At a glance
| Dates | Expected Apr/May 2027About ten days between late April and mid-May 2027, spanning the early-May holidays, is likely: recent editions ran 27 Apr–6 May 2024, 3–11 May 2025 and 1–10 May 2026, all at the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set. No 2027 dates had been announced as of 19 October 2026; the 2025 dates were reported by 31 March 2025 and the 2026 dates by 4 April 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: About ten days between late April and mid-May 2027, spanning the early-May holidays, is likely: recent editions ran 27 Apr–6 May 2024, 3–11 May 2025 and 1–10 May 2026, all at the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set. No 2027 dates had been announced as of 19 October 2026; the 2025 dates were reported by 31 March 2025 and the 2026 dates by 4 April 2026. |
| Admission | Free entry (KTO, 2026). Experiences cost extra, roughly ₩5,000–15,000: tea-bowl making at the low end, the full-process pottery class in between, and a festival pass bundling bowl-making, a matcha tea ceremony, sightseeing discounts and a small local gift certificate at the top. Hanbok and royal-robe hire was free in 2026.Entry: Free · Festival pass: ₩15,000 · Tea-bowl making (찻사발 빚기): ₩5,000 (2026 prices) |
| Venue | Mungyeong Saejae Open Set (Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park)경상북도 문경시 문경읍 새재로 932 |
| Nearest station | Mungyeong Station (KTX-Eum) (문경역), Jungbu Naeryuk Line (KTX-Eum from Pangyo)Not walkable; festival shuttle buses ran from the station in 2026, or take free city bus 10-3, 21 or 21-2 (about 15 minutes, per a travel blog) or a taxi to Mungyeong Saejae |
| From Seoul | about 2 h 30 min · BusLeave from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal · One-way fare from ₩14,200Full route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Mungyeong Chasabal Festival Promotion Committee, run by Mungyeong Tourism Corporation, with Mungyeong City문경찻사발축제추진위원회 (주관: 문경관광공사) |
| Usual timing | Nine or ten days from late April or the first days of May at the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, spanning the early-May holidays: 27 Apr–6 May 2024, 3–11 May 2025 and 1–10 May 2026. It usually opened in late April until 2024; in 2025 it moved a week later. (In 2020 the edition was moved online to December because of COVID-19.) Browse April / May festivals. |
| First held | 1999 |
| Last checked | 19 October 2026Checked against 38 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Mungyeong, a mountain city in the northwest of Gyeongsangbuk-do, is known for its chasabal, or tea bowls. Its potters still shape them on kick wheels and fire them with firewood in traditional mangdaengi kilns at more than 1,300°C, a combination the festival committee calls unique. The city has celebrated the craft every spring since 1999. The festival is now set in the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, a Joseon-era period-drama set inside Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park, at the foot of the old mountain pass. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has twice named it a representative festival and six times a top festival, and it now holds the ministry's honorary cultural tourism festival title.
The festival is spread across the replica palace buildings. Gwanghwamun has the main stage, and Gangnyeongjeon and Baekjegung hold the exhibition halls and tea rooms. Kiln booths show and sell tea bowls and everyday tableware; 32 ceramic artists took part in 2025. The exhibitions cover holders of national and provincial intangible-heritage titles, the city's master potters and the winners of the national tea bowl competition. In 'A Potter's Day', potters throw bowls on stage and talk with a host about their work. In 2026 guest potters from Yixing and Jingdezhen in China and from Australia joined them. You can throw a bowl yourself (roughly ₩5,000–10,000, the higher price for the full process), drink matcha or leaf tea in three tea halls, smash a flawed bowl for luck, borrow a hanbok or a royal robe for free, or bid at the ceramics auctions. A festival pass (roughly ₩15,000) bundled bowl-making, a matcha tea ceremony, discounts at Mungyeong sights and a small local gift certificate.
