At a glance
| Dates | 24 Oct – 1 Nov 2026Happening now · 11th edition, more than 70 programs. Inquiries: 061-430-3413. |
|---|---|
| Hours | 10:00–19:00 daily (KTO, whose listing was last modified on 13 October 2026, and the culture ministry's festival listing); one parenting-info listing gives 10:00–20:00. Evening stage times not published on the pages opened. |
| Admission | Free. Food, market goods and some extras are paid, and a parenting-info listing says some hands-on programmes charge a fee (prices not listed). The 2026 prices of extras (picnic mat and parasol rental, any ride) were not published on the pages opened.Entry: Free |
| Venue | Gangjin Bay Ecological Park전라남도 강진군 강진읍 생태공원길 47 |
| Nearest station | Gangjin Station (Mokpo–Boseong line, opened September 2025) (강진역), Korail Mokpo–Boseong line (Saemaeul and Mugunghwa, Mokpo–Busan Bujeon and Mokpo–Suncheon)Not walkable; about 20 minutes by road to Gangjin Bay Ecological Park |
| From Seoul | about 4 h 27 min · Bus + TaxiLeave from Central City Terminal · One-way fare from ₩43,800 · Same-night return is tightFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Gangjin County (run by the Gangjin County Festival Promotion Committee)강진군 (주관: 강진군축제추진위원회) |
| Usual timing | Nine days from a Saturday in late October to the Sunday of the following week: 26 Oct–3 Nov 2024, 25 Oct–2 Nov 2025 and 24 Oct–1 Nov 2026. The 2023 edition ran a little earlier, 13–22 October. Browse October / November festivals. |
| Last checked | 28 October 2026Checked against 26 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Gangjin Bay is the estuary where the Tamjin River reaches the sea on Jeollanam-do's south coast. Its upper end is a wide bed of reeds and tidal mudflats that Gangjin County has made into Gangjin Bay Ecological Park: the reeds cover about 200,000 pyeong (around 66 ha), a 4.16 km wooden deck trail runs through them and over the flats, and the Ministry of Environment protects the area as a wetland. The county says 1,572 species live here. Each autumn, when the reeds turn gold, the county holds this nine-day festival across the park, and 2026 is its 11th edition.
The festival suits slow walking and families more than one big spectacle. Ecology guides lead daily walks into the reeds to look for mudskippers, crabs and water birds; children get a kids' zone of crafts and games, a play park with mini golf, table tennis, basketball and curling, and character shows; and there are upcycling workshops and a 'trash exchange' where litter you collect is swapped for souvenirs. An eco experience hall and a promotion hall explain the bay through the seasons and its protected wildlife. The stage is busiest at weekends: in 2026 singer Kim Yong-bin headlines the opening on 24 October, Song Ga-in sings at the reed music concert on 25 October, and a residents' singing and dance contest holds its final on 1 November. One quirky event is 'Galdae Baragi', a contest to see who can sit most calmly gazing at the reeds. A local food hall, a farm market, celadon sales and an auction, wild-tea tasting and a chrysanthemum display round it out.
The festival has grown quickly. A travel site put 2024 attendance at about 147,699, and the county counted about 51,000 visitors on the opening weekend of 2025, up 6% on the year before.
The honest caveats: Gangjin is more than four hours from Seoul by direct bus and the last direct bus back leaves in the afternoon, so most visitors from Seoul should stay the night or return late via Gwangju. The park is a 10–15-minute drive from town, and in 2024 the car parks were full by about noon on the opening Saturday. Programs are run in Korean. The reeds are at their most striking in low sun, and the grounds close at 19:00, shortly after sunset.
Highlights
- Golden reed beds of about 200,000 pyeong (around 66 ha) at the mouth of the Tamjin River, crossed by a 4.16 km wooden deck trail
- Daily Reed Forest Eco Expedition walks with ecology guides, looking for mudskippers, crabs and water birds in a park the county says holds 1,572 species
- Weekend concerts in 2026: Kim Yong-bin at the 24 October opening, Song Ga-in and a Kim Je-dong talk show on 25 October, and the reed-forest singing contest final with Lee Hyun on 1 November
- 'Galdae Baragi' reed-gazing contest on 25 and 31 October 2026: sit calmly watching the reeds for prizes, with sign-up on site
- Family programs: kids' zone crafts, a play park, AI family-song making, a Robocar Poli sing-along (31 October 2026) and a trash-for-souvenir exchange
- Local food hall, farm-produce market, celadon sales and auction, wild-tea tasting and a chrysanthemum display
Who it suits. Best for families with young children and for walkers, birders and photographers who like wide open wetland scenery at sunset; less suited to a same-day return from Seoul by public transport (the last direct bus back leaves in the afternoon) or to visitors who need English-language programs.
