‘Moonlight Tour’ at Changdeokgung to resume with foreign language guide

The first part of Changdeokgung's biannual “Moonlight Tour” program will kick off on April 13. Foreign language guided tours will also resume after a three-year hiatus.

The “Moonlight Tour” at Changdeokgung is a nighttime program where visitors can enjoy an evening stroll around the royal palace holding “cheongsachorong,” or a traditional lantern to light the way.

Changdeokgung was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

The guided tour is organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.

Visitors will start off at Donhwamun and walk through major buildings such as Injeongjeon, the main hall, and Huijeongdang, the reception hall. Visitors will be treated to the sounds of "daegeum," a traditional Korean woodwind instrument, and "ajaeng," a traditional string instrument, at the garden of Nakseonjae. The tour will take just over 1 1/2 hours.

Upon entering the Buyongji Pond area, visitors will come across a reenactment of the king and queen walking in the garden.

A traditional Korean musical performance will also be staged at the Yeongyeongdang Hall, which was built by Crown Prince Hyomyeong as a banquet venue. A traditional dance called “Bosangmu” has been newly added to this year’s program. The dance was created by the crown prince to celebrate the 40th birthday of his mother, Queen Sunwon, in 1828.

This year's “Moonlight Tour” will operate every Thursday to Sunday from April 13 to June 4, with reservations divided into two sessions -- 7:20 p.m. and 8 p.m. Up to 75 visitors will be admitted per session.

Foreign language commentary in English, Chinese and Japanese for tourists will be available on two days -- May 28 and June 4.

Online ticket sales began at 4 p.m. on Thursday for tours between April 13-28. Tickets for tours between May 4 to June 6 will go on sale online at 4 p.m. on April 20. Sales are on a first-come, first-served basis.

The ticket costs 30,000 won per person. All visitors must purchase tickets online except for disabled and senior citizens aged 65 and older, who can book tickets by phone or on-site.