Starting with the 'Seongdong Open Concert' with Residents in the 8th Civilian Administration

[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu Holds Special Inauguration Ceremony with a High-Class Outdoor Concert at Wangsimni Square on July 1 to Mark the Launch of the 8th Term... Nowon-gu Operates ‘Village Travel Program’ Blending History, Culture, Art, and Ecology... Gwanak-gu Hosts 2022 Saengsaeng Cultural Heritage ‘Nakseongdae Byeolbyeol Theater’... Yeongdeungpo-gu Promotes ‘Art-net’ Project Supporting Young Artists Exchange

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will hold the 'Seongdong Open Concert' at Wangsimni Square on July 1st to energetically kick off the 8th term of the elected administration with a cultural and artistic performance.

Instead of the usual inauguration ceremony, the district has prepared a cultural performance for residents to soothe the weary hearts from COVID-19 and celebrate Seongdong-gu's new start with beautiful music and enjoyable performances.

The 'Seongdong Open Concert,' which invites all residents of Seongdong-gu, will be organized as a festival of 'inclusion,' 'harmony,' and 'unity,' encouraging participation and enjoyment by all residents.

Starting with the opening performance 'I Live in Seongdong' by the local Twinkle Cheerleading Club, the district choir (women, seniors, boys and girls) and the district Dream Orchestra will form a total of 164 performers to collaborate on pieces such as 'Beautiful Country,' 'Song of Friendship,' and Beethoven's 'Choral'.

Popular artists such as singer Bada (SES), Lee Do-jin (Mr. Trot), and Elpera (popera group) will also perform, creating a stage for community harmony that everyone can enjoy together.

Before the main performance, from 5:30 PM on the day, there will be a 'Photo Time' with Seongdong residents. A specially prepared 'Photo Zone' will allow attendees to take pictures with the mayor to commemorate the event, support Seongdong's new start and vigorous beginning, and create vivid memories of the day.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "The administration that aimed to solve inconveniences in daily life became the key to starting the 8th term of the elected government," and expressed deep gratitude to the residents who showed profound trust. He added, "Starting from this day with you all, we will vigorously move forward with the residents to make Seongdong leap forward again."

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating the 'Guided Village Tour' program where residents can enjoy and experience the area's nature, history, and culture.

This village tour program was prepared to discover and experience the hidden charms of every corner of the region, showcase cultural tourism content at the village level, and enhance local pride.

The guided village tours are operated through three programs: ▲Choansan Baby Wish Trail ▲Gongneung-dong Dream Village Tour ▲Nowon Eco Village Walking Trail. Each is designed to vividly convey the stories of representative tourist attractions, natural landscapes, cultural heritage, and the people living there.

Each program is conducted in teams of 5 to 10 people and is open to participants from elementary school students to adults.

First is the 'Choansan Baby Wish Trail' program. Set against the beautiful nature of Choansan, it offers learning and experiences about history, culture, and ecology. Choansan is notable for its unique atmosphere centered around the Joseon Dynasty eunuch tomb cluster, and the program focuses on local traditional culture and stories passed down in the area.

The village tour route starts at Biseokgol Neighborhood Park, where the Angolchiseong Festival and Choansan Cultural Festival are held. Participants can enjoy both historical and ecological exploration while hearing stories about Choansan and the Joseon Dynasty eunuchs and court ladies. There are two courses: the Baby Wish Trail and the Yeonriji Trail, taking approximately 2 hours and 1 hour 30 minutes respectively. The Choansan program runs on the first and third Fridays of the month on weekdays and weekends from 10 AM to 12 PM.

The 'Gongneung-dong Dream Village Tour' is also popular. It offers a rich experience from the UNESCO World Heritage site Taegangneung to the Gongneung-dong Dream Village Community, a representative case of village community revitalization, and the recently popular emotional healing spots such as the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail and Gongridan-gil course. Participants can experience three unique courses: 'Dream Village Community,' 'Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail,' and 'Historical Culture.' This program operates from Tuesday to Friday every week.