The 2026 edition, the 28th, ran 1–10 May, 09:00–18:00, with free entry and the theme 'Mungyeong chasabal, new and beautiful'. It featured a Joseon cops-and-robbers mission game, a costume day with actors, an EBS children's musical, and a lecture and demonstration by Japan's Urasenke tea school. Crowds are large: about 280,000 visitors in 2024 and about 240,000 in 2025. In 2025 the festival moved a week later, to open on the first Saturday of May, and dropped 'traditional' (전통) from its name.
The honest caveats: this is a domestic festival and the programmes are in Korean. It is busiest on the early-May holidays and weekends. The Open Set is inside the park, so expect some walking or an electric-cart ride from the entrance. Rain fell on the 2025 opening day and on 3 May 2026, though shelters have been added. Bus tickets marked 'Jeomchon' go to the city centre, more than 20 km away. We could not open the official site, so the details here come from KTO data and news reports.
Highlights
- Tea bowls thrown on kick wheels and fired with firewood in traditional mangdaengi kilns at more than 1,300°C, shown and sold by Mungyeong's potters (32 ceramic artists in 2025)
- 'A Potter's Day' live throwing demonstrations on the Gwanghwamun main stage, with guest potters from Yixing and Jingdezhen in China and from Australia in 2026
- Throw your own tea bowl or take the full-process pottery class (roughly ₩5,000–10,000), or buy the festival pass with bowl-making, a matcha tea ceremony and discounts at Mungyeong sights
- Matcha and leaf-tea ceremonies in three tea halls, a lecture and demonstration by Japan's Urasenke tea school and a national tea ceremony competition (2026)
- Exhibitions of intangible-heritage potters, Mungyeong's master potters and the winners of the 23rd national tea bowl competition (2026)
- Ceramics auctions, bowl smashing for luck, free hanbok and royal-robe hire and a Joseon cops-and-robbers game across the period-drama sets
Who it suits. Best for ceramics and tea lovers who want to watch wood-fired tea bowls being made and buy them from the potters, and for families over the early-May holidays; less suited to travelers who need English-language programmes, and the trip from Seoul takes about two hours each way.
Getting there
From Seoul
Bus: intercity buses from Dong Seoul Terminal to the Mungyeong bus stop (문경공용버스정류장) in Mungyeong-eup, the town at the foot of Saejae, 11 a day in October 2026: about 2 h 20 m (₩14,200) or 1 h 54 m on deluxe buses (₩19,800). From there free city buses 10-3 and 21 reach the park in about 10 minutes. Train: KTX-Eum from Pangyo (Shinbundang Line from Gangnam) to Mungyeong Station, four trains a day in October 2026, 1 h 34 m, ₩17,400; then free city bus 10-3, 21 or 21-2 (about 15 minutes), a taxi, or the festival shuttle from the station (run in 2026). The Open Set is inside the park; electric carts stopped at the venue in 2026. Do not buy a bus ticket to Jeomchon: that is the city centre, more than 20 km from Saejae. Frequencies, journey times and fares are as of October 2026; check the trains in the Korail+ app (코레일+) and the buses at Dong Seoul Terminal before you go.
From Busan
Buses link Busan Central Bus Terminal (Nopo, subway Line 1 Nopo Station) and Jeomchon Terminal in 2 h 47 m (₩27,900 deluxe); 6 buses a day run from Jeomchon to Busan, so check the Busan departure times on the day. Busan Central lists no bus to the Mungyeong-eup stop, and Jeomchon is the city centre, more than 20 km from Saejae, so finish by free city bus 21 (about 45 minutes) or taxi. Alternatively, take KTX to Dong-Daegu and a bus from Dong-Daegu Terminal to Jeomchon (1 h 48 m–1 h 55 m, ₩16,700 deluxe).
