Reuniting at Dongbang Cheongryongjehyang... The 32nd Cheongryong Cultural Festival

[Seoul District News] Dongdaemun-gu to Hold Dongbang Cheongryong Festival at Yongdu Neighborhood Park on 29th at 10 AM & Community Harmony and Good Harvest Prayers & Various Events Including Dongbang Cheongryong Jesa Ceremony, Yeongo Arts Troupe Performance, and Experience Programs... Geumcheon-gu to Host Youth Halloween Festival 'Ossakhan Bam' at Geumcheon Youth Center on 22nd at 4 PM & Youth Club Experience Booths and Halloween Makeup Contest... Gangseo-gu to Hold '2022 Autumn Night Festival Gangseo Residents Trot Ga' from 5 PM on 22nd

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] On the 29th at 10 a.m., the ‘32nd Cheongryong Cultural Festival - Reuniting with the Eastern Blue Dragon Ritual’ will be held in Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung), a city where 600 years of history and culture breathe.

The Cheongryong Cultural Festival, which had not been held for two years due to COVID-19, will take place at Yongdu Neighborhood Park in Dongdaemun-gu. The 32nd Cheongryong Cultural Festival is jointly hosted by Dongdaemun Cultural Center (Director Yoon Jong-il) and the Cheongryong Cultural Festival Preservation Committee (Chairman Kim Young-seop), with support from Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul City, and the Cultural Heritage Administration.

The ‘Cheongryong Cultural Festival’ traces its origins to the ‘Eastern Blue Dragon Ritual,’ a rain prayer ceremony dating back to King Taejong, the third king of the Joseon Dynasty, which was also a ritual for national peace and prosperity and seasonal blessings, personally conducted by the king. Although the tradition was interrupted during the Japanese colonial period, it was revived and developed from 1991 by the ‘Yongduje Preservation Committee’ and local residents who had been holding the ritual under the name ‘Yongduje.’

Starting with a parade and pre-ceremony performances, the festival will proceed with the official commemorative event, followed by the Eastern Blue Dragon Ritual, where the king and his officials enter led by a military band, perform the entrance ceremony, and conduct the ritual offering.

After the ritual, a rice offering ceremony will be held to present the king with this year’s harvested rice, followed by performances by local cultural and artistic groups.

There will also be a variety of side events including ▲calligraphy family motto writing ▲family photo experiences ▲paper crafts and knitting experiences ▲photo sessions with Joseon-era figures ▲rice cake making experiences ▲pinwheel and children’s height ring making ▲calligraphy flag exhibition ▲face painting, and many other activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, stated, “The Cheongryong Cultural Festival is a unique event that honors the tradition of rain prayers with our own cultural identity. It is very meaningful that Dongdaemun-gu has preserved this for 32 years. We will continue to do our best to make Dongdaemun-gu a happy city where tradition and modernity coexist and history and culture come alive.”

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) will hold the Geumcheon Youth Harmony Square Halloween Festival ‘Spooky Bomb’ at 4 p.m. on the 22nd at the Geumcheon Youth Center.

Hosted by Geumcheon-gu and organized by the Geumcheon Youth Center, the ‘Geumcheon Youth Harmony Square’ is a representative youth festival where local youths can freely express their talents and creativity, with the youth planning team preparing and managing the entire process.

This year’s festival will feature youth club experience booths, a Halloween makeup contest, and various events such as the ‘Squid Game’ parody called the ‘Squid Game’ (Kkolttugi Game). In the ‘Kkolttugi Game,’ participants can enjoy team tug-of-war, color board flipping, and the game ‘Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed.’

Experience booths will include ▲school violence prevention campaigns ▲board game experiences ▲Halloween icing cookie making ▲Halloween candle & soap making.

Additionally, the Halloween zone will offer ▲Halloween rest caf? ▲Halloween photo zone ▲youth-only space ‘Wit’ ▲various live events ▲escape room games, and more. The basement floor 1 of the youth center will be decorated as a ‘Haunted House,’ providing a hands-on Halloween experience for youths.

The festival is open to all youths and local residents, and all experiences are free. Youths who wish to enjoy the festival while participating in monitoring volunteer activities can apply by searching ‘Spooky Bomb’ on the 1365 Volunteer Portal by October 20. The next festival will be held on November 19 at Geumcheon-gu Office Plaza, featuring a closing ceremony and year-end party.

Yoo Sung-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “The Youth Harmony Square, prepared entirely by youths themselves, not only satisfies the cultural needs of youths tired from studies but also contributes to the development of local culture.” For more information, contact the Geumcheon-gu Office Child and Youth Division or the Geumcheon Youth Center.

Twelve teams will fiercely compete for the title of Trot King in Gangseo-gu.

