[Seoul District News] Dobong-gu, Events from 13th to 22nd between Ui Bridge and Ssanghan Bridge, Lighting Ceremony at 7:30 PM on 13th, Concerts at 7:30 PM on 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, Busking Performances from 15th to 19th with Music Fountain Shows, My Own Lantern Making Experience at Suyu Bridge Section... Yongsan Craft Center Family Month Craft Experience... Seongbuk-gu and Seongbuk Cultural Center to Hold 118th Anniversary Cultural Festival for Yi Yuk-sa at 4 PM on 18th at Jongam-dong Cultural Space Where Yi Yuk-sa Created Representative Works like "Cheongpodo" and "Jeoljeong"
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin) will hold the '2022 Uicheon Lantern Festival' from May 13 to May 22 along Uicheon (section from Uigyo to Ssanghangyo).
This festival carries the theme 'Again, Spring,' symbolizing 'overcoming hardships and welcoming a warm spring' and 'meeting each other again.' To let people enjoy the festival in the returning daily life, various programs such as the lantern festival lighting ceremony, spring night concerts, busking, and wish lantern making will be held.
First, the lighting ceremony will take place on the first day of the lantern festival, May 13, at 7:30 PM at the Uicheon waterside stage (next to the music fountain). During the ceremony, 121 lanterns of 12 different types decorating the Uicheon waterside will be lit simultaneously.
At the lantern festival, visitors can see various lanterns including fairy tale lanterns, character lanterns, and sky lanterns, along with LED sculptures and diverse themed photo zones. Near Suyu Bridge, visitors can also experience making and hanging their own lanterns during the festival.
The spring night concerts following the lighting ceremony will be held four times in total on May 13, 14, 20, and 21 from 7:30 PM for about an hour each. Performers include singers Park Sang-min, Koo Chang-mo, Yang Hye-seung, Choi Hye-rim (with rock band Upstar), Dobong-gu Symphony Orchestra, Dobong-gu Women's Choir, and local artists from Dobong-gu.
From May 15 to 19, when the spring night concerts are not held, the Dobong-gu street arts troupe will fill the stage with busking performances at the same time.
Especially after the concerts and busking, the 'Dobong-gu Music Fountain' will present a spectacular fountain show.
The music fountain operates twice daily at noon (12 PM) and 8 PM, synchronizing water jets with 10 different songs including BTS's 'Butter' and 'Merry-Go-Round of Life' (Howl's Moving Castle OST). In the evening, a laser show accompanies the fountain, making it very popular among residents.
During the festival, the district will establish a safety management headquarters to prevent COVID-19 and various accidents, deploying safety personnel at key event points. Electrical safety staff and emergency medical personnel will also be assigned.
Lee Dong-jin, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, "Although social distancing has been lifted and we are cautious, it feels like we have truly welcomed spring. In this family month, I hope everyone enjoys making lanterns with family, writing wishes, and appreciating music performances to fully enjoy spring. You can also watch the fountain shows every night at the popular music fountain in our district, so we look forward to many visitors."
Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) is presenting family programs at Yongsan Craft Center until the 30th in celebration of Family Month and Craft Week.
The programs offered include ▲Weekend one-day experiences with resident artists at the craft center ▲Docent and experience sessions by horn craftsman Lee Jong-min ▲Moon jar making demonstration ▲Four categories of new product exhibitions.
The weekend one-day experiences, led by resident artist instructors, include making silver inlay accessories, lacquered cutting boards, hanji flower lanterns, hanji soban trays, and folk painting. The participation fee ranges from 20,000 to 50,000 KRW, and the duration varies from 60 to 90 minutes depending on the program.
Currently on display is the special invited exhibition of National Intangible Cultural Heritage horn craftsman Lee Jae-man titled 'Horn Craft: Festival of Five Colors,' where certified craftsman Lee Jong-min conducts docent and experience programs until May 15.
A special family event, the moon jar making demonstration, will be held on May 21 at 4 PM in the front yard of the first floor of Yongsan Craft Center. Visitors can observe the traditional method of making half of a jar through clay kneading, coil building, and wheel shaping, then joining it with a pre-made half. The event will be broadcast live on SNS (Instagram).
A wish-writing booth will also be operated where participants can write supportive messages to loved ones or themselves on the bisque-fired jars, adding special meaning to Family Month.
The new product exhibition will be held every weekend in May from 11 AM to 5 PM at the first-floor sales area and front yard of the craft center. Newly introduced products include hanji fans inspired by forest breezes, carnation gelato mother-of-pearl mobiles, carnation mother-of-pearl smart phone grips, blue-and-white incense holders, and round mother-of-pearl coasters.
Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, "Yongsan Craft Center, a traditional craft urban platform, is a space that showcases the outstanding skills of Korean artisans and the beauty of crafts to both domestic and foreign visitors. Located near Hangangjin Station and on the main road of Hannam-dong, it is easily accessible, so I recommend Yongsan Craft Center as a family outing spot this weekend."
Yongsan Craft Center (274 Itaewon-ro) is located near Exit 3 of Hangangjin Station on Subway Line 6. For detailed information and experience applications, please visit the Yongsan Craft Center website.
Seongbuk-gu and Seongbuk Cultural Center will hold the 118th anniversary cultural festival of poet Yi Yuk-sa titled ‘Waiting for the Swallow Flock to Fly Black’ on May 18 at 4 PM.
