Cultural Heritage Administration to Host World Heritage Festival Next Month at Sosuseowon, Dosanseowon, Museongseowon, and Others
Highlighting the Value and Significance of Domestic World Heritage... 'Seowon, Becoming the Flower of the World'
A month-long World Heritage Festival will be held at the ‘Korean Seowon.’ This large-scale event, newly launched this year by the Cultural Heritage Administration, aims to widely promote the value and significance of domestic World Heritage sites registered with UNESCO.
‘Korean Seowon’ collectively refers to the nine Joseon-era seowon (Confucian academies) that were inscribed as World Heritage sites in July last year. These include Sosu Seowon in Yeongju, Gyeongbuk; Namgye Seowon in Hamyang, Gyeongnam; Oksan Seowon in Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk; Dosan Seowon in Andong, Gyeongbuk; Pilam Seowon in Jangseong, Jeonnam; Dodong Seowon in Daegu; Byeongsan Seowon in Andong, Gyeongbuk; Museong Seowon in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk; and Donam Seowon in Nonsan, Chungnam. From the 3rd to the 31st of next month, under the theme ‘Seowon, Becoming the Flower of the World,’ various performances and reenactments will take place, including Seowon stays, traditional martial arts performances, calligraphy contests, civil service examinations, classical Chinese poetry competitions, and ancestral rites.
The opening ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. on the 3rd at Dosan Seowon. A video titled ‘Toegye, the Teacher of Humanity,’ featuring the story of Toegye Yi Hwang, will be screened, followed by performances of Korean traditional chamber music and traditional percussion. A celebratory concert will also be held, beginning with a choir performance of Yi Hwang’s ‘Dosan 12 Songs,’ showcasing a brilliant fusion of Korean traditional and Western music.
At Sosu Seowon on the 4th, an ancestral rite titled ‘Gratitude Offered through the Ancestral Rite’ will be held. A Cultural Heritage Administration official stated, “This rite holds deep significance as the ancestral rite of Korea’s first royal-licensed seowon (sa-aek seowon), which serves as a shrine commemorating individuals who contributed to scholarship or politics.” It is the only seowon rite where the scriptures are read (gyeongdok) and Dodonggok (nine chapters of Dodonggok, a form of Gyeonggi-style poetry composed by Ju Sebung) is sung, harmonizing ritual and music perfectly.
At Namgye Seowon, a calligraphy and classical Chinese poetry contest will be held under the theme ‘Remembering Ildu Jeong Yeo-chang (1450?1504).’ Award-winning works will be exhibited within Namgye Seowon during the festival. At Museong Seowon, a recording of KBS’s ‘Gugak Hanmadang’ will take place under the theme ‘Gugak Riding the Pungnyu (Elegant Music and Arts).’ Gugak artists such as Wang Gi-seok, Park Ae-ri, Yoo Tae-pyungyang, Lee Seon-su, Baekje Pungnyuhoe, and Jeongeup Sujecheon Bojeonhoe will perform on stage.
At Pilam Seowon on the 19th of next month, a festival commemorating the first anniversary of its World Heritage inscription will be held under the theme ‘Embracing the Life of a Seonbi through Calligraphy.’ The event will include ancestral rites represented by the Gilgut ritual, an exhibition introducing Kim In-hu (1510?1560), and calligraphy experiences. At Dodong Seowon on the 11th of next month, a reenactment of the civil service examination will be held under the theme ‘Opening the Great Unity World with Wisdom.’ Various attractions such as traditional costume experiences, folk performances, and traditional martial arts demonstrations will also be available.
At Byeongsan Seowon, a loyalty and filial piety travel program titled ‘Seoae’s Love for the Nation’ will be conducted. Participants will stay at the seowon for two nights and three days to experience the patriotism demonstrated by Ryu Seong-ryong (1542?1607). Additionally, six Seowon stay sessions will be held separately. At Donam Seowon, from the 9th to the 11th of next month, an experiential event titled ‘Sincerity for Being Human’ will be held, focusing on the Maninso Movement (a petition movement where Joseon-era intellectuals voluntarily participated and jointly submitted petitions to the king). Participants will learn about the purpose and intent of the Maninso Movement, study the etiquette scholarship of Kim Sang-saeng (1548?1631), and experience woodblock printing, crafts, and traditional games.
Oksan Seowon will join the festival later. On September 22nd, a Korea-China academic conference will be held under the theme ‘Eastern Wisdom Illuminates the World.’ The event will explore historical sites and artifacts related to Zhu Xi and Hoejae Yi Eon-jeok, and highlight the Confucian scholars and Confucianism of the Gyeongju region through activities such as translating and publishing the ‘Simwonrok’ (the guestbook of Oksan Seowon).
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