Last leg from Mungyeong Station (KTX-Eum)
Jungbu Naeryuk Line (KTX-Eum from Pangyo). Not walkable; festival shuttle buses ran from the station in 2026, or take free city bus 10-3, 21 or 21-2 (about 15 minutes, per a travel blog) or a taxi to Mungyeong Saejae
Festival shuttle
In 2026 shuttle buses ran between KTX Mungyeong Station and the festival, a shuttle linked the car parks with the venue, and electric carts stopped at the Open Set (routes and times were not published on the pages read). In 2025 free city buses were timed to KTX trains, with extra buses at weekends and on holidays. Mungyeong's city buses have been free for everyone, tourists included, since 1 January 2025; a 2026 travel blog lists routes 10-3, 21 and 21-2 from Mungyeong Station (about 15 minutes) and 10-3 and 21 from the Mungyeong bus stop (about 10 minutes).
Getting home
The festival closed at 18:00 in 2026. KTX-Eum from Mungyeong Station to Pangyo takes 1 h 34 m, with only four trains a day, and buses from the Mungyeong bus stop to Dong Seoul take about 2 h 20 m (1 h 54 m on deluxe buses). Train and bus times for the 2027 festival dates are not out yet, so this page gives no last-train or last-bus time: check the last train in the Korail+ app (코레일+, where KTX and former SRT trains are now booked) or at Mungyeong Station, and the last bus at the Mungyeong bus stop, before you go. Allow time to get from the Open Set back to the park entrance.
Parking
Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park has car parks for about 2,500 vehicles (2022 figure), and in 2026 a shuttle linked the car parks with the Open Set. A travel blog lists car-park hours of 08:30–17:30 and conflicting fee information (free, or a small per-car fee); fees were not verified. Come by bus or train on the holiday days.
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; experience fees extra (KTO) |
| Festival pass | ₩15,000 | Tea-bowl making and matcha tea ceremony vouchers, discounts at major Mungyeong sights and a ₩1,000 Mungyeong Love gift certificate |
| Tea-bowl making (찻사발 빚기) | ₩5,000 | Reported by Wikitree |
| Full-process pottery class (슬기로운 도예 생활) | ₩10,000 | Reported by Wikitree |
| Hanbok and royal-robe hire | Free | At the Open Set |
- Booking
- No booking for entry. In 2026 popular experiences could be reserved at kiosks in the festival information centre; how and where the festival pass was sold, and whether online booking needs a Korean phone number, was not stated. Contact listed by KTO: 054-571-7677.
- English on site
- No English festival information was found, and programmes are run in Korean. Guest potters from China and Australia and Japan's Urasenke tea school took part in 2026, but no interpretation service was documented.
- Crowds
- Busy on the early-May holidays and weekends: about 280,000 visitors over ten days in 2024 (about 130,000 in the first five days) and about 240,000 over nine days in 2025, mostly on the four-day holiday and the following weekend.
- Best time to go
- A weekday morning, when the kiln booths and tea halls are quieter; the closing weekend for the ceramics auctions and the Urasenke demonstration (2026 pattern).
- What to bring
- A sturdy bag or padding for fragile bowls, money or a card for pottery, walking shoes for the park, and a rain layer for spring showers.
- Rain
- The festival runs in rain: 2026 added rain shelters and coconut-fibre mats, and 2024 a large rain shelter at the outdoor stage. Rain fell on opening day in 2025 and on 3 May 2026, and the programme went ahead.
- Step-free access
- The 2026 information centre offered stroller rental and a nursing room; step-free routes across the drama sets were not documented.
- Pets
- A travel blog citing the park's facility rules says pets are not allowed in Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park; no festival-specific rule was found.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | About ten days between late April and mid-May 2027, spanning the early-May holidays, is likely: recent editions ran 27 Apr–6 May 2024, 3–11 May 2025 and 1–10 May 2026, all at the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set. No 2027 dates had been announced as of 19 October 2026; the 2025 dates were reported by 31 March 2025 and the 2026 dates by 4 April 2026. | expected | Would be the 29th edition. At the 2026 closing the committee chair said only that the festival would return next year. |
| 2026 | 1–10 May 2026 | ended | Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, with zones at Gwanghwamun (main stage), Gangnyeongjeon and Baekjegung; the opening was at the Saejae outdoor stage. About 20 farm-produce booths at the entrance, 9 craft booths, food booths and food trucks, and an information centre with stroller rental, a nursing room and booking kiosks for popular experiences. |
| 2025 | 3–11 May 2025 | ended | Mungyeong Saejae drama Open Set. |
| 2024 | 27 Apr – 6 May 2024 | ended | Mungyeong Saejae Open Set; an 800-inch LED screen, a single enlarged Gwanghwamun stage and a large rain shelter at the outdoor stage. |
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.
