Korea: K-Royal Culture Festival marking its tenth year with added historic splendor
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the K-Royal Culture Festival is ready to return in spring with a new lineup of programs, including ones tailored specifically for international audiences, aimed at attracting a million annual visitors to the country’s regal heritage.
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| A scene from the opening ceremony of the Spring K-Royal Culture Festival 2023 / Courtesy of CHA |
The nine-day festival will unfold across five major palaces- Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeok Palace, Deoksu Palace, Changgyeong Palace and Gyeonghui Palace - and Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul from April 27 to May 5.
Held every spring and fall since 2014, the biannual event has become Korea’s largest cultural heritage festival, offering an array of traditional performances and hands-on experiences against the palatial backdrop of the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty.
Organized by the Royal Palaces and Tombs Center under the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the event has drawn over 5.3 million visitors over the past decade.
Kicking off with an opening ceremony that musically reimagines King Sejong’s proclamation of “Hunminjeongeum,” or the Korean writing system Hangeul, in 1446, this spring’s iteration will bask spectators in historic splendor through newly-launched tours, performances and exhibitions.
“It’s rare to see festivals being held in royal palaces for such extended periods around the world, as is the case in Korea, rather than as one-time events. Our focus is on blending the buildings' excellent ‘hardware’ with diverse cultural ‘software’ to showcase a living cultural heritage that remains relevant today,” said Park Dong-woo, who is directing this year’s opening ceremony, at a press conference in Seoul, Thursday.
Gyeongbok Palace, the primary residence of Joseon royalty, offers a journey back 600 years in its immersive program, “A Time Travel, King Sejong.” This experience, taking place from May 1 to 5, turns visitors into palace apprentices, inviting them to participate in activities such as making the royal feast table, crafting traditional arrowheads and learning court dance.
Throughout the venue, tourists can witness on-site reenactments featuring the king, queen, princely couple and court scholars, providing a vivid glimpse into daily life within the royal residence.
The palace is also running a foreigner-exclusive cultural program, “A Time Travel to the Joseon Dynasty,” at its banquet hall, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion.
For the first time, the main Geunjeongjeon Hall has been chosen as the majestic backdrop of evening concerts. A hundred traditional performers of daegeum (large bamboo flute), gayageum (Korean 12-string zither) and haegeum (bowed zither), all adorned in crimson attire, will fill the space with musical delights on May 4 and 5.
Meanwhile, Changdeok Palace will host the festival’s inaugural craft exhibition, “MEETS: A Timeless Harmony,” at Injeongjeon Hall, the main throne hall and state-designated national treasure.
The show brings together 24 works created through collaborations between artisans and contemporary craft artists - such as sound-responsive floor lighting, large-scale wall art showcasing traditional dyeing techniques and folding screens inspired by “dancheong” (multicolored paintwork on wooden surfaces).
A novel addition to the lineup is a leisurely two-hour morning stroll around the palace, limited to just 50 participants per day from April 29 to May 3. This exclusive experience provides a chance to savor the serene tranquility of the palace grounds during the early hours of the day.
Other programs premiering at the Spring K-Royal Culture Festival 2024 include the “Moonlight Lotus Show” at Changgyeong Palace’s Chundangji Pond, a nighttime light spectacle featuring renowned artist Lee Lee-nam’s panoramic media art. At Deoksu Palace, “Royal Recreations Club” allows participants to experience the hobbies enjoyed by King Gojong, the final monarch of the Joseon Kingdom and the first emperor of the Korean Empire, such as coffee and billiards.
Advance reservations for select programs can be made on Ticketlink or, in the case of international visitors, Creatrip.
In addition, a total of 10,000 K-Royal Palaces Passes will be available for purchase until April 26. The tickets grant holders unlimited access to all five palaces throughout the duration of the event.
(Source: Korea Times)
