The 31st Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival, a representative pottery culture festival of Gimhae, will be held from November 6 to 10 at Jangyu Lotte Garden Park. This marks the first time in 30 years that the festival, traditionally held in Jinrye-myeon, will take place outside its original location.
The city of Gimhae aims to expand the festival space to Jangyu, which is more accessible for residents. However, the decision to relocate after 30 years was significantly influenced by safety concerns related to construction vehicle traffic from nearby apartment developments in Jinrye.
Initially, the 31st festival was scheduled for March of this year. The remodeling of the previous venue, the Clayarch Gimhae Museum, was planned for the second half of the year, prompting an attempt to move the festival to an earlier date. However, issues with construction vehicle traffic at the apartment site in Jinrye led to a postponement of the schedule to the latter half of the year.
Subsequently, the city and the Gimhae Ceramics Association sought cooperation from the construction site to maintain the festival in Jinrye, holding several internal discussions. However, it was determined that the construction vehicles would need to make approximately 600 round trips on major roads in Jinrye during the festival, making it difficult to ensure visitor safety.
A city tourism official stated, "We explored various options, including halting construction and alternative routes, but we could not reach an agreement. Safety is a critical issue, and without it, we had no choice but to relocate."
The completion date for the remodeling of the Clayarch Gimhae Museum is currently expected to be after the festival opens on November 6. However, the official noted that even if the museum's construction were completed before the festival, the issue of construction vehicles would still pose a significant obstacle.
Alternative locations, such as the outdoor plaza in front of the newly opened Gimhae City Museum of Art and the Gimhae Culture and Arts Center, were considered, but parking issues remained a concern. As a result, the Gimhae Ceramics Association decided on July 27 to hold the festival at Jangyu Lotte Garden Park.
Jangyu was deemed the most practical option as it is easily accessible for both the association's existing clientele and new visitors, and it could help alleviate parking and traffic congestion issues that had been raised. The official added that this option was the least contentious in persuading those within the association who opposed leaving Jinrye.
The city has reached an agreement with Lotte for the free use of the venue. The official stated, "Initially, there were discussions about usage fees, but after negotiations, it was agreed that no fees would be charged." However, there are restrictions for holding the festival at Lotte Garden Park, and detailed conditions regarding the prevention of damage to the ground and facilities are still under discussion.
So far, 40 to 50 vendors have applied to participate, similar to last year’s numbers. The festival will feature exhibitions and sales of local ceramic artists' works, pottery experiences, and various cultural performances. However, no separate indoor space will be available. The official mentioned, "It seems difficult to arrange a separate indoor space, but we will focus on setting up outdoor booths as securely as possible to prepare for rain and strong winds."
There has been some backlash from Jinrye merchants regarding the loss of the festival's economic benefits over the five days. No separate meetings have been held, but the city and the association have been individually explaining the necessity of the venue change to local self-governing organizations and community leaders.
A city official acknowledged, "Those who have been operating businesses here may naturally oppose the change. Initially, there was strong resistance to the move, but after multiple explanations from the association and the city, residents have come to understand that it was impossible to hold the festival here."
Regarding the connection with Jinrye kilns, the official stated, "It seems difficult to directly link Jinrye and Jangyu due to the distance, but since all participating vendors are members of the ceramics association and have kilns in Gimhae, that could be seen as a connection."
The decision to hold the festival in Jangyu is based on the premise of being a 'one-time exception due to unavoidable circumstances.' However, a return to Jinrye next year is not guaranteed, as the apartment construction is expected to continue into next year, and the association's views may change based on this year's festival outcomes.
The official concluded, "I cannot say with 100% certainty that we will return to Jinrye next year. While we will strive to follow the ceramics association's opinions, there may be changes if the situation does not allow it."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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