Haman County Successfully Concludes the 33rd Haman Nakwhanori Traditional Fireworks Festival

More Than 5,800 Pre-Registered Visitors Attend

An Unforgettable Night Filled with Awe and Admiration

Red sparks drifted slowly over the tranquil pond. Each time the embers touched the water's surface, exclamations of admiration could be heard from all around.

On May 26, Haman County in South Gyeongsang Province announced that the 33rd Haman Nakwhanori Public Event, held at Mujinjeong in Haman-myeon, concluded successfully with more than 5,800 pre-registered visitors in attendance.

The 33rd Haman Nakwhanori Public Event Successfully Held.
[Photo by Haman County]

This year's Haman Nakwhanori event deeply conveyed the unique atmosphere of traditional fireworks and offered visitors from across the country a memorable night.

The pre-show featured folk music performances by the Haman Eupseong Folk Culture Promotion Association and the Haman Hwacheon Nongak Preservation Society, along with various hands-on experiences utilizing nakhwa (falling flower) fireworks. In particular, during the "making nakhwabong" (falling flower stick) activity, visitors personally filled the sticks with charcoal powder and wrote their wishes, adding special significance to the event.

The Haman Nakwhanori event, held on May 24, attracted not only families, couples, and friends, but also a growing number of foreign tourists, reflecting the high level of interest in the festival.

As darkness fell around the Mujinjeong Pond, the event began at 7 p.m. with an introduction to the history of Nakwhanori, followed by the lighting of the fireworks. Members of the Nakwhanori Preservation Society moved slowly across the pond on rafts, lighting more than 3,500 nakhwabong (falling flower sticks). As the sticks burned, the sparks fell gradually, creating a spectacular scene that varied with the direction of the wind.

Just as some visitors remarked, "It's like starlight pouring from the sky," and, "It's a quiet fireworks show, but it's splendid and beautiful," the Haman Nakwhanori demonstrated the true essence of traditional fireworks, leaving a lasting impression of awe and admiration.

Beautiful fallen flowers shining in the darkness.
[Photo by Haman County]

Recently, Haman Nakwhanori has gained nationwide attention, especially through word-of-mouth on social networking services (SNS). This year's event once again drew visitors from all over the country, as well as a noticeable increase in foreign tourists. Throughout the venue, visitors quietly enjoyed the fireworks or captured the fleeting moments with photos and videos.

To ensure smooth event operations and a safe viewing environment, Haman County continued with the pre-registration system this year. Temporary parking lots and shuttle buses were operated to ease traffic congestion around the venue, and safety personnel were stationed at key locations to guide visitor movement. Attendees also actively cooperated with the guidance, demonstrating an orderly viewing culture. The event proceeded safely and comfortably, with no crowding within the venue.

Cho Geun-je, Governor of Haman County, stated, "I sincerely thank all the visitors who attended the Haman Nakwhanori Public Event. I hope you fully enjoyed the beauty of Haman's precious cultural heritage," and added, "We will continue to preserve and develop Haman Nakwhanori so that it can become not only a representative traditional cultural event of Korea but also a cultural heritage cherished by people around the world."

Haman Nakwhanori is known to have originated during the Joseon Dynasty when Jeong Gu, also known as Hangang Jeong Gu, was appointed as the governor of Haman and began the festival to pray for the well-being and prosperity of the local people. Thousands of nakhwabong, made by wrapping oak charcoal powder in traditional Korean hanji paper, are handcrafted and used during the event. The public celebration is held annually on Buddha's Birthday, continuing the legacy of Korea's traditional fireworks culture.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.