Guro-gu Hosts the 8th France Culture Festival

[Seoul District News] Guro-gu to Host French Cultural Festival at Oryu Station Cultural Park on the 22nd After 3 Years & Experience French Culture in the City... Nowon-gu to Hold '2022 Gyeongchun Line Forest Autumn Concert'... Seongbuk-gu to Host Walking Event on the 24th at Hongneung Arboretum to Promote Residents' Health by Revitalizing Physical Activity Weakened by COVID-19 & Opportunity to Walk the Ecologically and Historically Significant Hongneung Arboretum Experimental Forest Trail

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] A festival where you can directly experience French culture will be held in Guro.

Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) announced that the "8th French Culture Festival" will be held on the 22nd at Oryu Station Cultural Park. This is the first time the festival has been held in three years since September 2019.

Now in its 8th year, the French Culture Festival has attracted much attention for allowing people to easily experience French culture right in the heart of the city.

As a pre-event, from 3 PM to 7 PM, there will be busking performances by indie bands and street karaoke performances.

From 7 PM, when the main festival officially begins, French-born broadcaster Ida Doshi will serve as the MC. Various performances are prepared, including the nostalgic Dongchun Circus show, Guro-gu Boys and Girls Choir, idol group We Are The One, French sister city band Solalrubinne, chanson group Sina, and the Cancan dance performance by Harmonia.

During the festival, a French outdoor bistro will be set up around the venue, offering special French foods such as baguettes, macarons, and desserts. Various side events such as face painting and cotton candy experiences will also be available for family visitors.

A Guro-gu official said, "We hope that this festival, held for the first time in three years, will help deepen understanding of French culture and develop cultural relations between the two countries," adding, "We will carefully prepare so that it can be a festival that everyone, regardless of age or gender, can enjoy together."

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) will hold the "Gyeongchun Line Forest Autumn Concert."

Now in its 4th year, the "Gyeongchun Line Forest Autumn Concert" will be held on the 24th at 7 PM at Nowon Bulbit Garden. Compared to last year, when the audience was limited to 990 due to COVID-19, this year the seating has been expanded to 1,700 seats, offering the charm of an autumn night.

The colorful lights of Nowon Bulbit Garden and the trains from around the world displayed on the old Gyeongchun Line tracks blend with nature, providing a visual feast in themselves.

The performance is designed to offer the audience a comfortable rest by combining popular pop songs with traditional classical music, which can sometimes feel burdensome.

The concert will open with the Western Symphony Orchestra (conductor Bang Sung-ho), one of the top orchestras in Korea, performing the lively Khachaturian Waltz.

Following this, charismatic So Chan-hwi will take the stage, delivering explosive vocal performances with songs such as "Come on," "That’s My World," "Decalcomanie," "Tears," and "Wise Choice."

Kim Pil, who debuted brilliantly as the runner-up on Superstar K6 with his unique tone and deep emotion, will also perform. He will sing "Some Days," "Stay with Me," "Too Painful Love Was Not Love," "Beautiful," and "Like the First Time We Met."

Additionally, Gummy, the queen of R&B known for her distinctive charming voice and warm emotion, will captivate the audience with songs like "Amnesia," "Love Recipe," "Adult Child," "You Are My Everything," and "I I Yo."

The Western Symphony Orchestra will intermittently perform the OST of "Legend of Autumn," Beethoven Pops, and will conclude the concert with the OST of "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Anyone wishing to attend can enter the outdoor stage on the day of the performance on a first-come, first-served basis without a separate application. The event will be conducted in accordance with government COVID-19 prevention guidelines to ensure safe viewing.

The Gyeongchun Line Healing Town, where the autumn concert is held, is a healing space for various generations and groups, reborn as a historical, cultural, and educational space themed around railroads and trains, transforming the once neglected old Hwarangdae Station area. Especially, Nowon Bulbit Garden is famous as a must-visit spot in downtown Seoul, with 17 illuminated sculptures including the Milky Way lights and light tunnel from the park entrance, offering visitors a romantic night.

This fall, the "Nowon Train Village (Swiss Pavilion)," a miniature exhibition hall replicating Switzerland’s stunning natural scenery and train village, will open. It will provide a unique experience with dynamic and realistic miniature trains and dioramas.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, "The Gyeongchun Line Forest Autumn Concert is a place of healing for residents," adding, "We hope everyone will leave behind their difficult daily lives and come to a nearby park on an autumn night to enjoy the culture flowing along the Gyeongchun Line railroad with their families."

'August Seongbuk-gu Residents Walking Contest'

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) will hold the "September Seongbuk Residents Walking Contest" on the 24th at Hongneung Arboretum.

The Hongneung Forest, where this walking contest will be held, is Korea’s first-generation arboretum established in 1922 as a forestry testing ground in the Hongneung area, where Queen Myeongseong, the consort of King Gojong, was buried. It is ecologically significant and historically rich, home to many protected tree species such as the Munbae tree, and various forestry tests are conducted there.

Hosted by the Seongbuk Walking Association and organized by the Seongbuk-gu Integrated Defense Council, the walking contest starts at 9 AM from the Seoul National Forest Management Office and follows a course of about 3 km along the Hongneung Forest’s forest science research testing forest path, taking about one hour to enjoy the beautiful forest path and autumn breeze.

In addition to the walking contest, various health booths such as smoking cessation clinics and dementia prevention counseling, as well as a raffle with prizes including bicycles and home appliances, will be held.

Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, "This walking contest will be a special opportunity to walk the lush primeval forest trails of Hongneung Arboretum with family and friends," and asked for the interest and participation of many residents.

The "September Seongbuk Residents Walking Contest" is open to anyone interested in walking and health without prior registration. Participants should arrive by 8:50 AM on the day of the event at the Seoul National Forest Management Office (a 5-minute walk from Exit 4 of Sangwolgok Station on Line 6).