The Annual Chunhyang Festival

The Chunhyang Festival is held every April in Namwon, celebrating the famous folktale of Chunhyang. Attendees enjoy traditional music, colorful parades, swing riding, sijo poetry, participate in old-school games and watch a beauty contest where local females dress up in hanbok. In previous years, SHINee and other Kpop artists performed at the festival. Can't wait to attend the festival? Watch the recap below from 2012:

사랑을 테마로 4년 연속 문화체육관광부 선정 우수축제이며, 2012년 제82회 전국 춘향선발대회에는 미스 춘향 진-조승희(22) 선-김다애(24) 미-정은정(23)양이 선발되었습니다. 82년의 전통 가진 이 축제에서 조상현 명창이 춘향 국악 대전 첫 장원을 차지한 후 안숙선 김차경 명창 등이 배출 되었습니다. 뿐만아니라 미스 춘향 출신 연예인으로는 오정해,박지영,윤손하,이다해 등이 있다.

The Pungmul Parade (Korean folk music) from the Chunhyang Festival 2012:

Uploaded by sang-geun Lee on 2012-05-26.

Dear SHINee fans, here's your hubbies performing at the event:

Uploaded by Mari Sh on 2011-05-13.

More about the Chunhyang Festival:
Korea Tourism
Seoul Magazine

---

---

7 Interesting Facts About Kisaeng "Korean Geishas"

Chunhyang Festival blog post: http://sweetandtastytv.com/2013/05/16/the-annual-chunhyang-festival/ "Like" us on FACEBOOK! http://www.facebook.com/sweetandtastyTV "Follow" us on TWITTER! https://twitter.com/sweetandtastytv SUBSCRIBE to our channel: http://tinyurl.com/8n3wc38 INSTAGRAM: @sweetandtastyTV

What's a kisaeng? Watch the latest episode of KWOW above. Then learn some more little known facts below!

1. Confucian scholars tried to get rid of the kisaeng class. However failed because, as one theory states, government officials feared that other men would steal their wives.

2. Yeon San Gun, the 10th King of the Joseon Dynasty, was infamous for capturing 1,000 females nationwide to serve as his palace kisaeng. He turned the Seonggyungwan Hall of Study into a house of personal pleasure. Yeon San Gun was eventually dethroned, exiled, then died within the same year. His young sons were beheaded.

Left: Kisaeng performing at the court of King Seonjo. Right: close-up of palace kisaeng in dance attire.

3. The most renowned kisaeng training institute was once located in Pyongyang, which today is the capital of North Korea. Those of kisaeng descent are highly frowned upon in North Korea.

4. Kisaeng had gibu. Gibu were men who protected kisaeng, as well as assist with finances. Some jealous gibu created tension with their kisaeng's patrons. Sounds like a real-life Korean drama!

5. Some wealthy patrons went broke after spending too much money on kisaeng entertainment. They lost their status and became gibu (see #4).

Above: Pyongyang kisaeng wearing dancer's hanbok.

6. When kisaeng had children and the biological father was from the royal family, the son would inherit his father's status while the daughter would inherit her mother's.

7. Medical kisaeng studied well and passed exams were rewarded. Those who failed were punished and assigned to be tea brewers.

---

---