Seoul Gangseo-gu (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) announced that on the 22nd at 5 p.m., it will hold the ‘2022 Autumn Night Festival Gangseo Citizen Trot Song Festival & Movie Screening’ at the lawn square of Seoul Botanic Park.

This trot song festival, held for the first time in Gangseo-gu, is a festival with citizens aimed at creating a culturally and artistically vibrant Gangseo-gu, revitalizing the local economy, and supporting citizens’ daily recovery.

A total of 93 teams participated in the preliminary round held on the 15th, and 12 teams have been selected for the finals after fierce competition.

The grand final, hosted by KBS announcer Kim Ki-man and actress Noh Hyun-hee, will feature the 12 teams showcasing their hidden talents and skills in front of numerous citizens, competing fiercely once again.

The district will award five teams with Grand Prize, Excellence Award, Outstanding Award, Encouragement Award, and Popularity Award, and plans to prioritize inviting these teams as special performers at future district-hosted events.

Special guest singers such as the trending singer from Mr. Trot ‘Lee Chan-won’ and ‘Sejajeongeo,’ who appeared on Phantom Singer and Fantastic Duo, will captivate the audience with fantastic performances.

After the trot festival, a screening of the musical film ‘La La Land’ will be held, offering warm emotions to citizens who came with family, friends, and lovers.

The event at Seoul Botanic Park’s lawn square is open to everyone, and the trot festival will be broadcast live on Gangseo-gu Office’s official YouTube channel iGangseoTV.

Additionally, a photo certification event via SNS (Instagram, Facebook) will be held, where 200 participants will be randomly selected to receive a coffee mobile gift certificate worth 10,000 KRW.

For more details on how to participate in the event, please check the ‘Gangseo-gu Office website (homepage) - Notices & News.’

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “In these economically difficult times of high prices, high interest rates, and high exchange rates, we prepared this event to support citizens and revitalize the stagnant local economy. Like trot music that contains all the joys and sorrows of life, we will continue to hold diverse cultural events that move citizens and make Gangseo-gu a city full of culture and arts.”

The Seocho Culture and Arts Park near Yangjaecheon is expected to heat up with the talents and passion of youths. Through a festival planned by youths themselves, it will transform into a lively playground park tailored to youths’ perspectives.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will hold the youth festival ‘2022 Seoripul Nanjangpan’ on the 23rd from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Seocho Culture and Arts Park in Yangjae-dong.

This festival, the first large-scale youth festival in three years since the COVID-19 suspension, is hosted by Seocho-gu and organized by the Seocho Youth Center, Bangbae Youth Center, and Youth Counseling Welfare Center.

Seocho-gu named the festival’s subtitle ‘Daily Jjinten’ to signify regaining the true vitality of everyday life and freely expressing talents that children and youths had forgotten.

Especially, youths themselves led the planning of the festival name and operation direction, resulting in a variety of programs including Ten Experience Zones, Performance Zones, and Exhibitions tailored to youths’ perspectives.

First, the Ten Experience Zone, a space for experiences and play, will operate about 30 booths of interest to youths, including ▲VR world travel ▲craft making ▲dalgona candy picking ▲motion games ▲VR job experience ▲air bounce, and more.

At one corner of the booths, youths will sell goods such as mouse pads, stickers, and post-its made with characters they developed themselves, donating the proceeds to neighbors in need.

The Performance Zone, featuring youth participation, will host street dance battles, youth orchestras, and youth club ‘K-POP dance performances,’ showcasing youths’ passion and talents. Following this, special performances by invited singers such as Kyungseo, Outsider, Gree, and dance teams Oh My Wack and Fusion MC will be held.

Additionally, pre-events include a metaverse-based ‘Youth Song Festival’ (September 20 to October 20), ‘Goods Making Experience’ (October 17 to October 22), and a Children’s Rights Photo & Slogan Contest and Exhibition (October 19 to October 21), adding rich and diverse activities and attractions. The Children’s Rights Photo & Slogan Contest and Exhibition, which encourages reflection on children’s rights, will be held both in the metaverse and at the district office lobby until the 21st.

Kim Ga-eun, a 17-year-old student from Seomun Girls’ High School who participated in preparing the festival, said, “I joined the festival planning hoping to forget COVID-19 and have fun. I feel proud to create a festival for friends with our own hands.”

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “I hope this festival will be a healing time for youths exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 situation and a time to blow away accumulated academic stress.”

Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) Solbat Neighborhood Park will transform into a ‘HaHaHa Pop-up Playground’ for children over two days on the 22nd and 23rd.

The ‘HaHaHa Pop-up Playground’ is a unique temporary playground operated for a short period at Solbat Neighborhood Park. ‘HaHaHa’ means ‘Don’t tell me not to do it! If you want to do it, let’s do it together.’

