Mangsang Camping Festa at Donghae Auto Camping Resort
Starlit sea cinema and Mangsang Starlight Concert bring romance to the coast
Three primary-colored hot-air balloons will take to the skies over Mangsang in Donghae. The Mangsang Camping Festa runs Friday through Sunday at Mangsang Beach and the Mangsang No. 2 Auto Camping Resort.
Mangsang Beach — South Korea's first auto camping resort and a celebrated camping destination on the East Coast — offers visitors the rare pleasure of pitching a tent beside a dense pine forest with the blue sea just steps away.
Building on that marine tourism and camping infrastructure, Donghae city is launching the Mangsang Camping Festa, a new event that blends camping with cultural performances and unique leisure experiences.
The hot-air balloon rides are drawing particular excitement. A preview operation before the festival drew more than 500 visitors and generated a strong response, prompting organizers to add further rides during the festival itself for roughly 1,000 advance ticket holders.
The balloon rides will operate at the Mangsang parking lot near the picnic zone throughout the festival. With the sea, white sand beach, campground and the distant Baekdudaegan mountain range all in view, the rides promise a striking panorama.
On the cultural side, a screening of "How to Train Your Dragon" — a 2025 release — will be held at a special outdoor stage on Mangsang Beach on Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On the second evening, the Mangsang Starlight Concert will take over the outdoor stage from 7 p.m., with singers No Brain and Yukjungwan Band performing against the sound of breaking waves to light up the autumn night by the sea.
Lee Jin-hwa, head of the city's tourism division, said the festival pairs Mangsang Beach's premium camping facilities with the hot-air balloon rides that proved a hit during the trial run, along with a rich lineup of cultural performances. "Starting with this Mangsang Camping Festa, we will firmly establish Mangsang Beach as South Korea's premier marine leisure destination — a place where camping and one-of-a-kind experiences come together," Lee said.
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