'2022 Spring Royal Culture Festival' Opens on the 10th

Chundangji Media Facade 'From Honghwa to Chundang'

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The Cultural Heritage Administration’s Palace and Royal Tombs Headquarters and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation will hold the ‘2022 Spring Royal Palace Cultural Festival Opening Ceremony’ at 8 p.m. on the 10th at Heungnyemun Plaza in Gyeongbokgung Palace. Under the theme of ‘Narye (儺禮) and Yeonhui,’ the royal exorcism rituals (?邪儀式) performed in the palace have been reinterpreted in a modern way. Narye and exorcism rituals refer to ceremonies to ward off evil spirits.

The Royal Palace Cultural Festival is the largest cultural heritage festival in Korea, held across the Five Grand Palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, Gyeonghuigung), Jongmyo Shrine, and Sajikdan Altar. It has attracted 3.8 million visitors over the past seven years. For the past two years, the festival’s opening ceremony was held online due to COVID-19, but this year it will be held on-site at Heungnyemun Plaza in Gyeongbokgung Palace so that citizens can enjoy it in person. The opening ceremony, composed of Chapter 1 ‘New Spring Narye’ and Chapter 2 ‘New Day, New Hope,’ will feature a creative ritual stage, traditional Korean music performances and binari (ritual chants), musical theater, traditional performances, and multimedia shows. Additionally, to commemorate the opening, Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Jongmyo will be open free of charge on the 10th.

The event can also be enjoyed online. On the newly organized integrated YouTube channel ‘Gungneung TV’ for palace and royal tomb utilization projects by the Cultural Heritage Administration’s Palace and Royal Tombs Headquarters and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, the episode ‘The Palace Loved by Artists’ (hereafter ‘Asagung’) featuring Richard Yongjae O’Neill will be released. Grammy-winning viola player Richard Yongjae O’Neill shares his life as a performer and stories related to the palace at Jibokjae in Gyeongbokgung Palace. In this ‘Asagung’ episode, Richard Yongjae O’Neill performs ‘Seomjipagi,’ a lullaby familiar to Koreans and included in his 2006 album ‘Lachrymae,’ as well as Schubert’s lied ‘Du bist die Ruh.’ The opening ceremony on the 10th at 8 p.m. will also be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel ‘Gungneung TV.’

During the festival, Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, and Deoksugung will be open every day without closure, and Gyeongbokgung will be free to visit throughout the festival period. Additionally, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung will offer night viewing until 9 p.m. daily during the 13 days of the festival. Notably, from the 14th to the 22nd, the ‘Chundangji Media Facade: From Honghwa to Chundang’ will be presented three times a day at 15-minute intervals starting at 8 p.m. at the Chundangji Plaza in Changgyeonggung. Utilizing the forest as a screen, this visually stunning show will add historical significance by telling stories themed on the peaceful reign of the Joseon Dynasty and the king’s love for his people. A special program linked to the opening of the Gyeongbokgung rear garden (Cheongwadae) can be participated in through advance applications for Cheongwadae viewing via mobile applications (Naver, KakaoTalk, Toss).