▲ Onggi master who is making onggi

Have you ever heard about or seen an onggi? Onggi, which has been made since the Three Kingdoms Period, is a bowl made by soil, water, fire, and wind from nature. Also, it is an excellent object to store foods for a long time. In Ulsan, within Oegosan Onggi Village, Onggi Festival is held every month of May for four days. The theme of the festival is onggi, which has nature's mystery and ancestors' wisdom. There are seven onggi masters, and people can look at the demonstrations of the masters' onggi making.

▲ People is making own onggi.

At the Onggi Festival, there are various experience programs. For example, people can make their own onggi with children, draw pictures in onggi, catch loaches, and many more. In addition to that, people can see various onggi and learn the various use of onggi such as food-storing and fermentation in the exhibition of onggi. Moreover, people are able to eat foods that are specialties of Ulsan.

In an interview with a neighbor who has gone to the festival, she said that she made her onggi and played with dirt together with her son. It was very exciting and it remains as a good experience for her. Her sons felt the same, too. They learned more about onggi. Furthermore, she would like to go to the festival again.

The Onggi Festival invigorates the region's economy, producing more than half of the nation's onggi production. In 2018, the festival advertised Ulsan and won the Korea Festival Contents Grand Prize in an award ceremony. Besides, the festival presents specialties of Ulsan, making people eat foods that are specialties of the region.

As a result, the Ulsan Onggi Festival presents the use of onggi and how to make onggi and also invigorates the region's economy. At the festival, people can experience a lot of programs and make their own onggi! It is surely very exciting.

By Jeong Jiin