The story
Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival in Anseong
An Anseong festival built around Baudeogi, the legendary female leader of a namsadang troupe, reviving the itinerant percussion, acrobatics, mask dance, and puppetry once performed by traveling Joseon-era entertainers. A full recreated performance cycle, led by a dedicated local troupe, anchors the early-autumn program each year.
Anseong holds a festival honoring one of the more unusual figures in Korean performing arts history: Baudeogi, a young woman who, according to local tradition, rose to lead a namsadang troupe, the itinerant bands of male performers who traveled the Korean countryside during the late Joseon period staging acrobatics, mask dance, puppet theater, and percussion performances for rural audiences.