Busan is good

Busan Nakdong River Project Management Office to Host the 2026 Gaeul Wat-sup Festival

내용

Busan Metropolitan City’s Busan Nakdong River Project Management Office, together with the Nakdong River Estuary Eco Center and the National Assembly Busan Library, will host the 2026 Gaeul Wat-sup Festival for two days, from September 18 to 19, at the Picnic Plaza in Eulsukdo Ecological Park.

Under the theme “Run! Make! Explore! Play with Books in the Forest!” the event is designed to give participants opportunities to run and play freely in the forest, explore nature firsthand, and grow closer to nature through books and hands-on activities.

In particular, the festival brings together the Nakdong River Estuary Eco Center’s ecological and environmental education programs and the National Assembly Busan Library’s reading and cultural programs. A variety of hands-on activities will allow residents and children to learn, communicate, and have fun together in nature while fostering ecological awareness and a greater understanding of the environment.

The main programs include a Forest Sports Day, forest experiences, nature-themed activity booths, and bookmaking and upcycling activities offered in cooperation with the National Assembly Busan Library.

The Forest Sports Day will begin on September 18 with activities for early childhood education and childcare institutions. Individual events will feature traditional games such as tossing pinecones into a target, ring tossing with arrowroot vines, stone-marker games, jegichagi, shoe kicking, and ttakji flipping. Team events will include rolling a giant Earth ball, flipping colored boards, and rope activities.

On September 19, the Forest Sports Day will be open to all residents. Registration for individual events will be available on site, while team events for participants aged six and older will accept both advance reservations and on-site registration.

The forest experience programs will allow families to explore plants in the autumn forest and around the pond firsthand. In “Gaeul Wat-sup,” participants will observe forest insects and enjoy forest games. In “Yeonmotissup,” participants will use dip nets and magnifying glasses to observe plants and small organisms in the pond. The “Forest Ecology Playground” will offer mission-based activities involving the observation of various fruits and seeds and the exploration of nearby plants.

Nature and craft activity booths will also be available, along with a variety of programs presented by the National Assembly Busan Library.

Participation is available through advance reservations on the Nakdong River Estuary Eco Center website at www.busan.go.kr/wetland or through on-site registration, depending on the program. The Forest Sports Day and activity booths will also be freely open to participants on site.

Eligibility, operating hours, and participation fees vary by program. Further details are available on the websites of the Nakdong River Estuary Eco Center and the National Assembly Busan Library at busan.nanet.go.kr.

For additional inquiries, contact the Busan Nakdong River Project Management Office at 051-209-2055.

Seo Jin-won, Director of the Nakdong River Estuary Eco Center, said, “We hope many children and residents will take part in the Gaeul Wat-sup Festival and enjoy the opportunity to run, play, and explore nature to their hearts’ content.”