[Community Discovery] Jung-gu showcases historic, cultural sites at nighttime festival

Jeong-dong Culture Night will take place near Deoksugung and Jeong-dong Street in Jung-gu, central Seoul, to show off its historic and cultural sites and host various cultural events from Friday to Saturday.

This year marks the event’s ninth anniversary since the event was established in 2015 as South Korea’s first "cultural property festival," or a festival against the backdrop of conserved cultural assets. Since then, the festival has gathered more than 200,000 local and international visitors every year.

Under the theme “spring,” visitors to this year’s Jeong-dong Culture Night will be able to visit historical sites along Jeongdong-gil, including the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway near the palace and other notable sites such as the Seoul Museum of Art, Chungdong First Methodist Church, Jeongdong Theater, Ewha Girls’ High School and more.

“Jeong-dong Culture Night was first established to promote Jeong-dong’s historical value and identity and to boost tourism in the area,” a Jung-gu Office official told The Korea Herald.

“Like last year, we anticipate around 1,000 local and international visitors will attend this year’s opening ceremony,” added the official.

According to the Jung-gu Office, a total of 36 venues, consisting of public institutions, cultural assets, museums, exhibition halls, embassies, galleries, religious sites and performance halls will host this year's festival, offering nighttime openings, performances, exhibitions and special lectures.

The event will also feature cultural activities, including historical and cultural facility tours, cultural performances, experiential programs and commentary tours. While looking around night installations and taking in the nighttime views of Jeong-dong, visitors can also enjoy street foods and craft workshops along the Deoksugung Stonewall Walkway.

Club M, a classical music group, including Kim Joon-soo from the National Changgeuk Company, will kick off Jeong-dong Culture Night’s opening ceremony. The musical group will showcase the fusion of traditional and classical music in their performance.

Tours of the Canadian Embassy and the British Embassy will be available to the public, which has always been a crowd favorite since 2015.

Visitors may take 40-minute-long tours of the Canadian Embassy from 7 p.m. on Friday, while 30-minute-long tours of the British Embassy are scheduled at 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday.

Visitors can also see traces of Ewha Haktang, one of the earliest women’s education institutions in Korea, through the Tours of the Ewha Museum and Ewha Girls’ High School at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday,

Those interested in joining the tours must pre-register through Jeong-dong Culture Night’s official website.

A cultural and historical tour, guided by cultural commentators, will also run every hour for 30 minutes throughout the two-day festival. From the Appenzeller Noble Memorial Museum to Deoksugung’s Jungmyeongjeon, participants can enjoy guided tours in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese and register online in advance or on-site at Baejae Children’s Park.

Musical performances will also be held over the two days, featuring pipe organ performances by the Chungdong First Methodist Church and Seoul Anglican Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Nicholas. According to the Jung-gu Office, this performance, in particular, has been popular among foreign national visitors in the past.

Near Jeongdong Theater, visitors can enjoy musical performances accompanied by coffee or tea.

“We hope that Jung-gu’s Jeong-dong Culture Night will establish itself as a world-famous festival,” said Jung-gu ward chief Kim Kil-sung. “We look forward to welcoming many visitors to this year’s event in harmony with its cultural heritage and nighttime activities.”

This article is the fifth installment in a series of feature stories and interviews that delve deeper into the hidden stories of Seoul's 25 districts. -- Ed.