The Lotus Industry Festival of Korea Muan

At the Muan White Magnolia Festival, which began as the White Lotus Festival in 1997, you can view exotic scenery both day and night. This is because various exotic performances and shows are held throughout the day and into the night. The Baekryun Performance includes brilliant shows such as creative percussion, dance, mimes, and both fusion and traditional Korean music. The meeting of light and Baekryun held at night imbues the summer night with a dazzling feast of lights and magnolias, using image shows with water screens, graphic lasers, beam lasers, and fireworks.

Festival period : every August
Place : Heosan Baekryun Ji, Muan

Contents
Heosan Baekryun Ji is a 100,000 pyeong sized reservoir built during the dark times of Japanese colonization. Initially, it served to provide irrigation to adjacent agricultural lands, but as the richer irrigation waters of the Young San River viaduct began to flow, its function as a reservoir declined and it has since become a wild habitat for White Magnolias. The first White Lotus Festival was held in 1997, but its name was changed to the White Magnolia Festival with its expansion in 2003. This contributed to making the Hoesan Baekryun Ji a nationally renowned attraction.

Since the lotus blooms with clear flowers amidst the muddy waters, it has long since been a traditional symbol of Buddhism representing enlightenment, the state of nirvana, and the Buddhist concept of eternal life. The White Magnolia, originating from India and Egypt, blooms with white flowers between July and September, and do not bloom at once, but rather bloom and fall continuously during the three month cycle.

Heosan Baekryun Ji is a 100,000 pyeong sized reservoir built during the dark times of Japanese colonization. It provides irrigation for the adjacent agricultural lands of 250ha, but lost its irrigation functions after construction of the Young San River viaduct.

In the times when the Baekryun Ji was a reservoir, six households lived in the adjacent village of “Duk Ae”. It is said that a resident of this village planted 12 white magnolias at the side of the reservoir near a well, and then dreamt of 12 cranes sitting on the ground. The scene of the dream appeared so much like the 12 magnolias on the ground that the villagers have continually preserved and nurtured the trees with all their passion ever since.

Their efforts were not in vain, and where it started with only 12 magnolias has since become the largest habitat for magnolias in East Asia . Also, the name of the town is Hoesan means that the energy of the whole world meets again, revealing the foresight and wisdom of the ancient ancestors.

Lotuses bloom clear flowers amidst muddy water. The roots never become dirty even though they be submerged in mud. As lotuses bloom with clear and pure flowers and never become soiled, they are the perfect symbol for the fundamental teachings of Buddhism.

Festival summary


Event name : The Lotus Industry Festival of Korea Muan, 2009
Title : If you visit to the Muan, become Nature.
Slogan : Funny Summer vacation, Enjoy travelexperience!
Time : 6 Aug, 2009 9(Thu) ~ 9 Aug, 2009 (Sun) / 4 days
Place : Muangun Ilroeup hoesanbaekryeonji whole area
Event contents : Total 85 kinds.
Ragular events (2 kinds) : 2009 portions of Lotus saury rice etc..
Title events (10 kinds) : Promotional Exhibition of sky white lotus etc..
Special events (9 kinds) : Puppet theater for children etc..
Project events (9 kinds) : 1st Muan white lotus Children Song Festival etc..
Experience events (21 kinds) : gather Lotus roots etc..
Performance events (22 kinds) : KBS Whole country Singing program in the public record etc..
Selling(sales) events (9 kinds) : Lookout (shed) Ice Cafe etc..
Tour events (3 kinds) : Muan eco country village experience etc..
Host organization : Muangun
Supervision : Korea Lotus industry festival promotion Committee
Sponsors : Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Jeollanam-do, Korea Rural Corporation, Korea Tourism Organization, Jeollanamdo Office of Education, Jeollanamdo Muan Office of Education,Muan branch of NongHyup