Mungyeong's free museum of Korea's old roads, reopened in 2009 in the former Mungyeong Saejae Museum, on the travel and culture that grew up along roads such as the Saejae pass that starts by the festival grounds. It is by the park entrance, on your way in: open 09:00–18:00 from March to October, last entry 30 minutes before closing, so an hour there before the kiln booths fits easily. Go before you buy pottery, so you are not carrying fragile bowls round the galleries.
Getting there: On foot near the park entrance (Saejae-ro 944), a few minutes from the festival grounds; free
The Joseon-era road over the pass between Gyeongsang Province and Seoul: a gentle clay path of about 6.5 km along a stream, linking three stone gates (Juheulgwan, Jogokgwan and Joryeonggwan) built in the late 16th century. The round trip from the car park to the Second Gate is about 7 km, roughly two hours at an easy pace, so walk it in the morning or after lunch and be back before the festival closes at 18:00. The full walk to the Third Gate and back takes about four hours, too long here.
Getting there: Starts at the First Gate beside the festival grounds; on foot, free. Electric carts run from the park entrance to the First Gate for a small fare
- Mungyeong Hot Springs (문경종합온천)After
A public bathhouse in Mungyeong-eup, opened in 2001, with an alkaline bath and a calcium-bicarbonate bath fed from about 750 m and 900 m underground, and a yellow-clay sauna; adult entry is under ₩10,000. It is open 06:00–20:00 with tickets sold until 19:30, so a soak after the festival closes at 18:00 fits, and it is under 1 km from the Mungyeong bus stop where the buses to Dong Seoul leave. Check the last bus at the bus stop before you go in.
Getting there: About 5 km: free city bus 10-3 or 21 back to the Mungyeong bus stop (about 10 min), then under 1 km on foot; or a short taxi ride
Questions travelers ask
When is the Mungyeong Chasabal Festival 2027?
Not announced as of 19 October 2026. Recent editions ran 27 April–6 May 2024, 3–11 May 2025 and 1–10 May 2026, so expect about ten days between late April and mid-May 2027. Dates were reported by early April in 2025 and 2026.
Is the Mungyeong Chasabal Festival free?
Entry is free (KTO, 2026). Experiences cost extra, roughly ₩5,000–15,000: tea-bowl making at the low end, the full-process pottery class in between, and a festival pass bundling bowl-making, a matcha tea ceremony, sightseeing discounts and a small local gift certificate at the top.
What is a chasabal, and why Mungyeong?
A chasabal is a tea bowl. Mungyeong's potters still shape them on kick wheels and fire them with firewood in traditional mangdaengi kilns at more than 1,300°C. The festival, first held in 1999, is the city's showcase for their work.
Can I make my own tea bowl or buy pottery?
Yes. Tea-bowl making runs every year (roughly ₩5,000–10,000), and popular experiences could be booked at kiosks in the information centre. Kiln booths sell tea bowls and tableware, and in 2026 ceramics auctions were held on the main stage on 5, 9 and 10 May.
How do I get there from Seoul?
Take a bus from Dong Seoul Terminal to the Mungyeong bus stop in Mungyeong-eup (about 2 h 20 m, ₩14,200), then a free city bus to Saejae, about 10 minutes. Or take the KTX-Eum from Pangyo to Mungyeong Station (1 h 34 m, ₩17,400, four trains a day) and the festival shuttle or a free city bus. Do not buy a ticket to Jeomchon, which is more than 20 km away. Check the last train in the Korail+ app (코레일+, where KTX and former SRT trains are now booked) or at the station, and the last bus at the Mungyeong bus stop, before you go.
