Haman

A July evening in Haman for nakhwanori at Mujinjeong pavilion: charcoal-rope embers raining over the pond, plus a friendly stop at the festival tents.

Haman is a small county most Korea itineraries skip entirely, which is exactly why we went. In July 2026 it handed us one of the most extraordinary sights we have seen anywhere in the country: nakhwanori, the traditional fire-flower ceremony at the Mujinjeong pavilion.

Ropes strung over a pond at dusk in Haman shedding thousands of orange embers into the water, crowds filming below
Nakhwanori at dusk: charcoal ropes strung above the pond slowly burn and shed cascades of embers into the water. Everyone films it. Nobody's phone does it justice.
Inga and Dileep giving thumbs up with a smiling stallholder dressed in traditional white at a festival tent in Haman
At one of the festival tents with a stallholder in traditional white. The thumbs up were unanimous.

If you find yourself in the southeast with an evening to spare, check whether the fire flowers are falling at Mujinjeong. Haman pairs neatly with Jinju and Changwon next door.