Hahoe Village, located about 24km west of Andong, has become a very popular tourist destination, not only because of its beautiful location, but mostly because its residents preserve the ancient traditions of village life including the making of the wooden masks used in the local mask dance. The Hahoe Byeongsan Mask is reputedly the oldest type of mask in Korea.

The Andong International Festival is held every year, for about 10 days, between the end of September and the beginning of October. Mask dances were a way for ordinary people to express their views of society and poke fun at the establishment. During the 10-day festival, diverse performances will be held every day to entertain visitors. The programs consist of domestic and international mask dance performances as well as modern performances, mime, and marionette performances.


Dates: 26 September to 5 October

Venue: inside Hahoe Village or at the Andong Gangbyeon Festival Grounds

Getting There from Seoul: Take a bus at Dongbu Seoul Bus Terminal Station (Dong Seoul Bus Terminal Station, Subway Line No.2Stop 214) to Andong. Then take the No. 46 bus at Andong Station.
In Andong you can walk from the Express Bus Terminal: Turn left at the terminal and then go straight for about 15 minutes.

K4E Note:
This is one of the must-see festival in Korea. For more details, contact Korea Tourism via 054-1330 or 02-1330 (1330 from Seoul land line).

To get to the English information on the Festival website you have to
1. Click on the dates of the festival - that will lead you to another screen
2. Click on Global (next to Sitemap) and then click on English.

No information yet on ticket prices, discounts, performance times, etc.

Please visit: http://www.maskdance.com/