The 2026 Odaesan Culture Festival, held under the theme 'Interring Myself, Connecting the World,' concluded on October 10 in the Woljeongsa Temple area in Odaesan, Pyeongchang, Gangwon.
Key points
•Festival held at Woljeongsa Temple in Odaesan with the theme 'Interring Myself, Connecting the World.'
•Specialized programs included 'Mind Ground,' 'Dining Table on the Clouds,' and 'Hwaeom Seonbuljang.'
•Presented the potential to expand temple spaces into areas for experiencing and contemplating cultural heritage.
The 2026 Odaesan Culture Festival, held under the theme 'Interring Myself, Connecting the World,' was a festival that connected performances, arts, and experiences based on Odaesan's natural environment and millennium Buddhist cultural heritage.
The festival was significant for offering programs that allowed visitors to actively participate and reflect on their lives and minds.
In particular, specialized programs such as 'Mind Ground,' 'Dining Table on the Clouds,' and 'Hwaeom Seonbuljang' highlighted the festival's unique character. Each program focused on expanding the festival's message and the temple's spatial nature into the participants' experiences, beyond simple viewing.
'Mind Ground' was prepared as a space to refresh the mind through performing arts and cultural exchange, while 'Dining Table on the Clouds' offered a special dining experience within the temple space. Furthermore, 'Hwaeom Seonbuljang' drew attention as content that connected the contemplation and practice traditions of Buddhist culture with modern festival programs.
During the festival period, various programs, including Buddhist cultural experiences, music, and performances, were operated in the Woljeongsa area, utilizing it as a space for cultural communication.
Woljeongsa Temple, the headquarters of the 4th District of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, was founded by Ajahn Tripitaka in the 12th year of Queen Seondeok of Silla (643) and currently manages the Jogye Order temples in the central-south region of Gangwon Province.