Getting there
From Seoul
Direct express buses run from Seoul Central City Terminal (Honam Line) to Gangjin Bus Terminal four times a day, taking about 4 h 12 m (₩43,800 deluxe or ₩54,600 premium, depending on the departure). From Gangjin town the park is about 10–15 minutes by car or taxi. By rail, take the KTX from Yongsan to Gwangju Songjeong (about 2 h, ₩42,000 standard), cross Gwangju to U-Square bus terminal and take a bus to Gangjin (1 h 21 m–2 h 19 m, ₩12,800 regular, ₩16,600 deluxe). Gangjin Station, opened in September 2025 on the new Mokpo–Boseong line, has only a few Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains between Mokpo and Busan or Suncheon and is about 20 minutes from the park.
From Busan
Intercity buses link Busan Seobu (Sasang) Terminal and Gangjin in about 4 h 52 m (₩31,600), about three a day from Gangjin to Busan; check the times at the terminal. Since September 2025 Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains on the Mokpo–Boseong line also stop at Gangjin Station on the Mokpo–Busan Bujeon route, a few times a day. Then take a taxi to the park.
From Incheon Airport
No airport-to-Gangjin times were checked. In the other direction one overnight bus a day runs from Gangjin to Incheon Airport (about 4 h 35 m, ₩73,500); check its time at Gangjin Bus Terminal. Otherwise go into Seoul and take the direct bus from Central City Terminal.
Last leg from Gangjin Station (Mokpo–Boseong line, opened September 2025)
Korail Mokpo–Boseong line (Saemaeul and Mugunghwa, Mokpo–Busan Bujeon and Mokpo–Suncheon). Not walkable; about 20 minutes by road to Gangjin Bay Ecological Park
Festival shuttle
Gangjin County's festival page offers a 2026 shuttle-bus timetable, but only as a downloadable file that was not read for this page, so routes and times are not given here; check it on the county's festival page before you go. In 2024 four shuttle buses ran continuously at weekends.
Getting home
Only four direct buses a day run from Gangjin to Seoul Central City, and the last one may leave before the festival closes at 19:00. To stay later, take a bus from Gangjin to Gwangju U-Square (about 19 a day, 1 h 21 m–2 h 19 m), then one of the frequent express buses from U-Square to Seoul Central City, which run late into the evening. Allow 10–15 minutes by taxi from the park to town first. Last-bus times for the festival dates were not verified: check the last buses at Gangjin Bus Terminal (and, if you return by KTX from Gwangju Songjeong, the last train in the Korail+ app (코레일+), as a new KTX timetable starts on 1 November 2026) before the festival day.
Parking
The park's solar-panel car park holds about 150–200 cars and is free (park guide, February 2026). On the opening Saturday of 2024 five festival car parks were full by around noon and the access roads ran one-way, so arrive early at weekends.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free | Free per KTO and the culture ministry's listing; a parenting-info listing adds that some hands-on programmes are paid (prices not listed) |
| Picnic mat and parasol rental | — | Offered in 2026; price not published on the pages opened |
- Booking
- No ticket or booking is needed to enter. The reed-gazing contest takes on-site sign-up, a parenting-info listing says the 2026 hands-on programmes take same-day, on-site registration, and in 2024 the eco expedition took advance or on-site registration. Inquiries: Gangjin County, 061-430-3413.
- English on site
- No English-language programs, signage or interpretation are documented; stage shows and guided walks are run in Korean.
- Crowds
- Busy at weekends: about 51,000 visitors over the opening weekend of 2025 and about 147,699 over the nine days of 2024, when the car parks filled by noon on the first day. Weekdays are quieter.
- Best time to go
- Late afternoon, when the reeds turn gold in low sun and the bay glows at sunset before the 19:00 close; a weekday for space on the deck trail, a weekend for the big concerts.
- What to bring
- Comfortable shoes for the 4.16 km deck trail, a hat and sunscreen for the open reed beds, a warm layer for the wind off the bay at sunset, and binoculars for birds.
- Toilets
- The park has public restrooms and benches along the trails (park guide); festival toilet locations were not published.
