Enchanting Haman Nakwha Nori Festival

Korean Festivals are a captivating and enjoyable way to immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of South Korea. Throughout the year there are festivals highlighting different aspects such as flowers, fireflies, ice, mud, kimchi, and fire. The list goes on, and each festival can range from a variety of popularity and visitors.

What is Nakwha Nori

One festival that has gained popularity in recent years is the Nakwha Nori (literally translating to falling fire play). This traditional firework spectacle has captured the interest of many through various forms of media during the pandemic. Featured in videos such as RM of BTS’s music video “Wild Flower” and in the kdrama, “Bloody Heart” the scenes of the falling fire have attracted many people wishing to witness the magical nighttime view. With 2023 marking the first year in South Korea with no COVID-19 restrictions, the Haman Festival kicked off the festival season, joined by other Nakwha Nori festivals held in different locations.

Where is Haman

Haman, a small county nestled in the southern part of South Korea’s Gyeongsangnam-do province, is home to a population of approximately 60,000. Haman is known for growing watermelon–even hosting a watermelon festival every April.

The Haman Nakwha Nori Festival takes place twice a year, in May and October, with the exact dates determined by the lunar calendar. The festival is held at Mujinjeong Pavilion, situated next to a picturesque pond and gazebo, where visitors can witness the enchanting sight of flames cascading into the water.

The Unanticipated Crowd:

Like how fast a flame can spread, news spread rapildly and it wasn’t until the actual day of the event that people saw the effects of its popularity. Despite its remote location, reaching Haman without a car was possible but somewhat inconvenient. Train and bus tickets sold out quickly, and nearby hotels reached full capacity. Initially, we planned to rent a car, however, it fell through and it turned out to be a blessing.

Taking a bus from Gwangju to the nearby town of Naeso, taking advantage of being in a new place we grabbed lunch and admired the scenic views. We grabbed a taxi for what was supposed to be a 13-minute drive to Haman. However, as soon as we turned on the main road toward Haman we found ourselves stuck in traffic for over an hour. It wasn’t until we were a 30-minute walk that we ended our ride to walk down past all the cars in standstill traffic. a helicopter flew overhead, and as we reached the foot of the mountain, we encountered police officers attempting to guide the influx of people and help with congestion. Some people saw the scene and left immediately while others patiently waited. Passing by a few fender benders from people inching too close to the cars in front of them while waiting. We got there after the event had technically started yet we couldn’t see anything past the crowd. Everyone was so tightly packed together, so I wasn’t eager to try and go into it and get stuck. Police and officials were trying to direct traffic and pedestrians, blocking off parts of the road to account for the crowd or keep places from getting overcrowded. Even though they were ill-prepared for the number of people that showed up, they did a good job with what they had and kept it running smoothly.

Challenges and Departure:

Haman said they accounted for about 22,000 people to come through, but it ended up being over 50,000 people who came to this small pond. Anything within an hour’s walk was sold out of water or had lines of dozens of people waiting for the restrooms. The few cafes and food trucks sold out of multiple items before the event even officially began. 

The Captivating Display

Although the lighting ceremony was scheduled for 7pm, it wasn’t until close to 8pm that the crowd began to disperse, and you could view the firework display.  Watching the sparks dance in the air before they touched their reflection on the water’s surface was such a beautiful sight. It made sense why so many people wanted to experience it. At that moment you forgot about the crowd, the crazy traffic, and the long wait. All you saw was how the gentle flames drifted down to the water, or how the sparks swirled in a gentle breeze and the collective ooohs and ahhhs from everyone created an enchanting moment, one where everyone could briefly forget the challenges we’d all experienced to get to there. 

Tips about the festival:

Reserve: From what I could tell this was one they didn’t limit to reservations, but their October one can require one, so check to be sure. If there isn’t one then be prepared, because even though many people were not happy with the traffic, it’s a festival that will still draw people to watch. 

Arrive Early: if you want to watch the setup and “play” that they perform before the lighting, then get there early. The info said to arrive 2 hours before, but by then many people were already there. However, if you only care to see the fire portion you could arrive at night time, and by that time the crowd will have died down and you can see it easier

Transportation: If you have a car, try to park far away. It was a blessing we traveled with public transportation but leaving was a bit difficult since at the time we were going to a different city and the train and bus times were limited. But arriving by train was the simplest solution since it was within walking distance from the festival. If you are like us, you’ll take a bus to Naeso and then a taxi to the top of the mountain in traffic before walking haha. Trying to leave also proved to be a challenge. Traffic didn’t die down until 10pm, and the trains and buses ended before the festival even began. If I had a redo besides renting a car and parking it really far away, I’d pre-book a train to a different city to then get back from there.

What to bring: if you get there during the day, it’s a great idea to bring a whole picnic set up. The area around had some really nice spots to set up and enjoy the natural views away from the crowd, and many families were enjoying time together while eating and waiting. Others had picnic blankets up on the road that had been blocked off from cars and sat there until the event started. Just be sure to have snacks and liquid.

Would you wait till the end to get a glimpse of the fire or would you have left right away?

Location: Mujinjeong Pavilion, 25, Goesan 4-gil, Haman-myeon, Haman-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do 52051