light. Finally, at several points throughout the evening, the audience cheers and flaming hay bales are thrown from the top of the cliff into the river. The effect of the whole experience is pretty magical. Unfortunately this last year, the event was dampened a bit by rain and my video camera’s not the greatest. Even so, I hope this video gives you a taste of how cool the Hahoe Traditional Fireworks actually are. It’s a little bit of a hassle to get out to Hahoe village, but check ‘em out if you can next Fall when the Mask Dance Festival comes around again.
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Around 2003 or so, I went to Andong at the behest of my not-yet-girlfriend and her friend (both 외국인), with little knowledge of Hahoe Village except for it being a historically notable place. When I was told “fireworks” over and over again, both in English and Korean, I was expecting something like we have in Orange County every night at Disneyland, so I was like, “meh.”
But I went anyway, and this traditional “fireworks” (there’s got to be a better translation than that, methinks) was completely unexpected. It really was magical. Very cool.
Very true, Kushibo. And, tacking the adjective “traditional” onto the front doesn’t really paint a picture of what actually goes on. Ages ago a guy I knew in Jeollanamdo told me that they threw flaming rocks off the cliff at Hahoe for the festival. That sounded a hell of a lot cooler than just “fireworks,” so we made a point of catching the bus out to the village for the performance. I’d say it’s one of my top 10 things I’ve seen in Korea.