2026 program
- Sat 24 Oct, afternoonopening on the main stage with local arts groups, an opening declaration and an opening concert by singer Kim Yong-bin
- Sun 25 OctGangjin Reed Music Concert with a pungmul percussion troupe, the musical 'Jomangan Project' and singer Song Ga-in; healing talk concert by Kim Je-dong
- Sat 31 OctRobocar Poli children's sing-along show
- 'Star is born in the reed forest' singing and dance contest: preliminaries 25 Oct, final 1 Nov with singer Lee Hyun
- DailyReed Forest Eco Expedition walks with ecology guides
- 25 and 31 Oct'Galdae Baragi' reed-gazing contest with prizes, on-site sign-up
- Multicolour stamp tour that builds a reed picture to take home; 'Gangjin Friends' NFC hunt at 8 spots (₩5,000 in local mileage); 'Catch 11 seconds' stopwatch game for the 11th edition
- Kids' Zone crafts, Play Park (golf hole-in-one, table tennis, basketball, curling), AI family-song making, trash exchange and upcycling crafts
- Eco experience hall and promotion hall on the bay's four-season ecology, natural monuments and endangered wildlife
- Chrysanthemum exhibition, local food hall, farm-produce market, Gangjin Noeul market, celadon sales and auction, wild-tea tasting, bicycle tour, picnic mat and parasol rental
11th edition, more than 70 programs. Inquiries: 061-430-3413.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Probably nine days from a Saturday in late October to the Sunday of the following week in 2027, following 26 Oct–3 Nov 2024, 25 Oct–2 Nov 2025 and 24 Oct–1 Nov 2026. Nothing announced as of 18 October 2026; the 2025 dates were in the press by 29 September 2025. | expected | This would be the 12th edition. |
| 2026 | 24 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 | confirmed | Across Gangjin Bay Ecological Park; KTO's address, Saengtaegongwon-gil 47, is the Nampo football ground at the park. |
| 2025 | 25 Oct – 2 Nov 2025 | ended | Gangjin Bay Ecological Park, Nampo-ri, Gangjin-eup. |
| 2024 | 26 Oct – 3 Nov 2024 | ended | Gangjin Bay Ecological Park. Access roads ran one-way and four shuttle buses ran continuously at weekends. |
| 2023 | 13–22 Oct 2023 | ended | Gangjin Bay Ecological Park. |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
- Yeongnang's Birthplace (영랑생가)Before
The restored thatched family home of Kim Yeong-nang (Kim Yun-sik), the lyric poet best known for 'Until Peonies Bloom', in central Gangjin-eup; entry is free and it is open 09:00–18:00 every day. Gangjin-eup is the town your bus arrives in, so see it on the way out to the reeds: it closes before the festival's 19:00 finish and the sunset hour on the bay. Tip: Sauijae is about 500 m away, so walk between the two and take one taxi on to the park.
Getting there: In Gangjin-eup town, 10–15 minutes by taxi from the park; about 500 m on foot from Sauijae
- Sauijae (사의재)Before
The restored tavern where the scholar Jeong Yak-yong (Dasan) lodged from 1801 to 1805 at the start of his exile, teaching pupils and writing; Gangjin County runs it again as a traditional jumak (tavern) with a hanok experience centre, free to enter and open 09:00–18:00 daily. Make it your lunch stop in town, then head out to the reeds, which are at their best late in the afternoon before the 19:00 close. Tip: check the county's shuttle timetable or plan a taxi back.
Getting there: In Gangjin-eup town, 10–15 minutes by taxi from the park; about 500 m on foot from Yeongnang's Birthplace
- Getting awayAfter
The park is 10–15 minutes by car from Gangjin town; check the county's shuttle timetable, or plan a taxi back before the 19:00 close. Only four direct buses a day run to Seoul Central City and the last may leave before closing; to stay for the sunset, take a bus to Gwangju U-Square (about 19 a day) and change to one of the frequent express buses to Seoul. Check last departures at the terminal.
Questions travelers ask
When is the Gangjin Bay Dancing Reed Festival 2026?
Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November 2026, 10:00–19:00 daily, at Gangjin Bay Ecological Park in Gangjin, Jeollanam-do. It is the 11th edition.
Is the festival free?
Yes, entry is free. You pay for food, market goods and a few extras; their 2026 prices were not published on the pages we opened.
How do I get there from Seoul?
Take a direct express bus from Seoul Central City Terminal to Gangjin (about 4 h 12 m, four a day; ₩43,800 deluxe or ₩54,600 premium), then a taxi of about 10–15 minutes to the park. Or take the KTX to Gwangju Songjeong (about 2 h) and a bus from Gwangju U-Square to Gangjin (1 h 21 m–2 h 19 m).
