The Andong International Maskdance Festival, held annually in September/October for a two week period, is one of Korea’s two signature events. The other signature event is the Boryeong Mud Festival, which is held in July. Both events are extremely popular and attract tens of thousands of visitors. In this article I will talk about my experience at the Andong International Maksdance Festival 2010.

Songpa Sandae Mask Dance

Songpa Sandae Mask Dance

The 2009 event was canceled due to concerns about the spread of swine flu, so the 2010 event was highly anticipated by me. For the most part, I was satisfied with the end result; however, to my surprise, not all of the performances were mask dances.

Songpa Sandae Mask Dance

With performance groups from all over the world, it truly is an international event. I was able to see groups from Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Mexico. There was a Chinese group as well, but I didn’t get the chance to see them. Since schedule information was widely available in Korean and English, it was easy to find the performances.

Indonesia

Korean Byeongeom Wise Ballet

The main performances were held in the covered mask dance pavilion, a decent venue despite having very hard cement seats. Even with the thin cushions that were being provided, it was a bit uncomfortable. Other performances were held at the outdoor stage and even some downtown. And the Andong Hahoe Maeul traditional village (UNESCO) also hosted performances.

Mexico

The ticket for entering the mask dance pavilion cost 5,000 won. If you used a Korean bank card, you could get a ticket for 3,000 won. I asked and was told that the ticket was only good for one entry into the pavilion. So if I left, I would have to buy a new ticket to get back in.

Belly Dance

Korean Shaman

When it came time to leave to get something to eat, I found some Koreans arguing with the ticket booth folks. They felt it was unfair for them to have to buy a new ticket. Eventually, the Koreans were allowed in, and so was everyone else. I think a better system for ticketing would involve bracelets. Even if the tickets were a little more expensive, an all day pass option would be better.

Malaysia

There were enough different performances to make it worth staying for two days, so I planned my trip around the last two days. I spent the night at the Andong Hahoe Maeul traditional village in a min-bak (민박), which is a simple room with blankets and pillows provided for sleeping on the floor. Reservations can be made in advance and a few of the min-bak houses will cook Andong’s famous Andong Jjimdak (안동찜닭) by request.

Tongyoung Okangdae "Five Clowns"

Every year, on the last Saturday night of the festival, the Andong Hahoe Maeul does julbulnori (줄불놀이), literally translated as “line fire play”. It’s an interesting spectacle. From high up on a cliff edge, ropes are tied and drawn across the adjacent river. Along the ropes are hundreds of cans tied to it which have some burning embers dripping out from them. It’s quite hard to explain and I don’t have a photo of my own to show. I did a Google photo search for you here.

Tongyoung Okangdae "Five Clowns"

Sitting at my desk and looking back, I can agree 100 percent with the Korea Tourism Organization claim that this festival is one of Korea’s premier festivals. The Andong International Maskdance Festival is one I will look forward to attending every year.

Resources
Andong International Maskdance Festival (Official)
Andong International Maskdance Festival (Korea Tourism Organization)
Andong (Korea Tourism Organization)
Haheo Mask Dance Drama (Official)
Best Korean Festivals (Korea.net)

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