[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Design & Art at DDP

Through Sept. 8, artists will adorn Dongdaemun Design Plaza with their works, lighting up the Seoul landmark during the annual DDP Design & Art festival.

Artists whose works will be on display include Kim Whan-ki, a pioneer of abstract art in Korea, and Felice Varini, a Paris-based Swiss visual artist who paints in urban spaces.

The UK-based art and design collective Studio Vertigo will exhibit a giant heart-shaped installation made with more than 11,000 mirrored tiles, called “Our Beating Heart.”

Gyeonggi Ceramic Biennale

Check out the 2024 Gyeonggi Ceramic Biennale in Icheon, a city in Gyeonggi Province known for Korean ceramics.

Twenty-six artists from 14 countries will showcase 75 pieces at the Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art. Works will also be displayed at other art museums and venues scattered around the province.

The event, running from Sept. 6 to Oct. 20, will revisit the ceramic works of previous winners from the province-hosted international ceramics competition. For tickets and more, go to gcb.kr.

DongGang photo festival

The longest-running annual photography festival in Korea since 2002, the DongGang International Photo Festival is the go-to for photography enthusiasts and hobbyists.

The festival -- held at the DongGang Museum of Photography in Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon Province -- looks at the history of photography through the works of Korean and international artists.

The event will end on Sept. 29. Admission costs 3,000 won. Go to dgphotofestival.com for more information.

Lantern festival at Sandulsori

Sandulsori Botanical Garden in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, is holding a lantern festival through the end of April next year.

The garden, open from 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., will give visitors lanterns to hold as they stroll around the compound that has a restaurant, bakery and cafe. Admission is 8,000 won for all ages except babies two years old and younger.

Outside food and pets are banned in the garden. Parking is free. Visit sandulsori.co.kr.

Flea market, busking in Jayang

Through Sept. 29, a flea market will be open with booths set up by companies promoting upcycling at Jayang Station Exit Nos. 2 and 3 in Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu.

At “Zero+Festa,” a free-admission event, interactive programs teaching how to reuse products as well as street music performances are prepared.

The event will be open from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, check out the website at zeroplus.or.kr.