What are the festival hours?
09:00–18:00 in 2026 (KTO). The 2026 opening ceremony was at 13:30 on 1 May at the Saejae outdoor stage.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2027 edition. Confidence in the current facts: high.
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 문경찻사발축제 (506295)kto — 2026: 1–10 May, 09:00–18:00, free entry with experience fees extra; 28th edition; 문경새재도립공원 일원, 새재로 932; coordinates 36.7616/128.0770; 주최 문경찻사발축제추진위원회, 주관 문경관광공사; phone 054-571-7677; homepage sabal21.com; held at the Open Set; mangdaengi wood-fired kilns above 1,300°C; opening 1 May 13:30 at the Saejae outdoor stage; programme list
- ktriptips (KTO Japanese data mirror) — 聞慶茶碗祭り (2378508)kto — Japanese KTO name 聞慶茶碗祭り; 2026 1–10 May, 28th edition; 聞慶セジェ道立公園 and 聞慶セジェ オープンセット場
- ktriptips (KTO Simplified Chinese data mirror) — 闻庆传统茶碗节 (692787)kto — Simplified Chinese KTO name 闻庆传统茶碗节; 2026 1–10 May, 09:00–18:00; 闻庆鸟岭道立公园 and 闻庆鸟岭开放摄影棚
- ktriptips (KTO Traditional Chinese data mirror) — 聞慶傳統茶碗節 (694887)kto — Traditional Chinese KTO name 聞慶傳統茶碗節; 2026 1–10 May, 28th edition; 聞慶鳥嶺道立公園 and 聞慶鳥嶺片廠
- ktriptips (KTO German data mirror) — Mungyeong Chasabal Festival (702986)kto — KTO foreign-language title 'Mungyeong Chasabal Festival'; 1–10 May 2026; free, some experiences paid; 932 Saejae-ro, Mungyeong-eup
- Kyungbuk Maeil — 2026 문경찻사발축제 5월 1일 개막 (5 Apr 2026)news — 2026: 1–10 May (ten days); 28th; theme 문경찻사발, 새롭게 아름답게; Open Set; honorary festival; opening 1 May at the outdoor stage with Park Seo-jin, Ahn Sung-hoon, Yoon Yun-seo, Youngki, Shin Hyun-ji; A Potter's Day with Yixing, Jingdezhen and Australian artists; Urasenke; tea contest; pass with bowl-making, tea ceremony, discounts; food at Gwanghwamun, Gangnyeongjeon, Baekjegung
- Pressian — 2026 문경찻사발축제 (4 Apr 2026)news — 2026: 1–10 May, 28th; zones Gwanghwamun, Gangnyeongjeon, Baekjegung; festival pass ₩15,000 with bowl-making and matcha tea ceremony vouchers and tourist-site discounts; teacup exchange voucher for completing the kiln stamp tour; ₩1,000 Mungyeong Love gift certificate; Gimhae ceramics association exhibition; 23rd national tea bowl competition
- Herald K — '2026 문경찻사발축제' 다음달 1일 개막 (4 Apr 2026)news — 28th edition, 1–10 May 2026 at the Open Set; honorary cultural tourism festival; exhibitions; pass with bowl-making and matcha tea ceremony; kiln stamp tour rewards; tea gatherings; large photo zones
- Maeil Shinmun — 2026 문경찻사발축제 (22 Apr 2026)news — 2026: 1–10 May; 28th; festival pass ₩15,000 with experiences and site discounts; free royal-robe and hanbok hire at the Open Set; stamp tour teacup voucher and gift certificates; national tea ceremony competition
- Kyungbuk Maeil — 제28회 문경찻사발축제 (29 Apr 2026)news — Opening 1 May 2026 13:30 at the Saejae outdoor stage; kiosk booking for popular experiences at the information centre; road signs; coconut-fibre mats and rain facilities; food trucks and rest areas; Nakgwan Sasudae game; costume day; EBS musical; 4D Dokdo exhibit; AI robot
- Wikitree — 도자기만 보는 게 아니었어?…5월 문경새재가 작정하고 준비한 '이것' (2026)news — 2026: Baekjegung heritage exhibition (Kim Jeong-ok, Lee Hak-cheon, Kim Young-sik, Kim Seon-sik); 10 master potters; 33 potters, 27 Gimhae works; bowl making ₩5,000, full class ₩10,000; 3 tea halls; Dokdo VR to 6 May; robot games 9–10 May; auctions 5, 9, 10 May; Bae Il-ho 8 May 11:00; Urasenke 9 May 14:00; 20 produce, 9 craft booths; stroller rental, nursing room; electric carts; parking shuttle