Before creating the pop-up playground, the district operated a ‘Children’s Play Planning Team’ for elementary school students in grades 4 to 6 during August and September, gathering various ideas about play from children and reflecting them in this program. Creative programs using various tools such as boxes and paper that engage hands, body, and mind will be operated.

There are a total of 16 programs including ▲‘Welcome to the Paper Forest,’ where children combine multiple boxes to create a moving maze ▲‘Go Through the Rain,’ where children jump and dodge water-emitting structures ▲‘Giant Jenga’ made with cardboard boxes ▲‘Play Cart Workshop,’ where toys are disassembled and assembled.

The playground operates from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Entry is possible through on-site registration if not pre-registered.

For more details, visit the Gangbuk-gu website or contact the Gangbuk-gu Youth Division for guidance.

Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “It is meaningful that children’s desire to play is well reflected in this ‘HaHaHa Pop-up Playground.’ I hope many children enjoy the play programs planned by children themselves.”

Meanwhile, the district plans to hold another pop-up playground at Buk Seoul Dream Forest on November 5-6.

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) will hold the ‘2023 Jungnang-gu High School Admission Expo’ on the 28th for local middle school students and parents considering high school admission.

The ‘2023 Jungnang-gu High School Admission Expo’ is designed to provide students with accurate and realistic information about local high schools to help them plan their future career and admission strategies.

The expo will be held on the 28th at 4 p.m. in the basement auditorium and lobby of Jungnang-gu Office.

A total of 10 high schools including Myeonmok High School, Songgok High School, Songgok Girls’ High School, Songgok Tourism High School, Sinhyeon High School, Wonmuk High School, Ewha Girls’ Media High School, Junghwa High School, Taereung High School, and Hyewon Girls’ High School will participate, offering school briefings and one-on-one customized admission counseling.

The expo will be conducted in two parts: Part 1 includes a core information and strategy briefing on high school selection by an educational researcher from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and school-specific briefings. Part 2 offers one-on-one customized counseling at each school’s booth set up in the district office lobby.

Any middle school student and parent wishing to enter a high school in Jungnang-gu can participate. Currently, participants are being recruited on the Bang Jeong-hwan Education Support Center website, with about 500 spots available.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “This expo will be a great opportunity for students who are worried about admission to obtain the most accurate information and realistic advice on high school admission. We will continue to provide various educational programs and policies through the Bang Jeong-hwan Education Support Center to establish Jungnang-gu as the number one public education district in Seoul.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Soo-hee) will hold the ‘2022 Gangdong Future Education Expo’ on the 20th and 21st at the Gangdong Future Education Innovation Center (395 Gucheonmyeon-ro).

This is the first offline expo in three years, planned to provide practical help to local students and parents in setting future career paths during Gangdong Education Week (17th to 22nd).

The expo will simultaneously host a ‘Career and Job Expo’ and a ‘High School Admission Expo,’ where elementary to high school students can resolve their questions about university, admission, and careers all in one place.

The ‘Career and Job Expo’ for elementary and middle school students is organized with the Gangdong Career and Job Experience Center, focusing on future advanced fields with various convergence career experience programs, including six zones and 29 booths: ▲Smart Future Experience Zone ▲4th Industrial Revolution Experience Zone ▲Culture & Life Experience Zone ▲Creativity & Arts Experience Zone ▲Career Aptitude Test Zone ▲Specialized High School Experience Zone.

Booths offer diverse and interesting experiences such as virtual reality (VR), drones, creator experiences, Internet of Things (IoT), robot coding, and 3D printer use, representing future technologies in the digital age. There are also innovative programs reflecting future cultural trends, such as pet therapy, future food experts, upcycling craft making, and character design.

For students preparing for high school entrance exams, the ‘High School Admission Expo’ will provide ▲high school admission strategy briefings ▲school-specific high school admission lectures ▲admission preparation materials both online and offline, addressing questions about high school entrance exams and university admission systems.

Especially popular is the ‘2022 High School Admission Strategy Briefing’ on the 20th at 3 p.m. at the Gangdong Future Education Innovation Center, featuring a lecture by Lee Jang-han (former principal of Hansung Girls’ High School) covering high school admissions, selection methods, and know-how. Although on-site attendance was limited to 90 people and quickly filled, the live lecture can be accessed by applying through the integrated education portal ‘Gangdong Mirae On (On)’ website.

Lee Soo-hee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “I hope this Gangdong Future Education Expo will be a valuable opportunity for our youth, the future leaders of society, to understand their talents and aptitudes and find their dreams on their own. We will continue to actively support nurturing local youths’ abilities and talents to develop them into future talents.”

For more details, visit the Gangdong Mirae On website or contact the Gangdong-gu Office Education Support Division.