Review of the Gwangju Chuseok Jungang Festival experience
nhan My
5 days ago
Yesterday I had the chance to walk around the 금남로1가 (Geumnam-ro 1-ga) area in downtown Gwangju, coinciding with the Chuseok Jungang Festival — the major annual event held from October 11 to 19.
When I arrived around 5:30 in the evening, it was just getting dusk, the streetlights on both sides began to come on, and the atmosphere was extremely lively 😍. The whole street was closed off for pedestrians only, with stalls and parade vehicles decorated with lanterns and traditional Korean models on either side, glowing like in the movies.
👣 I took the subway, it's very convenient.
I started from Kimdae Jung Convention Center Station (김대중컨벤션센터역), took the green line and got off at Munhwajeondang Station (문화전당역), exit number 4, then walked about 4 minutes to the festival area. It took less than 20 minutes in total.
As soon as you get there you hear loud music 🎤, the outdoor stage has live singers, colorful lights are blazing, and the audience cheers enthusiastically. A light mist of rain falls but everyone is happy, dancing to the music, it feels just like going to an outdoor festival back in Vietnam.
Along both sides of the street are a series of food stalls that smell amazingly delicious. I walked and my stomach kept growling the whole time 😋
There are grilled skewers, fish cakes, fried doughnuts, fried chicken, tornado potatoes… everywhere you look you can see rising smoke and smell the aroma filling the street.
I tried a skewer of hot fish cake, eating while watching the singer perform — totally the “chill and chill” kind of vibe 😂
The atmosphere was very cozy; Koreans and foreigners all poured into the streets, everyone smiling, talking, and taking photos to check in. It felt like the city lit up from the lights and the music.
Honestly, if you're in Gwangju, you should definitely try it at least once. It gets more fun at night, and especially with good food + live music, it's unbeatable.