Lastly, the 'Nowon Eco Village Walking Trail' is perfect for residents who want to enjoy the natural scenery of Suraksan and Bulamsan mountains, Jungnangcheon and Danghyeoncheon streams, which are Nowon's pride. At the same time, it is a program where participants can enjoy Nowon's hidden gems such as Taegangneung, Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail, Hwarangdae History Museum, Mokyewon, and Nowon Eco Center on foot with a professional guide. The Eco Village Walking Trail operates every Monday, Tuesday, and weekends.

Notably, these village tours can adjust detailed courses according to the needs of participants, allowing for customized village experiences.

All participation fees are free, and detailed information can be found on the district office website. Residents wishing to participate can register by phone with the district office's Culture and Sports Division.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, "As the peak vacation season approaches, we are operating various programs that residents can enjoy in their neighborhood since traveling far is difficult," and added, "I hope this will be an opportunity to directly experience the history, culture, and arts of our village, which many did not know well before."

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) successfully concluded the 2022 Saengsaeng Cultural Heritage project 'Nakseongdae Star Theater' at Nakseongdae Park on the 21st.

The Saengsaeng Cultural Heritage project is a program that cultivates residents' historical awareness and finds the value and meaning of cultural heritage through performances, education, and field trips utilizing local historical and cultural resources.

The district planned various contents using Goryeo Dynasty general Gang Gam-chan and the story of Nakseongdae, where a star fell when Gang Gam-chan was born, including ▲Nakseongdae Star Yard ▲What to do if you play? Let's go to Nakseongdae! ▲Nakseongdae Activist Training.

The event titled 'What to do if you play? Let's go to Nakseongdae!' was attended by 144 first-year students from Inheon Middle School as part of their free semester program.

The class began with a Taekkyeon martial arts performance from the Goryeo period, followed by a Nakseongdae exploration with a professional guide (photo), flower offering at Anguksa Temple, making promotional materials using scratch art, and history education using worksheets. These hands-on educational and cultural heritage contents received great enthusiasm from participating students.

The district plans to hold a second session of the Saengsaeng Cultural Heritage 'Nakseongdae Star Yard' event around September for family participants to continuously provide cultural enjoyment opportunities to various groups and foster interest in history.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, "I hope that participatory classes and various experiential activities such as learning Taekkyeon and historical exploration have become an opportunity for youth to take interest in local cultural heritage," and added, "We will continue to implement various projects so that residents can correctly understand history and cultivate a preservation consciousness for local cultural heritage."

For more information about Gwanak-gu Saengsaeng Cultural Heritage, contact the Gwanak-gu Culture, Tourism and Sports Division or the Cultural Companion.

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) is promoting the 'Young Artists Network Project Art-net' to discover and support young artists and expand the local cultural and artistic base.

Art-net is a project that encourages regular exchanges and activities among young artists to provide residents with opportunities to enjoy cultural and artistic events through event hosting and club operations.

The project runs until December and involves 23 young artists under the age of 39 from various genres including cultural planning, fine arts, photography and film, dance, and music.

They held a launch ceremony at 3:30 PM on the 24th at the complex cultural space 'Sulsul Center' in Mullae-dong and began full-scale activities. The ceremony included an introduction to Art-net activities, awarding of appointment certificates (photo), time for participants to build rapport, and various performances.

The young artists attending the event will maintain their network through regular meetings at least once a month and engage in activities such as ▲planning and operating cultural and artistic events ▲creating a cultural and artistic ecosystem and discovering policies ▲conducting surveys on young artists ▲operating a shared platform for costumes, props, and sound equipment to build cultural and artistic infrastructure.

Especially during the project period, they will hold more than two local cultural and artistic events and form 'lifestyle art clubs' that young people can participate in.

The clubs will select and operate cultural and artistic fields that can be enjoyed as leisure activities. By choosing accessible fields, they aim to encourage youth participation and share the content with residents through presentations to broaden the cultural and artistic base.

A district official said, "We hope Art-net activities will strengthen the self-sustainability of young artists and provide residents with opportunities to enjoy culture and arts," and added, "We will do our best to create a cultural and artistic ecosystem befitting the status of a cultural city."