Now In Korea
Foreign Visitors Flock to Haman’s Traditional ‘Nakhwa’ (Nakhwa Play)
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Haman County in South Gyeongsang has turned its restored traditional fireplay, 'nakhwa' (낙화놀이 — a Joseon-era ritual where charcoal-wrapped paper sticks are set alight to scatter sparks), into a tailored tourism product for foreign visitors. Korea Tourism Organization partnered with local governments and overseas offices in Tokyo, Osaka and Taipei to launch limited «nakhwa» experience packages. In September and October the programs drew about 300 Taiwanese and 1,000 Japanese tourists on combined Busan–Gyeongnam itineraries. Events featured bilingual narration, gugak (traditional music), Gaya-style hanbok (한복) try-ons, wish-paper writing, Hangul name writing, traditional food and tasting of ‘nakhwa-ju’ (a local drink). Officials say the initiative shows how region-specific cultural heritage can help disperse visitors beyond Seoul and Busan, increase longer stays and diversify local tourism offerings. Experts caution that sustainable scaling requires better transport and lodging capacity, year-round programming, and efforts to preserve heritage authenticity and community support. The Ministry of Culture is considering metrics to evaluate regional inbound tourism results, while KTO plans joint promotion of provincial traditions in key markets like Japan and Taiwan.
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