The venues, ‘Cultural Space Yi Yuk-sa’ and ‘Yi Yuk-sa Art Park’ in Jongam-dong, provide a meaningful space to commemorate Yi Yuk-sa and enjoy with residents, allowing deeper experience of his life and works.
‘Waiting for the Swallow Flock to Fly Black’ is a line from Yi Yuk-sa’s poem ‘Flower.’ It expresses hope and determination for a new world that must never be given up despite difficult circumstances. It is a poem that resonates with us today as we overcome the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic and move toward a new world.
Yi Yuk-sa (李陸史, real name Won Rok, 1904.5.18 ~ 1944.1.16) was a representative nationalist poet during the Japanese colonial period and an independence activist who actively fought against Japanese rule by traveling between China and Korea. Born in Andong, Gyeongbuk in 1904, he lived in Jongam-dong, Seongbuk-gu from 1939 for three years, publishing representative works such as ‘Green Grapes’ and ‘Climax.’ To commemorate him, Seongbuk-gu and Seongbuk Cultural Center have held an annual cultural festival since 2015. In December 2019, ‘Cultural Space Yi Yuk-sa’ was established at 36-1 Jongam-ro 21ga-gil, Seongbuk-gu.
At this festival, a handprinting event by Yi Yuk-sa’s daughter, Mrs. Lee Ok-bi, will be held to honor Yi Yuk-sa’s patriotic spirit and respect for descendants. The handprint will be made as a plaster relief and displayed at Cultural Space Yi Yuk-sa.
Various performances are also prepared. The creative Korean traditional music ensemble Ensemble 5471 will sing songs such as ‘Flower,’ ‘Self-Portrait,’ and ‘Beautiful Country’ based on Yi Yuk-sa’s poems. Three children from Seongbuk who won the 2021 Yi Yuk-sa poetry recitation contest will perform poetry readings. Lastly, the band Vintage Franky, which sings history and poetry, will perform songs set to Yi Yuk-sa’s poems, including ‘Boy’ and ‘Green Grapes.’
Seongbuk-gu expects that by sharing Yi Yuk-sa’s poems and songs at the outdoor ‘Yi Yuk-sa Art Park’ created by Jongam-dong residents, the festival will heal citizens’ hearts that have been strained by the pandemic.
For more details about the 118th anniversary cultural festival ‘Waiting for the Swallow Flock to Fly Black,’ please contact Seongbuk Cultural Center.
Yangcheon-gu Health Healing Culture Center is recruiting participants until the 13th for the May one-day Haebit Healing Program, offering a healing-filled day for families in celebration of Family Month.
The theme of the May program is ‘Maybe? May Be!’ aiming to fill Yangcheon-gu’s spring with infinite possibilities, culture, and art. The event includes ▲Drama play ▲Flower gardening ▲Feldenkrais ▲Sensory forest healing, all enjoyable for every family member.
On May 21, three programs will be held simultaneously from 10:30 AM to 12 PM so families can enjoy together. These include ‘Feldenkrais with Couples’ to relieve parents’ mental and physical fatigue, and an outdoor children’s drama play ‘Mischievous Wind’ to experience the spring breeze.
Especially, ‘Youth Flower Gardening’ aimed at sensitive adolescents to promote mental stability through flower arranging is expected to receive great response.
On May 28, a forest healing program for families will be held on the newly opened Sinjeong Mountain trail since February. Families can create happy memories while walking the lush trail with all five senses open.
Applications for the May Haebit Healing Program are accepted until the 13th via the Health Healing Culture Center website or by visiting the office. The fee ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 KRW per person (materials fee separate). For detailed information, please contact Yangcheon-gu Health Healing Culture Center.
A Culture and Sports Department official said, “We plan to continue various programs for families in the future, and hope this one-day Haebit program brings happiness to all family members including couples, children, and adolescents in May.”
Geumcheon-gu announced that it held the ‘Geumcheon Baby Ontact樂 Festival’ for one week from May 2 to 8, targeting 1,700 families with infants and toddlers in celebration of Children’s Day.
Hosted by Geumcheon-gu Childcare Support Center, the event was conducted online to allow families to experience Children’s Day safely at home amid COVID-19 prevention measures.
The festival included ▲Parenting education ▲Blacklight puppet show ‘The Ugly Duckling’ ▲Family musical ‘You Are Special’ ▲Infectious disease prevention board games ▲Celebration cake making activities, as well as participation photo contests and acrostic poem events, attracting great interest and participation from families with young children in Geumcheon.
A parent who participated said, “Although social distancing has been lifted recently, we are still cautious about outdoor activities due to COVID-19. It was nice to safely and comfortably participate and enjoy with my child on Children’s Day.”
Following the opening of Saegil Science Playground (located in Siheung 3-dong) in March, Geumcheon-gu Childcare Support Center resumed operation of Ise-sang Playground (Siheung and Doksan branches) in April, providing spaces for local infants and toddlers to play joyfully and healthily. The center also plans to continue various childcare support programs such as communal childcare rooms, parent-child programs and education, childcare counseling, and mobile toy libraries.
Information and applications for various programs at Geumcheon-gu Childcare Support Center can be found on the center’s website. For details, please contact Geumcheon-gu Childcare Support Center.
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