'From the Old Fortress Town's Past to Today's Cultural Space': 1st Gijang Eupseong Festival

[Financial News] Gijang County, Busan, announced on the 6th that it will hold the '2026 Gijang Eupseong Festival' around Gijang Eupseong Fortress from the 9th to the 11th.
The festival carries forward the historical and cultural value of Gijang that has been preserved through the Chaseong Cultural Festival. It has also been newly developed as cultural tourism content that allows visitors to directly experience and stay in the area, in line with changing tourism demand and the evolving festival environment.
The county restructured the festival's location and program operations to preserve the historical and cultural significance of the former Chaseong Cultural Festival, attract visitors from outside the area, and connect the event with local spaces and businesses. The biggest change is that the festival is centered on the specific historical site of Gijang Eupseong Fortress.
Another notable change is the emphasis on stay-oriented content, including reading, films and music, instead of spectator-oriented stage programs such as song contests and trot performances, which previously accounted for a large part of the festival.
This year's festival is organized around the concept of "Let's Have Fun at the Fortress Town." Visitors can walk around the fortress, sit down, rest and take part in a variety of programs, experiencing the historic site in a contemporary way. The county is also working to link the festival with Gijang Market, surrounding businesses and tourism resources to broaden its impact.
The detailed content includes a reading zone, board game zone, movie zone, music zone and experience zones featuring yoga and meditation. Through the festival, the county plans to establish Gijang Eupseong Fortress as a place where anyone can conveniently take a walk and pause for a rest.
The county also plans to shed new light on the historical value of Gijang Eupseong Fortress, pursue systematic preservation and maintenance, and continue developing cultural tourism content that blends naturally into everyday life. Gijang Eupseong Fortress is one of Gijang's representative cultural heritage sites, having been built in 1425, the seventh year of the reign of Sejong the Great, and boasting a history of 600 years.
County Mayor Woo Sung-bin said, "I hope this festival will help Gijang Eupseong Fortress be remembered not merely as a place that looks back on the past, but as a place where residents and tourists can comfortably stay and enjoy themselves." He added, "We will preserve its historical value faithfully while developing it into Gijang's representative historical and cultural space, one that everyone can visit in their everyday lives."

[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter