Suwon Cultural Heritage Night Tour to Be Held Late May to Early June This Year

Suwon Cultural Heritage Night Tour

The representative night festival of Suwon City, Gyeonggi Province, ‘Suwon Cultural Heritage Night Walk’ will be held for two days from the 31st of this month to the 1st of next month around Hwaseong Haenggung and Haenggung-dong area.

Started in 2017 and marking its eighth year this year, the Suwon Cultural Heritage Night Walk is one of the 49 nationwide ‘Cultural Heritage Night Walks’ hosted by the National Heritage Agency. It is a night-time historical and cultural program enjoyed by walking around the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress area. Last year it was held in August, but this year the schedule was changed to late May for the first time.

This year’s event centers around Hwaseong Haenggung, which was recently restored after 119 years. Suwon City began the restoration project of Hwaseong Haenggung, which was damaged by the Japanese colonial government in 1905, in 1989 and completed it last April. The event takes place in three main areas: Hwaseong Haenggung, the City Art Museum and Haenggung-dong Administrative Welfare Center area, and the Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall and Workshop Street area.

Special night programs include ‘Opening Moonlight Flower Talk,’ featuring exhibitions and lighting content inspired by flowers of the Joseon Dynasty; a record exhibition ‘Kings of Joseon, Their Portraits’ that explores the value of royal portraits from the Joseon era; the Suwon Gate Guard Changing Ceremony; traditional performances of the 24 Martial Arts; Jang Yong-yeong martial arts demonstrations; and a reenactment of King Jeongjo’s royal procession.

Additionally, there will be performances by the Suwon City Choir, Gyeonggi Province intangible cultural heritage performances such as Seungmu and Salpuri dances, student performances from Kyonggi University and Sungkyunkwan University, lantern-making experiences using the Dancheong patterns of Suwon Hwaseong, and market and experience events in collaboration with local merchant associations and workshop artist groups.

During the event, Suwon City will restrict traffic from 5:30 PM to 10:00 PM in the alleys in front of the Workshop Street and Haenggung-dong Administrative Welfare Center in Haenggung-dong.

A Suwon City official stated, “The purpose of the Cultural Heritage Night Walk is to create a virtuous cycle where visitors enjoy national heritage, recognize its value, and understand the importance of cultural heritage preservation and management,” adding, “We hope many citizens enjoy this event, which is the first to be held after the complete restoration of Hwaseong Haenggung.”