- Herald K — 2026 문경찻사발축제 '흥행 대박' (5 May 2026)news — 2026: opened 1 May, runs to 10 May; 28th; holiday crowds; rain on 3 May; 2 May potter demonstrations and tea-flower contest; bowl smashing; Nakgwan Sasudae; 5 May shows and magic show; Urasenke and tea gathering on the closing weekend
- Kyungbuk Maeil — 2026 문경찻사발축제 폐막 (12 May 2026)news — 2026: closed after ten days; 28th; Mungyeong Saejae Open Set; festival pass ₩15,000; KTX Mungyeong Station round-trip shuttle buses; smart advance booking; rain shelters and rest areas; ceramics auction; committee chair Park Yeon-tae says it will return next year; no visitor total
- Kyungbuk Maeil — 2025 문경찻사발축제 5월 3일 개막 (31 Mar 2025)news — 2025: 3–11 May, moved from late April to the first Saturday of May; theme; opening at the Saejae outdoor stage, closing at the Gwanghwamun main stage with Park Seo-jin; Yixing and Jingdezhen artists; Uryeo-nanumi tea ware chosen by open call; escape room, kiln tour, Children's Day campnic; pass ₩15,000 with ₩1,000 gift certificate
- Kyungbuk Maeil — 제27회 문경찻사발축제 개막 (4 May 2025)news — 27th edition opened 3 May 2025 at 15:00, nine days to 11 May; 32 ceramic artists; about 2,000 at the opening; Woongsan, Park Gun, Youngki, Jumi, Yoon Yun-seo; mangdaengi kiln, kick wheel and wood firing; 'traditional' dropped from the name; Ministry representative festival twice and top festival six times; KTX Mungyeong Station opened late 2024; free city buses
- Kyungbuk Maeil — 문경찻사발축제 24만 명 (12 May 2025)news — 2025: 3–11 May, nine days; about 240,000 visitors; crowds on the four-day holiday and two weekend days; pass redesign; escape room, kiln tour, clay and wood playgrounds, tea-bowl making, hanbok, karaoke, Chasabal Squid Game; EBS show, model parade, hanbok fashion show, tightrope; free city buses timed to KTX, more buses at weekends and holidays
- Kyungbuk Maeil — 2024 문경찻사발축제 4월 27일 개막 (31 Mar 2024)news — 2024: 27 Apr–6 May, Open Set; performers; rain shelter; kiln coffee bowls; exhibition by Gate 1 (Romanian artist, young Yixing potter); 20+ heritage works; 800-inch LED screen; one Gwanghwamun stage; Wise Pottery Life; One-Pick Pass ₩15,000 advance, ₩20,000 regular, with Saejae Adventure Park; hanbok show, about 30 models
- Wikitree — '문경찻사발축제' 성료...생활자기 대중화 정착 (7 May 2024)news — 2024: 26th edition, opened 27 Apr, closed 6 May, ten days; about 280,000 visitors (organizer estimate), about 130,000 in the first five days; eco camping; 3 May hanbok fashion show on Jeomchon culture street; 4 May 2nd tea-flower contest; 5 May national kick-wheel contest with 21 entrants; 6 May gold teacup and bowl draw worth ₩10 million
- Maeil Shinmun — 2019 문경찻사발축제 (25 Apr 2019)news — First held in 1999; 2019 edition 27 Apr–6 May at the Open Set, its 21st year; Ministry-designated representative festival
- Kyunghyang Shinmun — 문경찻사발축제 온라인 중심 개최 (3 Aug 2020)news — 22nd edition (2020) moved from 5–13 Sep to 1–15 Dec, mainly online, because of COVID-19; honorary cultural tourism festival for 2020–2021
- Korea Herald — Mungyeong welcomes autumn with apples, omija and mountain passes (20 Sep 2025)news — Saejae three gates built in the late 16th century; four-hour round trip; animal-shaped electric carts to the first gate; Open Set recreates the Joseon era as a drama set; Yakdol Hanwoo Town and butcher shop at nearly half the market price
- Travel Map Journey — 문경사과축제 2026, 9일에서 16일로 늘었다blog — City buses 10-3, 21, 21-2 from Mungyeong Station about 15 minutes, 10-3 and 21 from the bus stop about 10 minutes, 21 from Jeomchon about 45 minutes, all free; car park 08:30–17:30, fees conflicting (free vs ₩2,000 per car); pets not allowed per park facility list
