Shinan Mud Flat Octopus Festival is held in Bonsai Park in Aphae-eup, Shinan county around the end of October when octopus, leading seafood of mud flat, is caught the most and tastes the best.
SongGongsan Bonsai Park where the festivals are held is 20,000-pyeong and is located in the place with the view of the beautiful marine garden of archipelago sized 50 million-pyeong. There are various kinds of bonsai potted plants that make casual passers-by stop and look including the pine tree valued as more than 1.5 billion KRW in the market price. In addition, the park includes Korea's first bonsai museum "Byeong-Cheol Choi Bonsai Memorial Building" opened on October 21, 2013, and the relaxation in the nature & the experiential academic space that displays African "Shona" sculptures and attracts many tourists. The park became another landmark that informs tourists of Shinan.
The festival has various hands-on experience events including Korean traditional percussion quartet (samulnori), catching octopus in mud flats, making bibimbap with octopus, singing contest, etc. that tourists and residents can participate together. As subsidiary events, there are Shinan mud flat octopus site auction, octopus tasting, display/sales of Shinan special fishery products and various foods market.