A neighborhood keeping its ritual alive
The 44th Nami General Shrine Festival in Yongsan celebrates the community's continued practice of Nami General Shrine Gut, designated as Seoul intangible heritage. Organised by the shrine-festival preservation association, it brings ritual, procession and neighborhood participation into the streets rather than presenting culture only on a stage. The festival runs November 6–10, 2026 around the shrine at 88-10 Hyochangwon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
The programme by date
November 6–7: geollip, a traditional preparatory community rite. November 8: eve celebration 5–7 pm and a flower-lantern procession (kkotbatgi) 6–8 pm, alongside a ritual at Sancheon-dong Bugundang, 7 Hyochangwon-ro 15-gil. November 9: shrine rite 10–11 am, the general's procession 11:30 am–1 pm, and dang-gut ritual 1–5 pm. The parade passes Hyochang Stadium, Sookmyung Women's University, Singwang Elementary School, Yongsan Police Station and other neighborhood streets before returning to the shrine. November 10: closing rites and community celebration from 10 am, as published in the official programme.
Planning and etiquette
This is a moving street-and-shrine event, not a single ticketed indoor show. Parts of the lantern and general's procession routes are scheduled for one-lane traffic control. The City of Seoul also warns that bus 0017 may be diverted during the November 9 shrine rite because of road controls near the shrine. The official detail does not provide a single admission fee for all activities, so free access or walk-in participation should not be assumed. Check the organiser's current instructions, be respectful of ritual participants and keep paths open for residents. The published inquiry number is 02-2199-7245.