What is the last bus back to Seoul?
Only four direct buses a day run from Gangjin to Seoul Central City, and the last one may leave before the festival closes, so check its time at Gangjin Bus Terminal before the festival day. Later, take a bus to Gwangju U-Square (about 19 a day) and change to one of the frequent express buses to Seoul, which run late into the evening; check those last departures too.
Who is performing in 2026?
Kim Yong-bin opens the festival on 24 October, Song Ga-in sings at the reed music concert on 25 October (with a Kim Je-dong talk concert the same day), Robocar Poli has a children's show on 31 October, and the singing contest final with Lee Hyun is on 1 November.
Is there parking or a shuttle bus?
The park has a free car park for about 150–200 cars, but in 2024 the festival car parks were full by noon on the first Saturday. Four shuttle buses ran at weekends in 2024; for 2026 the county's festival page offers a shuttle-bus timetable as a download (not read for this page), so check routes and times there.
What can I see at Gangjin Bay Ecological Park outside the festival?
The park is open at all times and free: about 200,000 pyeong of reeds, a 4.16 km deck trail over the reeds and mudflats, and in winter about 2,500 whooper swans. The county says 1,572 species live in the bay.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
28 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2026 edition. Confidence in the current facts: high.
- KTO TourAPI listing 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제 (contentId 2435280)kto — 2026 dates 24 Oct–1 Nov, hours 10:00–19:00, free, venue 강진만생태공원 일원, address 생태공원길 47, coordinates 34.6205/126.7735, organizer 강진군, phone 061-430-3413, homepage, 1,572 species
- KTO tourist data — 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제 (ktriptips mirror of contentId 2435280, last modified 2026-10-13)kto — 2026 dates 24 Oct–1 Nov, hours 10:00–19:00, free; listing last modified 13 Oct 2026; stage programmes (opening concert, healing talk concert, reed music concert, children's sing-along, autumn concert, reed-forest star contest); parasol and picnic-mat rental; phone 061-430-3413
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism festival listing — 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제ministry — 24 Oct–1 Nov 2026, 10:00–19:00, free; host 강진군, run by 강진군축제추진위원회; phone 061-430-3413; homepage; 1,572 species; eco trail walks and children's environmental programs
- mom-mom.net — 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제 (26/10/24 ~ 26/11/01) (parenting-info listing)other — 2026 edition 24 Oct–1 Nov; hours 10:00–20:00; free, with some hands-on programmes paid (no prices given); same-day, on-site registration; phone 061-430-3413
- 여기유 festival listing — 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제 (mirrors KTO TourAPI data)other — 2026 program list (eco expedition, experience and promotion halls, kids' zone, play park, stamp tour, 갈대바라기, picnic mat and parasol rental, bicycle tour, celadon auction, chrysanthemum exhibition); address 생태공원길 47 남포축구장
- Wikitree 2026-10-12 — 황금빛 갈대 물결에 노래가 춤춘다…강진만 가을축제news — 11th edition, 24 Oct–1 Nov 2026, 70+ programs; 24 Oct Kim Yong-bin; 25 Oct Song Ga-in, Kim Je-dong; 31 Oct Robocar Poli; contest heats 25 Oct, final 1 Nov with Lee Hyun; 갈대바라기 25 and 31 Oct; NFC hunt at 8 spots, ₩5,000 mileage; 'catch 11 seconds'
- MTN 2026-10-15 — 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제 프로그램news — 11th edition 24 Oct–1 Nov 2026; opening in the afternoon on the main stage; 25 Oct reed music concert with pungmul and 'Jomangan Project'; daily eco walks; play park sports; trash exchange; local food hall, 강진노을장, celadon auction, wild-tea tasting
- Financial News 2026-10-06 — 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제news — 11th edition 24 Oct–1 Nov 2026; eco explorer program (mudskippers, migratory birds, tidal flats); upcycling; eco experience hall and promotion hall on four-season ecology, natural monuments, endangered wildlife; kids' zone
