Dalmaji Festival Busan

Dalmaji Festival, Busan is one of the largest mythological festivals held on a wide scale across the country at the beach of Haeundae. It is the most famous beach of the country and is named by the scholar Choi Chi-Won of the Silla Dynasty. It is celebrated annually on New Year’s first full moon day by the Haeundae Development Association. It draws about 200,000 to 300,000 moon watchers every year around 15th January. The people visiting the place gather to watch the full moon rise over the Haeundae Beach and thus pray for their wishes to come true. A number of events take place surrounding the Dalmaji Festival, Busan. It ranges from the buming of the heap of straw, Gilnori which is a farmer’s music that is played on the road, the Wolyeong Prying Rite, the stomping on the god of the earth, the Ganggang Suwollae, a Korean circle dance performed by girls under the bright full moon arranged by the Busan Metropolitan Ballet Group, Candlelight Prayer, Nongaknori, Folk song and dancing contests. The festival also comprises of various other kinds of game such as the kite-flying, nol twigi (seesawing), farmer's music, traditional mask dance, and several other customs.

The Dalmaji Festival, Busan is celebrated by the natives for boosting up the love for their hometown in addition to preserving and developing the cultural heritage of Busan. It is observed by the people since the year 1983. The full moon looks unusually much bigger from the hilltop of Dalmaji and the beautiful scenery around the sea cannot be described in words. The Dalmaji Festival, Busan emphasizes on Dalmaji Oncheon Festival where “Daljip Taeugi” i.e. burning an object of moon shaped, made out of pine tree, takes place. The people in Busan burn the object which is of 5-floor height to ward off the evil fortune and pray for New Year good wishes.