- Kuki News — 문경시, 내년부터 시내버스 무료화 (18 Dec 2024)news — City buses free for residents and tourists from 1 Jan 2025; Mungyeong–Pangyo KTX line opened
- Kyungbuk Maeil — 문경시 시내버스비 무료화 (22 Feb 2026)news — City buses free for everyone; more buses timed to KTX at Mungyeong Station and a tourist loop from the station to Saejae planned
- Dailian — 서울서 '문경'행 표 끊었더니… 문경시청은 20㎞ 밖 '점촌'에 (27 Sep 2026)news — Mungyeong Saejae is in Mungyeong-eup; the Mungyeong-eup bus terminal is more than 20 km from Jeomchon terminal; use 문경공용정류장 for Mungyeong-eup and Saejae
- Maeil Shinmun — 문경약돌한우·청송사과축제 등 8건 정부 안전점검 (3 Nov 2022)news — Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park parking for about 2,500 vehicles (2022)
- Pangyo → Mungyeong train timetable, 18–24 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-18)other — Four KTX-Eum a day: 08:22, 12:31, 16:45, 20:56; 1 h 33 m–1 h 34 m; ₩17,400 adult standard
- Mungyeong → Pangyo train timetable, 8–14 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-08)other — Four KTX-Eum a day: 06:04, 10:26, 14:36, 18:55 (last, arrives Pangyo 20:26); ₩17,400
- Dong Seoul → Mungyeong intercity bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-02)other — 11 buses a day, 06:30–20:00; deluxe 1 h 54 m ₩19,800; standard 2 h 20 m ₩14,200
- Mungyeong → Dong Seoul intercity bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — 11 buses a day, 06:50–19:40; last departures 18:00, 18:50 and 19:40 (arrives 21:37)
- 신분당선 (DX LINE) — 소요 시각표official — Cumulative time from 강남: 판교 13 min 59 s (assumes 30 s dwell per station)
- Jeomchon Terminal departures (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-09-26)other — To Busan Central: 6 a day, 07:20, 10:20, 14:00, 15:20, 17:05, 19:00 (arr 21:47), 2 h 47 m, ₩27,900 deluxe (우등). To Dong-Daegu Terminal: 18 a day, 06:52–19:52 (arr 21:40), 1 h 48 m–1 h 55 m, ₩16,700 deluxe
- Busan Central Bus Terminal (Nopo) intercity bus destinations (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-07)other — Destinations include Jeomchon Terminal, the only Mungyeong entry; no Mungyeong-eup stop listed
- Busan Central Bus Terminal (Nopo) express bus destinations (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-07)other — Jeomchon Terminal is the only Mungyeong destination with a route; no Mungyeong-eup (문경공용버스정류장) stop
- Ancient Road Museum (KTO data, ktriptips)kto — Ancient Road Museum reopened in 2009 after remodelling the Mungyeong Saejae Museum; 09:00–18:00 March–October, 09:00–17:00 November–February, last entry 30 minutes before closing; closed 1 Jan, Seollal and Chuseok; free; near the park entrance (Saejae-ro 944)
- Mungyeong Saejae historic trail and filming locations (telltrip)blog — Clay path about 6.5 km linking the three gates; round trip car park–Second Gate about 7 km, about 2 hours; electric cart fares; Ancient Road Museum free
- Mungyeong Hot Springs (KTO data, ktriptips)kto — Opened 24 Mar 2001; calcium-bicarbonate water from about 900 m and alkaline water from about 750 m underground; yellow-clay sauna; 06:00–20:00, tickets until 19:30; open year-round; adult ₩8,000
- Hotel listing with distances in Mungyeong-eup (Yeogi)other — Mungyeong hot spring 150 m and Mungyeong bus stop 800 m from the hotel; Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park 4.8 km
What we could not confirm
- The official site sabal21.com could not be opened (the fetch was blocked), so hours, prices and the programme come from KTO data via ktriptips mirrors and news reports.
