Geumcheon-gu Reenacts King Jeongjo's Royal Procession

Geumcheon-gu to Host Joint Reenactment of King Jeongjo's Royal Procession... October 8-9, 300 Participants and 30 Horses in Siheung Haenggung Section... Cast Composed of Residents, Featuring 'Jeongjo Welcome Event,' 'Jeongjo's Royal Decree Proclamation,' and 'Gyeokjaeng Drama' Performances

Reenactment of King Jeongjo's Royal Decree Proclamation Ceremony

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yu Seong-hoon) announced that from October 8 to 9, the ‘2023 Joint Reenactment Event of King Jeongjo’s Royal Procession’ will be held around Siheung-daero and the Siheung Haenggung site.

The Joint Reenactment Event of King Jeongjo’s Royal Procession recreates the journey King Jeongjo took with his mother to visit the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado, at Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. Starting from Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul on October 8, the procession will travel a total distance of 59 km, passing through the Siheung Haenggung section in Geumcheon-gu and ending at Hwaseong Haenggung Palace and Yungneung (the tomb of Crown Prince Sado) in Suwon on October 9.

The ‘Siheung Haenggung section’ covers approximately 1.8 km from the Geumcheon-gu Office entrance three-way intersection to the Siheung Haenggung site. A grand street parade will be held with a total of 300 participants and 30 horses. On October 8, the procession will depart from the Geumcheon-gu Office entrance three-way intersection at 5:00 PM, arrive at Siheung Intersection around 5:05 PM, and reach the Siheung Haenggung event site around 5:20 PM.

At Siheung Intersection, a ‘Welcome King Jeongjo Event’ will take place. The Siheung Magistrate will greet the procession together with the local residents’ welcoming committee and other community members. Then, at the ginkgo tree in Siheung 5-dong, the ‘Proclamation of King Jeongjo’s Decree’ renaming Geumcheon-hyeon to Siheung-hyeon will be enacted, along with a ‘Gyeokjaeng (Complaint) Drama’ where citizens beat drums and gongs to directly appeal their grievances to the king.

Notably, this event features direct participation by residents as the main characters. The five key roles in King Jeongjo’s royal procession?King Jeongjo, Siheung Magistrate, Lady Hyegyeong Hong, Prince Cheongyeon, and Prince Cheongseon?are all played by Geumcheon-gu residents.

Besides the reenactment, there are many attractions to enjoy. At the Siheung Haenggung event site, from 1:00 PM to 7:50 PM, winners of the 3rd Welcome King Jeongjo Gugak (traditional Korean music) Contest, Geumcheon-gu citizen performance groups, and professional performers will present various traditional performances. A ‘Golden Bell Quiz’ related to Geumcheon-gu’s history will also be held.

At the auxiliary event site, various experience booths linked to the Siheung Haenggung Exhibition Hall will operate, including ▲ Stamp Tour ▲ Making ‘Joseon’ mobile phone stands ▲ Assembling ‘Banchado’ puzzles ▲ Making Norigae (traditional Korean ornaments) ▲ Life-sized four-cut sticker photos.

On October 9, at 8:00 AM, a large drum performance and a ceremony proclaiming King Jeongjo’s departure from the palace will be held at the district office plaza. As the royal procession departs for Suwon, the festival schedule for the Geumcheon-gu ‘Siheung Haenggung section’ will conclude.

Yu Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, stated, “King Jeongjo traveled to Hwaseong 66 times during his reign and handled as many as 3,355 petitions and complaints,” adding, “We will carry on King Jeongjo’s communication skills and create an enjoyable traditional festival together with the residents.”