Songpa-gu Cultural Heritage Night Festival Successfully Held

Songpa-gu, June 23-24 at Seokchon-dong Tumuli & Seokchon Lake West Lake

Aerial circus, media art, traditional dance performances, and more... Diverse Baekje culture experiences

Cheers and applause from children to foreigners... Successful conclusion of the first night tour

Residents of Pungnap-dong “Need to lift regulations for coexistence of cultural heritage and residents' lives” Proposed to Cultural Heritage Administration

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that the ‘Songpa-gu Cultural Heritage Night Tour,’ where people can enjoy the 2,000-year-old Baekje culture vividly in the city, was successfully held from the 23rd to the 24th.

Songpa-gu, the ancient capital of the Baekje kingdom, preserves various historical cultural heritages such as the Seokchon-dong Tumuli, Bangi-dong Tumuli, and Mongchontoseong Fortress. The ‘Cultural Heritage Night Tour (夜行)’ held for the first time this year is a nighttime cultural enjoyment program that connects precious local cultural heritage with performances, experiences, and exhibitions, allowing residents to enjoy historical culture and rediscover its meaning and value.

The event was held over two days from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. around the Seokchon-dong Tumuli, where Baekje royal tombs are gathered, and the West Lake area of Seokchon Lake.

The Seokchon-dong Tumuli became a stage for time travel, offering unique cultural experiences. Starting with the opening ceremony at 8 p.m. on the 23rd, media art depicting the history of Hanseong Baekje was displayed on a large moon-shaped screen, along with the aerial performance ‘Aerial Circus’ symbolizing the flight of King Onjo and So Seo-no, and a Baekje costume parade, receiving enthusiastic cheers from numerous visitors ranging from children to foreigners on a midsummer night.

The West Lake area of Seokchon Lake transformed into a cultural playground blending past and present. Events such as the ‘Silent Disco (Cultural Gestures),’ where participants enjoy a noise-free music party wearing headsets, the zero-gravity performance of King Geunchogo who led Baekje’s golden age, and a flea market recreating the appearance of past merchants dressed in Baekje and various East Asian costumes added to the enjoyment of the night tour.

Additionally, over the two days, the district operated experiences such as ▲ making Chiljido swords and pottery, making Baekje snacks with Sumaksae patterns ▲ making baby flower shoes with Hwahaejang, designated as a national intangible cultural asset ▲ ‘Cultural Storytelling’ led by professional guides ▲ Baekje magicians ▲ and Songpa Museum tours, allowing residents to naturally experience various Baekje cultures.

A representative of Pungnap-dong residents who attended the opening ceremony on the 23rd once again highlighted the suffering caused by cultural heritage regulations and proposed improvements. He said, “Cultural heritage should be something that residents living today can enjoy, love, and have fun with, just like today’s event,” and added, “I hope the head of the Cultural Heritage Administration visits the Pungnap-dong site, where residents are constrained, listens to their difficulties, and actively lifts the regulations.”

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “I hope this was an opportunity to rediscover the precious value of Songpa-gu’s cultural heritage through various play, experiences, and performances,” and added, “We will make Songpa-gu a place where tradition and modernity, cultural heritage and residents live happily in harmony through this cultural heritage night tour.”