Chungju World Martial Arts Festival 2016
The World Martial Arts Festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to globalize Taekgyeon, a traditional Korean martial art, under the theme “Harmony between the 5,000-year-old national spirit and world martial arts.” This festival is held every October in the central region.
This year is the 11th year of the festival, which has played an important role in promoting Chungju, the city of loyalty and the origin of Taekgyeon, worldwide. In the past, the city was famous for iron production. It was also an important military location where the biggest anti-Mongol combat took place. Furthermore, Korea’s first victory during the Korean War and the Donglak Combat happened in this city.Taeggyeon, which started about two years ago during the Goguryeo period, was systematized by master Han-Seung Shin. As a result, the traditional Korean martial arts was designated as Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 76 on June 1, 1983. With the launch of Taekgyeon Jeonsugwan (training center) and the holding of the World Taekgyeon Championships every year, Chungju has evolved into a center of the World Martial Arts Union (WoMAU). |