Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province will once again present "Yajo," a nighttime military training exercise from the era of King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty, for the first time in three years.
On August 8, Suwon City announced that it plans to stage the Yajo performance together with citizen performers at "Yeonmudae," located on the northeastern side of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, on October 3 and 4.
Yajo is a nighttime military drill that took place in 1795, when King Jeongjo personally commanded the royal guard unit "Jangyongyeong" at the western command post of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress during his royal procession.
The performance will feature traditional content such as equestrian martial arts, military formations, and demonstrations of military tactics based on the theme of Yajo, combined with advanced stage technologies including water screens, special effects, media mapping, and fireworks displays.
The stage will be set up with a sliding platform that opens fully to the front against the backdrop of Yeonmudae, and seating for 4,000 audience members will be arranged in a three-dimensional layout.
Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province will showcase Yajo, a nighttime military training from the Joseon King Jeongjo era, for the first time in three years in early October. Photo by Suwon City
From the audience seats, spectators will be able to vividly experience equestrian martial arts. The addition of dynamic visuals and music is also expected to provide the audience with a deep sense of immersion and inspiration.
This year, around 200 citizens will participate in the Yajo performance, taking on roles such as court ladies, high officials, generals, and soldiers.
Suwon City is accepting applications for citizen actors to appear on stage until August 22.
A Suwon City official stated, "Yajo is more than just a performance; it is a historical reenactment project created together with citizens and a symbolic program that embodies the identity of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress. As this is the first time in three years that we are staging this event together with citizens, we hope for much interest and participation."
This year, Suwon City will expand the 62nd Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival, holding it from September 27 to October 4, and will also broaden the festival space to cover the entire Suwon Hwaseong Fortress area.
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