KOREAN NET

Honorary Reporters and K-influencers on May 11 take a group photo at this year's Treasure Island Mijo Port Anchovy and Seafood Festival in the northern area of Mijo Port in Namhae-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. (Jeon Misun)

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova

Mijo Port, located on the southern tip of Namhae-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, seems full of abundance possibly because the future bodhisattva Mireuk (Maitreya) is said to have helped this village.

The morning always begins at a market for live seafood brought in by fishermen who fought rough waters all night. The venue's energy for a healthy life is fueled by dozens of maritime varieties such as black sea bream, ridged-eye flounder and rockfish.

The word myeongbulheojeon means "well-deserved reputation. The blue sky meets the horizon, the water shines thanks to the sun, fishing boats glide back and forth to create white ripples, and a beach with a pine forest and silver sand flows by. These have earned the venue the nickname "Venice of Namhae."

The nation's richest port of Mijo is both beautiful and especially vibrant in May with a silver color. This is due to an annual feast featuring the southern coast's anchovies and fresh seafood that herald the taste of spring.

At the county's invitation, a Korea.net staff writer on May 11 visited the festival held around the port's northern area overnight. She was joined by 35 Honorary Reporters and K-influencers from 12 countries including the U.S., Russia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Deeply pushing the heavily salty air into her lungs with each step while walking, she was welcomed by a banner reading "The 18th Treasure Island Mijo Port Anchovy & Seafood Festival."

A fishy scent greeted the visitors as soon as they entered the venue, the savory smell of the ocean and delicious and well-seasoned anchovies. Exciting songs resonated in the visitors' eardrums, people's laughter and sounds made the festival bustle, and unique foods and things to see added to the frolicsome atmosphere.

Booths offering samples of foods with seasonal anchovies attracted attention featuring diverse dishes such as silver raw anchovies, anchovy ssambap (stuffed rice wrapped in vegetable leaves), fried and braised anchovies, and anchovy fishcake lined the place. It was surprising how such a variety of food could be made with anchovies, with the raw kind particularly captivating.

The scene was naturally mouth watering. The booth organizers said they selected the biggest and thickest anchovies from those caught that day, removed the bones, and mixed them with thinly sliced water parsley, carrots, cucumbers and crown daisies.

One bite of the food made it impossible to think of anything else, except maybe the wriggling movements of freely swimming anchovies in the sea. For most, the icing on the cake would be drinking a bowl of makgeolli (milky rice wine).

Visitors flocked to an impromptu anchovy auction, visitors catching the fish with their bare hands, seafood quiz and magic show related to seafood, things all fun to watch.

The writer could not attend a dragon king ritual wishing for an abundant catch, fanciful maritime parade of fishing boats and flyboard concert to relieve stress, but this was an excuse to visit the festival again next year. Never forgetting the lingering taste of anchovies on the tip of her tongue, she looked forward to next year's edition.

Honorary Reporter from Russia Sergei Khoziashev tries fried anchovies. (Aisylu Akhmetzianova)

"The atmosphere of the anchovy festival was really fun and amazing," said Honorary Reporter from Iran Faranaksadat Solat, who began writing for Korea.net last year. "I was particularly impressed by seeing the audience dance while waiting for a congratulatory performance by visiting (trot) singer Na Sang Do."

Mack Rock, 15, an American who attended the tour with his mother, said he had lived in Korea since age 6 but that this was his first time eating such big anchovies.

"I've lived in Korea for about a year but haven't been able to travel often. It was nice to visit Namhae through Korea.net's familiarization tour," said Vladislav Skuibida, a Russian who works as an actor in Korea, with a smile. "I hope for frequent opportunities to join such tours."

The Treasure Island Mijo Port Anchovy and Seafood Festival was where the past met the future. Through the tiny bodies of anchovies, the event offered a glimpse into the intense lives of people dependent on the sea, the coastal area's culture and history, and humankind's need to coexist with nature.

aisylu@korea.kr