- Herald Economy 2025-09-29 — 제10회 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제 10월25일 개막news — 10th edition 25 Oct–2 Nov 2025 (9 days), theme; opening concert incl. Tei; closing stage Kim Tae-woo; nightly trot, strings, jazz-and-wine; Vietnamese Day; upcycling; eco guides; rice-oat hall; Gangjin beef, cockles, food trucks
- Herald Economy 2025-10-26 — 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제 초반 이틀 5만명 '북적'news — About 51,000 visitors on 25–26 Oct 2025, up 6% from about 48,000; vendor sales +9.2%; hands-on participants 6,700 → about 13,000; 30 Oct vlog awards and golden-bell quiz; Coexistence Festival
- Telltrip 2025-10-10 — 작년에만 15만 명 몰린 황금빛 갈대 축제 (travel site)news — 2025 hours 10:00–20:00; 2024 attendance 147,699; reeds about 200,000 pyeong (≈66 ha); 4.16 km trail; Ministry of Environment wetland protection area; free bicycle rental; paid reed train; 2024 performers Son Tae-jin and Koyote
- Telltrip 2026-02-07 — 전남 강진만생태공원… 20만평 갈대밭과 4.16km 데크길 (travel site)news — Park open at all times, free entry and parking; solar car park for about 150–200 cars; 10–15 min by car from Gangjin town; about 20 min from Gangjin Station (opened Sep 2025); 4.16 km deck trail; about 2,500 whooper swans in winter; restrooms and benches; 1,131 species in a 2015 survey
- Pressian 2024-10-28 — 제9회 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제news — 9th edition 26 Oct–3 Nov 2024, theme; 1,572 species models at the opening; day-1 visitors 28,704 vs 20,294; 120 booths; Golden Reed Train ₩5,000; bikes; 2-hour live broadcast; four weekend shuttle buses; reusable tableware
- Wikitree 2024-10-29 — 전남 강진군, "강진만 춤추는 갈대축제" 9일간의 대장정 시작news — 2024 dates 26 Oct–3 Nov; five car parks full by about noon on day 1; one-way access roads; four shuttle buses at weekends; ₩5,000 mini-train; eco expedition advance or on-site sign-up
- Seoul Shinmun 2023-10-11 — 강진만 춤추는 갈대축제, 10월 13일부터 22일까지 개최news — 2023 dates 13–22 Oct; 46 programs in 5 categories, 11 more than 2022; eco expedition 10:30, 13:20, 15:30; media façade; 20 m × 20 m maze; 14 Oct trot contest 15:00 and Gugak concert 18:00; 16–19 Oct local stage; 21 Oct song show
- Gangjin Bus Terminal departures (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-04)other — To Central City: 08:10, 11:20, 14:20 premium ₩54,600, 15:40 deluxe ₩43,800 (arr 20:01), 4 h 21 m; to U-Square 19 a day, last 18:10 deluxe, 19:20 and 20:40 regular, 1 h 21 m–2 h 19 m, ₩12,800/₩16,600; Busan Seobu 11:30, 15:10, 16:55, 4 h 52 m, ₩31,600; Incheon Airport 00:30, T1 05:03, T2 05:05, ₩73,500
- Seoul Central City Terminal departures (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-12)other — To Gangjin Bus Terminal: 07:20, 13:40, 17:10 premium ₩54,600 and 08:40 deluxe ₩43,800; 4 h 12 m
- Gwangju U-Square → Seoul Central City express bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-07)other — 92 buses a day; late departures 21:15, 22:00, 22:30, 23:20 and 00:00
- Gwangju Songjeong → Yongsan train timetable, 16–19 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — Last departure 21:22 KTX-Sancheon 442, arriving 23:26 (about 2 hours)
- Hankyung: 9월 1일부터 서울~부산 KTX 5만4400원…운임 평균 10% 인하 (31 Aug 2026)news — KTX and SRT run as KTX from 1 Sep; former SRT trainsets renamed KTX-Sancheon; Seoul–Busan ₩59,800→₩54,400, Yongsan–Gwangju Songjeong ₩46,800→₩42,000; Suseo seats +30%; booking unified in Korail+
- Korail press release: 코레일-에스알 9월 1일 하나로…안전 최우선, 더 편리한 고속철도의 시작 (31 Aug 2026)official — Integration and integrated running from 1 Sep 2026; KTX and SRT merged into KTX; average KTX fare cut about 10%; Suseo-axis seats up about 30%; 5% mileage; Korail+ app (Korail Talk + SRT app) launched 3 Aug
- eToday 2025-09-23 — 보성~목포 철도 27일 개통⋯전남 서남해안 연결news — Mokpo–Boseong line (82.5 km) opens to service 27 Sep 2025; Gangjin among 6 new stations; Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains on Mokpo–Busan (Bujeon) and Mokpo–Suncheon routes
- Wikitree 2025-09-28 — 남해안 새 철길 열렸다…목포~부산 2시간 빨라져news — Service from 27 Sep 2025 on the Mokpo–Boseong line through Gangjin; Saemaeul and Mugunghwa services; Mokpo–Busan about 4 h 40 m by Saemaeul
- KTO tourist data — 강진영랑생가 (ktriptips mirror, contentId 127111, modified 31 Aug 2026)kto — Yeongnang's birthplace: home of the poet Kim Yun-sik (Yeongnang); open 09:00–18:00, no closing days; free; address 영랑생가길 15, Gangjin-eup; Sauijae about 535 m away; homepage only the county site gangjin.go.kr
