This year's Spring K-Royal Culture Festival set to open on April 29 will showcase the peak of spring at Seoul's five main royal palaces.
The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) on April 18 said the festival will run from April 29 to May 7 at the palaces of Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Gyeonghuigung and Deoksugung as well as Jongmyo Shrine and Sajikdan Altar.
As the nation's biggest festival for cultural heritage content, the event showcases the beauty of the palaces and interactive experiences in traditional culture. Approximately 890,000 people visited last year's editions in spring and fall.
This year's festival will begin on April 28 at 2 p.m. with the Commemorative Parade for the 40th Anniversary of Changgyeonggung Palace's Returned Name. The opening ceremony will start at 7:30 p.m. at Heungnyemun Square of Gyeongbokgung.
The opening performance will be a modern interpretation of traditional dances such as fan dance, followed by a national children’s choir and a thematic show by the cast of "Palace Musical: Sejong 1446" based on the story of King Sejong the Great (1397-1450), the fourth monarch of the Joseon Dynasty. The male crossover vocal group La Poem will also perform.
During the festival, a variety of concerts, exhibitions and hands-on programs will be held under the theme "Meet Royal Palaces Today."
At Gyeongbokgung from April 29 to May 2 on a reservation basis, "Palace Musical: Sejong 1446" will be performed. Performing artists from a range of fields including new gugak (traditional music) artists, crossover bands and classical musicians will appear in the show "Court Music Entertainment" from May 3-7.
On May 7, a concert featuring cellist Yang Sung-won is slated in connection with the night tour of the palace. To mark Children's Day on May 5, the Children’s K-Royal Culture Festival from May 5-7 will offer events like Children's Gwageo Exam (traditional civil service exam) and Palace True or False Quiz.
At Changgyeonggung Palace from May 2-6, the reenactment event "Time Travel: King Yeongjo, Opening Honghwamun Gate" will mark the 40th anniversary of the restoration of the palace name. During Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, the palace was turned into an amusement park and renamed "Changgyeongwon."
This interactive event will have participants selected through a preliminary contest reenact the 50th birthday celebration of King Yeongjo (1694-1776), the 21st Joseon king. Selected through advanced application, participants can experience traditional culture such as food and dance and watch traditional performing arts.
At Changdeokgung from April 30 to May 3, the play "Romantic Palace Gidam Theater" will be performed based on the books stored at Nakseonjae Hall of the palace. Tickets are available through reservations.
Deoksugung from May 5-7 will host the free performance "Artists' Loved Palace" featuring Yang Bang-ean's Band on May 5, crossover band 2nd Moon and Kim Jun-su on May 6, and composer and pianist Yiruma on May 7.
During the festival, the Palace Parade Performance will reinterpret pangut (folk music tradition) at each of the five palaces: Changgyeongung on April 28, Gyeongbokgung on April 29, Changdeokgung on April 30, Gyeonghuigung on May 5 and Deoksugung on May 6.
- Tickets for the programs will go on sale from April 19 at 1 p.m. on Ticketlink (www.ticketlink.co.kr).
- A "palace pass" will allow unlimited admission to the five palaces over the festival period. Limited to a supply of 1,000, the ticket will go on sale on April 19 at 1 p.m. for KRW 10,000 each through April 23.
- More information and program schedules are available on the websites of the CHA center (royal.cha.go.kr), Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation (www.chf.or.kr) and festival (chf.or.kr/fest).
