Colorful Lunar New Year Holiday Events at National Museums and Art Galleries Nationwide

On March 5th, in celebration of Samjinnal, an official at the "Spring, Embracing Flowers" folk experience event held at the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul is distributing azalea hwajeon and omija tea to children. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

National museums and art galleries across the country will hold various cultural events during the Lunar New Year holiday (January 24-27). According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 21st, the National Museum of Korea will host ‘Seol Nori Pan: Each One’s Rhythm: Yuheeska,’ a performance blending traditional rhythms and foreign music. Yuheeska is a performance team created by the ska band ‘Kingston Rudieska’ and ‘Yeonhui Company Yuhee.’ Regional national museums in Gyeongju, Gwangju, Jeonju, Daegu, Buyeo, Gongju, Jinju, Cheongju, Gimhae, Jeju, Chuncheon, Naju, and Iksan will hold various cultural events such as making Lunar New Year foods, experiencing folk games, special performances, and family movie screenings. The museums in Gwangju, Jeonju, and Gongju will also give souvenirs to visitors wearing hanbok. The Jinju Museum will distribute rat-shaped piggy banks to commemorate the Year of the White Rat.

The National Folk Museum of Korea at Gyeongbokgung Palace will hold the ‘Year of the Rat Lunar New Year Festival,’ an event for the whole family to enjoy. It will introduce traditional Lunar New Year customs such as the ancestral rite table and New Year’s bows, and provide opportunities to experience folk games like jegichagi and tuho, as well as traditional kites and accessories. The National Hangeul Museum in Yongsan, Seoul, will present a musical performance titled ‘Eum·So·Eum (音·小·音, Sound little Sound).’ Jiha Park, a piri and saenghwang player and composer, and French sound artist Haimi Clemencevitz will showcase creative music using traditional Korean instruments and various other instruments.

Citizens visiting the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, are viewing 'MMCA Hyundai Series 2018: Choi Jeonghwa ? Flowers, Forests.' Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyyun81@

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) will open its four branches in Gwacheon, Seoul, Deoksugung, and Cheongju free of charge. However, the Seoul branch will be closed on the 25th, and the Cheongju branch will be closed on the 25th and 27th. The Gwacheon and Deoksugung branches will be open all four days without closure. Visitors born in the Year of the Rat who visit the museum during the holiday can participate in the ‘Year of the Rat Gather’ event, which offers invitation tickets to the MMCA. By presenting an ID at the information desk, the first 100 visitors per branch each day will receive two integrated invitation tickets valid at all four branches until the end of the year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.