Moonlight tour at royal palace to start from Sept. 7

The interactive Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul this fall will allow visitors to stroll around the historical landmark at night.

The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the Cultural Heritage Administration and Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation on Aug. 17 said the tour will run from Sept. 7 to Oct. 22 every week from Thursday to Sunday.

Now in its 14th year, the course is the representative cultural event at the palace, a facility that UNESCO designated a World Heritage Site.

Participants can stroll around holding a cheongsachorong, or a traditional lantern typically made by joining red and blue silk shades and hanging a candle inside, listen to commentary from professional tour guides and visit Injeongjeon Hall (containing the king's throne), Nakseonjae (king's quarters and office), Yeongyeongdang Hall (former reception venue for foreign envoys) and garden roads.

Each tour has a capacity of 25 participants per session six times a day. The start times are 19:00, 19:05, 19:10, 19:50, 19:55 and 20:00, with each course lasting about 100 minutes.

This year's tickets will be sold under a lottery system and applications start on Aug. 22 from 2 p.m. on Ticketlink's website (www.ticketlink.co.kr). One person can apply for two tickets and those selected will be announced on Aug. 28 at 2 p.m. 

Successful applicants can make reservations from Aug. 29 at 2 p.m. to Sept. 3 for their desired dates and times. Admission is KRW 30,000 per person.