A scene from last year's Korea Buddhist Culture Expo. [Daegu City]
A scene from last year's Korea Buddhist Culture Expo. [Daegu City]

Daegu city announced Wednesday that the 2026 Korea Buddhist Culture Expo, a festival bridging traditional and contemporary Buddhist culture, will run Thursday through Sunday at Hall 4 of the EXCO East Wing in Daegu.

Now in its fifth edition, the expo combines traditional Buddhist culture with modern experiential content, offering programming designed for visitors of all ages.

Particularly notable this year, the event will be the first Buddhist expo in South Korea to operate as a pet-friendly venue, offering free admission to visitors who bring their pets. A dedicated booth will showcase vegetarian treats for dogs and natural aromatherapy products.

The opening ceremony, set for 2 p.m. Thursday, will feature "Gabi," an AI humanoid robot monk, symbolizing the fusion of traditional Buddhist culture and cutting-edge technology.

The venue will host 229 booths in total, with a wide range of offerings — a traditional Buddhist cultural products fair, a Buddhist arts exhibition, a temple food showcase and stage performances, along with hands-on activities centered on the Buddhist concept of "gong" (emptiness).

Visitors can take part in programs exploring the Buddhist philosophy of emptiness, as well as monk lectures, talk concerts, recitations of the Diamond Sutra, dog yoga sessions and mindfulness meditation.

Further details on the 2026 Korea Buddhist Culture Expo are available through the official website or the Daegu organizing office.

"The Korea Buddhist Culture Expo is establishing itself as an open cultural festival where tradition, modernity and advanced technology come together," said Hwangbo Ran, director of Daegu's culture, sports and tourism bureau. "We hope many residents will experience the appeal of Buddhist culture and find rest and comfort in their daily lives."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com