[Provided by Mungyeong City]
[Provided by Mungyeong City]

Mungyeong City in North Gyeongsang Province announced Sunday that it will hold the 3rd Munhui Gyeongseo Festival at Mungyeong Traditional Market on Oct. 17, organized by the Mungyeong Commercial District Revitalization Foundation to boost the traditional market and energize the local economy.

Themed "An Auspicious Story Delivered by Autumn" — a reflection of the festival's name — the event will offer tourists and residents visiting Mungyeong during peak fall foliage season a range of entertainment and activities.

This year, the festival will also feature special programs drawing on its central motif of "jangwon geupje" — the top score in the Joseon-era civil service examination — to cheer on students preparing for the College Scholastic Ability Test and their families.

A highlight will be a traditional wish-lantern making experience, where visitors can craft lanterns carrying their hopes for high scores and exam success, sending a warm message of encouragement to test-takers and their families.

The festival runs from an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 17. Through programs inspired by the Joseon-era civil service exam and the honor of topping it, the event aims to showcase what sets Mungyeong Traditional Market apart.

Key programs include the Munhui Gyeongseo Top Scholar Contest, which selects the best entries in a six-line acrostic poem competition using the words "Mungyeong Traditional Market," decided through advance submissions and on-site voting. Also on offer is the Blemished Apple Bargain Auction, held in conjunction with the Mungyeong Apple Festival, where visitors can buy high-quality apples at reasonable prices.

A Munhui Gyeongseo Market will also be set up across the festival grounds in partnership with the Mungyeong Traditional Market Merchants' Association, featuring food stalls and a flea market run by the market's own vendors.

"We hope visitors to Mungyeong Traditional Market will take in the auspicious spirit of the Joseon seonbi scholars who topped the civil service exam, along with the warm sense of community that a traditional market offers," a Mungyeong City official said.


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com