- KTO tourist data — 사의재저잣거리 (ktriptips mirror, contentId 2650800, modified 30 Jun 2026)kto — Sauijae: Jeong Yak-yong's first lodging in exile at a tavern, winter 1801–winter 1805, where he taught and wrote; restored by Gangjin County in 2007; runs the 동문매반가 jumak and a hanok experience centre; 09:00–18:00, open all year; free; address 사의재길 27, Gangjin-eup; Yeongnang's birthplace about 535 m
- Gangjin County — 제11회 강진만춤추는갈대축제 (official festival page)municipal — 11th edition, 24 Oct–1 Nov 2026 (9 days), across Gangjin Bay Ecological Park (남포리 510); host Gangjin County, run by the county festival committee; poster, leaflet, site map, main programme and shuttle-bus timetable offered as downloads (not opened); no hours or prices on the page
What we could not confirm
- The county's festival page (gangjin.go.kr/culture/festival/gangjinman_reed), opened on 28 Oct 2026, confirms the dates and venue, but its programme, shuttle-bus timetable, site map and leaflet are downloadable files that were not read, so the daily timetable, evening stage times, shuttle routes and parking map are still unknown.
- 2026 shuttle-bus routes and times and festival car parks (the county offers a shuttle timetable as a download; 2024: four weekend shuttles, routes not reported).
- Taxi fare from Gangjin Bus Terminal and any local bus to the park were not verified; only '10–15 minutes by car from town' (travel site) was found.
- Gangjin Station train times, and whether a KTX-to-Mokpo plus regional-train route works from Seoul, were not checked.
- Gwangju U-Square → Gangjin and Busan → Gangjin departure times were not read; journey times and fares come from the Gangjin departures timetable.
- First year held not verified: the numbering (9th in 2024, 10th in 2025, 11th in 2026) points to about 2016; how the 2020–2021 pandemic editions ran was not checked.
- Japanese and Chinese names not verified on a KTO foreign-language page.
- Species count differs: 1,572 per KTO and the county; 1,131 in a 2015 survey cited by a travel site.
- 2026 prices for extras (picnic mat and parasol rental, any reed train, and the hands-on programmes a parenting-info listing says are paid) not published. Closing time: KTO and the ministry give 19:00, a parenting-info listing gives 20:00 for 2026, and a travel site gave 10:00–20:00 for 2025; the county's festival page does not state the hours.
- A new KTX timetable starts on 1 Nov 2026, the festival's last day; recheck Gwangju Songjeong train times before travelling.
- Last bus back from Gangjin to Seoul Central City and to Gwangju U-Square, and the last U-Square express bus to Seoul, on the festival dates under the timetable in force that day; the October 2026 times came only from a third-party mirror and were removed.
- Official pages for Yeongnang's Birthplace and Sauijae were not found (KTO lists only the county homepage), and taxi availability at the park at closing time was not checked.
Changes: 2026-10-18 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-18 — Added a photograph from the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Content Lab), KOGL Type 1. · 2026-10-19 — Rechecked before the 2026 edition: dates, hours and free entry reconfirmed; noted that some hands-on programmes are paid with on-site sign-up, and a 20:00 closing time in one listing. · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed the October 2026 bus clock times (Seoul, Gwangju, Busan and airport buses), which came from a third-party timetable mirror and could not be checked against the operators' timetables, and added a reminder to check the last buses at the terminal. · 2026-10-22 — Rechecked before the 2026 edition: no changes found. · 2026-10-24 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: added how to get away after the 19:00 close (no clock times were left to check); prices: removed the 2024 mini-train fare from the forward-looking text. · 2026-10-28 — Dates and venue now cited to Gangjin County's own festival page (opened from Korea); the county publishes a 2026 shuttle-bus timetable as a download, so the 'no 2026 shuttle published' notes were corrected.