- The festival is not in the site's KTO TourAPI snapshot (listed.json, retrieved 19 Oct 2026); contentId 506295 comes from the ktriptips mirror of KTO data, and KTO's own pages were not opened.
- 2027 dates have not been announced; the 2026 committee chair said only that the festival would return next year.
- No 2026 visitor total was found (about 280,000 in 2024 and about 240,000 in 2025).
- The ₩5,000 and ₩10,000 experience prices come from one news report; whether bowls are fired and posted to visitors, and where the ₩15,000 pass was sold, were not stated.
- The 2026 Urasenke demonstration is dated 9 May at 14:00 by Wikitree and placed on the closing weekend, from 8 May, by Herald K.
- Routes and times of the 2026 shuttle buses from KTX Mungyeong Station and the car parks were not published on the pages read; city bus routes come from a travel blog.
- Train and bus frequencies, journey times and fares come from third-party mirrors of the national timetable feed for October 2026; May 2027 timetables may differ. Incheon Airport routes were not checked, and Busan Central→Jeomchon departure times were not confirmed.
- The map pin uses KTO's coordinates for 932 Saejae-ro (the park); the Open Set itself lies further inside the park, and the walking time from the entrance was not verified.
- Parking fees, restrooms, step-free access and foreign-card acceptance were not published.
- The KTO English-language listing was not opened; the German KTO listing gives 'Mungyeong Chasabal Festival'. Japanese and Chinese names come from KTO foreign-language data mirrors.
- Last KTX-Eum from Mungyeong Station and last bus from the Mungyeong bus stop to Seoul on the festival dates under the timetables in force that day
- Ancient Road Museum and Mungyeong Hot Springs hours and fees come from KTO data mirrors (ktriptips); the Mungyeong city pages could not be opened. Whether the museum or the bathhouse changes hours on the 2027 festival days was not checked.
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a Wikimedia Commons photograph of Jogokgwan gate, near the venue (hyolee2, CC BY-SA 4.0). · 2026-10-20 — Bus details rechecked on the timetables: the ₩19,800 Dong Seoul bus is deluxe (우등), not premium; Dong-Daegu–Jeomchon is now ₩16,700 and Jeomchon–Busan ₩27,900. · 2026-10-20 — Singer name spelled Ahn Sung-hoon, as on other pages. · 2026-10-20 — Chinese names follow the 2025 renaming (문경찻사발축제, without 전통): 闻庆茶碗节 / 聞慶茶碗節. KTO Chinese listings still use the old name. · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed the October 2026 train and bus departure times and last trains and buses back to Seoul, which the 1 November 2026 timetable replaces; the page now gives journey times and frequency and says to check Korail+ and the bus stop. · 2026-10-31 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: route, last-train and Seoul FAQ say to check the last train in Korail+ and the last bus at the Mungyeong stop (no clock times left); prices: experience and pass prices now about ₩5,000–15,000, car park 'a small per-car fee'.
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