Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival (안성맞춤 남사당 바우덕이축제)

The Namsadang Noripae, which was at the heart of popular culture during the Joseon dynasty, can be likened to today’s touring musical theater companies. Anseong is the birthplace of the Namsadang, which expressed the joys and sorrows of the times through various forms of entertainment. The Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival inherits the tradition and culture of Namsadang and the artistic spirit of Baudeogi, the first female to have become the leader of Namsadang troupe in the Joseon dynasty. It is designated as an official festival of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFFⓇ), an official partner of UNESCO since 2006. Namsadang Nori (Itinerant Troupe Performance) is held at the festival, along with other shows, including Pungmul Nori (Folk Music and Dance Performance) and foreign folk performances. Visitors can catch the tightrope show every day, which is performed on a rope three meters off the ground. Other attractions include the reenactment of a traditional Korean wedding and royal procession and the World Parade. ◎ Namsadang and BaudeogiNamsadang was a performance troupe that went around singing, dancing, and performing various tricks. The troupe was initially composed of single men, but women also came to be members after the female performer and leader Baudeogi.