Non-Face-to-Face '2021 Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival' Held from 14th to 17th

The Battle of Singuiju: Gang Gam-chan, Homage ("Facing Today") Concept... Encountering Historical Heroes Through a Festival... Prioritizing COVID-19 Prevention, Expanding Individual Participation via Online Festival

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Today, as the world fights an unprecedented pandemic war against COVID-19, what if General Gang Gam-chan, the hero of the Battle of Gwiju 1,000 years ago, led this war?

Korea’s representative historical and cultural festival, the ‘2021 Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival,’ will be held online from October 14 to 17.

Hosted by Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) and organized by the Gwanak Cultural Foundation (CEO Cha Min-tae), the ‘Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival’ will be conducted non-face-to-face with top priority on quarantine measures considering the spread of COVID-19.

Based on the concept of ‘New Battle of Gwiju Gang Gam-chan, Homage (Facing Today),’ the festival conveys a message of gratitude and respect to residents overcoming changes in daily life due to COVID-19.

On the first day of the festival, October 14 at 7 p.m., the opening ceremony will be held at Anguksa Temple and Byeolbitnaerincheon Stream, featuring ▲a tribute poem recital dedicated to General Gang Gam-chan ▲an online choir performance involving residents from 21 neighborhoods of Gwanak-gu ▲lighting performance ▲theme song ‘Gang Gam-chan Homage’ ▲LED multimedia performance, all broadcast live on the Gwanak Cultural Foundation TV YouTube channel.

Additionally, various citizen participation online programs are prepared on the YouTube channel. These include ▲the national participation online quiz program ‘Gang Gam-chan Golden Bell Goryeo’ (October 16) ▲astronomical observation ‘Nakseongdae Night Gathering’ (October 15?16) in collaboration with the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Seoul National University ▲lecture program ‘Masterclass Goryeo’ (October 15) with Professor Lee Ik-joo from the University of Seoul, all available in real time.

Various non-face-to-face exhibitions and performance programs will also be held to blossom local arts together with local art groups and artists.

The ‘Gwanakinhyeon Arts Festival’ will present diverse exhibition programs with the Gwanak Photography Association, Gwanak Literary Association, Gwanak Art Association, and Gwanak Young Artists. From October 14 to November 15, the Gwanak Old Photo Exhibition and Members’ Exhibition, as well as the Gwanak Art Association Members’ Invitational Exhibition, will be held at the online gallery 360. From October 14 to 17, a poetry and painting exhibition and the Gwanak Young Artists Exhibition will take place.

The performance program ‘Starlight Busking G Rally,’ featuring young artists from Gwanak, will be held in spaces symbolizing Gwanak and bearing traces of General Gang Gam-chan. The performances will be recorded and broadcast on YouTube. The ‘G’ stands for the first letter of Gwanak and Gang Gam-chan.

This year’s Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival introduces a ‘citizen-led festival’ where citizen cultural planners participate in all processes from planning to operation.

Since June, the foundation has operated the Gwanak Citizen Cultural Planning School ‘Space Gate City School’ for three months, producing 98 citizen cultural planners. Among them, 19 were selected as planners for this festival and are active as ‘Project 9472 Starlight Heroes,’ running the Goryeo Village Theme Festival, Gang Gam-chan Camping, Gang Gam-chan GO, and the New Goeunari Botjim Project over four days.

Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, said, “The Gang Gam-chan Festival, created with resident participation from planning to execution, not only instills pride in residents but also raises the festival’s completeness and significance as a festival of public-private cooperation and harmony. We will establish it as a representative festival of Korea beyond Seoul.”

Cha Min-tae, CEO of the Gwanak Cultural Foundation, said, “We hope this Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival will be an opportunity to energize residents tired of COVID-19, and we will strive to successfully complete the festival so that Gwanak-gu can become a cultural city.”

For more details about the 2021 Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival, please visit the Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival website or contact the Gwanak-gu Festival Support Team.