Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province and the Suwon Cultural Foundation will operate a nighttime cultural experience program at the UNESCO World Heritage site, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress.
On April 21, Suwon City announced that it will host "Suwon Hwaseong Taepyeongseongdae" every Friday and Saturday during May and June, and again in September and October, as part of the 2025 World Heritage Utilization Project organized by the National Heritage Administration and supervised by Suwon City.
Taepyeongseongdae refers to an era of peace and prosperity under a benevolent ruler. King Jeongjo, the 22nd monarch of the Joseon Dynasty, built the city and fortress of Suwon Hwaseong with the hope that his people would live wealthy and happy lives. In particular, the recently restored Byeolju and Uhwa-gwan, completed last year, are special spaces that exemplify King Jeongjo's spirit of caring for the people and filial piety, reflecting his dream of Taepyeongseongdae.
To commemorate the first anniversary of the second phase restoration of Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, Suwon City will present two programs embodying the meaning of Taepyeongseongdae in collaboration with Haenggung Village Cooperative Association, a local community group in Haenggung-dong.
The first program, "Royal Court Tea Experience with Lady Hyegyeong," offers participants a modern reinterpretation of the tea table served at Lady Hyegyeong Hong's 60th birthday banquet in 1795, as recorded in the "Wonhaeng Eulmyo Jeongni Uigwe." The experience features an individual tea table and is accompanied by a small music concert.
This program takes place in Byeolju, the banquet preparation area. Byeolju was historically used to prepare food and store documents when the king visited. The program runs every Friday and Saturday from 7:00 p.m. for 90 minutes during May and June, and again in September and October.
Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province will operate a nighttime cultural experience program called "Suwon Hwaseong Taepyeongseongdae" at Suwon Hwaseong starting in May. Photo by Suwon City
The second program, "Palace Night Walk with Resident Actors," is an experiential nighttime tour of the palace, featuring immersive performances by resident actors from Haenggung-dong and guided storytelling. Visitors enter with a special ticket and can easily and enjoyably learn about the significance of various locations within the palace, including Uhwa-gwan.
During May and June, the program is held at 8:00 p.m. on Fridays, and at 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturdays. In September and October, it takes place twice each day on both Fridays and Saturdays.
The programs were planned through a preparatory process from December last year to April this year, with support from the German Commission for UNESCO.
Reservations for the May programs open on April 21 on a first-come, first-served basis. "Royal Court Tea Experience with Lady Hyegyeong" can be reserved for a fee on Interpark Ticket from 3:00 p.m., while "Palace Night Walk with Resident Actors" can be reserved for free on Naver from 10:00 a.m. For more details, visit the Suwon Cultural Foundation website.
A Suwon City official stated, "These programs were prepared together with the local community to embody the meaning of Taepyeongseongdae, as envisioned by King Jeongjo. We hope they will provide participants with a unique cultural experience and offer local residents an opportunity to coexist with a World Heritage site."
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