Changdeokgung’s nocturnal splendor to be showcased virtually

 

Now that the muggy summer days are here, the state-run Cultural Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation will invite visitors to experience a royal palace in Seoul on a summer night.

Nighttime tours of Changdeokgung will be made available online starting Tuesday so that disadvantaged people outside the capital can experience the popular Moonlight Trip to the palace and its grounds.

After receiving “moonlight packages,” participants can use virtual reality to roam freely around the spacious grounds of the palace and walk through its tall gates. Participants can also make their own “cheongsa chorong,” red and blue silk lanterns that were traditionally used at Korean weddings. 

The non-face-to-face event will commence Tuesday at Sorokdo National Hospital in Goheung, South Jeolla Province. From July 6-16, the organizers will reach out to some 20 children’s centers in North Chungcheong Province and North and South Jeolla provinces to deliver the moonlight packages and quarantine supplies.

In addition, face-to-face events will kick off July 9 at Jeungdo Elementary School and Imja Elementary School in Sinan-gun, South Jeolla Province.

According to the organizing agencies, the aim of the trip is to introduce people to the nation’s beautiful history and harmony.


By Park Jun-hee (junheee@heraldcorp.com)