Medical, Health, and Cultural Festival Blending Tradition and Present
Featuring Soyu, Lee Jae-hoon, Kim Beom-su, Norazo, and More
Gangseo-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jin Gyo-hoon) will hold the "22nd Heo Jun Festival" on the 12th and 13th at the lawn yard and entrance plaza of Seoul Botanical Garden.
Under the slogan "Let's Be Heo Jun," this festival is a medical, health, and cultural event that blends tradition and the present, planned with various activities for all generations from children to the elderly. The festival reinterprets Heo Jun's medical spirit and the wisdom of Donguibogam in a modern way, consisting of six themes?Let's Be Heo Jun, Let's Be Together, Let's Perform, Let's Challenge, Let's Experience, and Let's Appreciate?with over 70 programs.
The main theme program, "Let's Be Heo Jun," operates in two special Donguibogam experience spaces: the "Jeong-Gi-Shin Experience Hall" and the "Donguibogam Village." The "Jeong-Gi-Shin Experience Hall" is an exhibition and experience space focused on the essence of the human body as described in Donguibogam: Jeong (精) = body, Gi (氣) = energy, and Shin (神) = spirit.
Visitors can engage in medical experiences related to body health such as obesity, frozen shoulder, rhinitis, and dental care, and recharge their energy through activities like balloon darts, cork shooting, and arm wrestling challenges. Additionally, there are healing moments through various craft experiences, including making herbal medicine pouches and the tonic Gyeongokgo.
The Donguibogam Village is an herbal garden where visitors can obtain information about various medicinal herbs, including those from Donguibogam, and enjoy a beautiful photo zone decorated with herbal flowers and garden scenery.
The "Jeong-Gi-Shin Experience Hall" and "Donguibogam Village" can be found at the Botanical Garden lawn yard on both days, operating from 12 PM on the 12th and 11 AM on the 13th.
The participation program "Let's Be Together" includes the opening ceremony, musicals, the Heo Jun concert, a special music concert, and the Heo Jun Gala Parade. Starting with the opening ceremony at 7 PM on the 12th, the musical "Reenactment of Jinseo," depicting Heo Jun's life story, will be performed. Following this, the Heo Jun concert will feature popular singers such as Soyou (SISTAR), Lee Jae-hoon (Cool), and Park Ji-hyun, elevating the festival atmosphere.
On the second day, the 13th, at 7 PM, a special music concert commemorating the 15th anniversary of Donguibogam's inscription as a UNESCO Memory of the World will be held. This concert will feature renowned artists including vocalist Kim Dong-kyu, singer Kim Bum-soo, and QWER.
The Heo Jun Gala Parade, introduced for the first time this year, is expected to add a unique charm to the festival. Together with the Gangseo-gu Civic Theater Company and Pungmul group, spectators dressed in traditional clothing will roam throughout the festival grounds, creating a special festival space where tradition and the present harmonize. The parade will take place three times: at 4 PM on the 12th, and at 3 PM and 5 PM on the 13th.
The "Let's Challenge," "Let's Experience," and "Let's Appreciate" programs offer additional fun at the festival venue during the event period. A notable experience program is the "Healing Yoga on the Lawn with Yoga Instructor Kang Hana," starting at 1 PM on the 12th. This large-scale health project involves 300 participants, including 200 pre-registered and 100 on-site registrants.
The highlight of the challenge program is the "Heo! Junior Selection Contest," a quiz competition for children held at 12 PM on the 13th. Three hundred participants will wear Heo Jun character headbands and solve quizzes about Heo Jun, Donguibogam, and medicinal herbs provided throughout the venue.
Other programs include the "Challenge! Arm Wrestling King" tournament (3 PM on the 12th), the "Random Play Dance," where participants dance to randomly played K-pop music (2 PM and 4 PM on the 12th and 13th), and the regular recreation "Heo Jun Random Game," held at 1 PM, 3 PM, and 5 PM on both days.
On the 12th, alongside the Heo Jun Festival, the 2nd Gangseo Heo Jun RUN will be held. This event is a nationwide running festival set against the beautiful scenery of the Han River and Seoul Botanical Garden, starting with a pre-event at 8:30 AM and sequential departures from 9 AM.
The race features an easy short-distance course accessible to everyone, followed by performances from popular groups Norazo, Rap Percussion, and Shall We Funk after the run.
The district expects over 100,000 visitors during the festival period, with participation from a total of 130 organizations and groups including medical institutions, public agencies, schools, professional organizations, and local cultural and arts groups. Special attention is being paid to safety. To ensure safe event management, 309 personnel including safety officers, security companies, and volunteers will be deployed to prevent accidents and maintain order.
Additionally, to operate the festival in an eco-friendly manner, food trucks at the festival site will provide reusable containers and operate return booths for collecting used containers.
District Mayor Jin Gyo-hoon said, "Through this festival, I hope to reflect on the meaning of Heo Jun and Donguibogam, symbols of Gangseo-gu, and provide an opportunity for residents to come together and enjoy health and culture."
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