The 72nd Baekje Cultural Festival will be held in the downtown streets of Buyeo-eup, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. It has been 10 years since the festival stage returned to the center of the town. Buyeo-gun set the venue in the downtown area following a resident survey, and also established the character of the festival as an urban historical and cultural festival.
The streets themselves become the festival grounds.
The streets of Buyeo-eup are an ordinary living area on most days. Lukewarm heat rises from asphalt warmed by the afternoon sun, and shop awnings tremble slightly in the wind. In the evening, signboard lights and the smell of cooking oil fill the narrow alleys. The 72nd Baekje Cultural Festival will move onto these streets.
Defining it as urban means the festival is not confined within separately prepared grounds but takes place within the living area of the town.
The procedure of setting the venue through a resident survey is the core of this decision. Festivals that draw on heritage are always asked to strike a balance between the protection zone of the site and the movement of visitors. Moving the stage to the downtown streets also shifts that burden from the heritage site to the residents' living area.
Noise, traffic and parking are added to the days of the people living in Buyeo-eup throughout the festival period. The survey was a procedure that asked residents back who would bear that burden.
An answer to whose the heritage festival is lies here.
The old streets of Sabi Baekje will be used again as festival grounds. The streets of Buyeo-eup become an object of viewing while remaining a living space where business and passage continue. Heritage preservation and use take place together in the single space of Buyeo-eup.
What has been decided so far covers the venue and the character of the festival. The streets of Buyeo-eup remain open even while waiting for the festival. Walking one round through the main street gives a sense of where the stages will stand and through which alleys people will flow. Walking those streets in advance makes the changes of the 72nd edition stand out more clearly.
Event Information
Event: 72nd Baekje Cultural Festival
Venue: Downtown streets of Buyeo-eup, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
Character: Urban historical and cultural festival (venue confirmed through a resident survey)
