Jeonju City to Hold the 8th 1593 Jeonju Byeolsi Reenactment Event on the 22nd

Jeonju Hanok Village Area, Including Jeonju Traditional Culture Training Institute and Gyeonggijeon Shrine

Jeonju City in North Jeolla Province announced on the 14th that it will hold the "8th 1593 Jeonju Byeolsi Reenactment Event" on October 22 at the Jeonju Traditional Culture Training Institute, Gyeonggijeon Shrine, and throughout the Jeonju Hanok Village area.

Since 2017, the city has been hosting the "1593 Jeonju Byeolsi" reenactment event based on Jeonju's historical facts. This year, the event will feature the following programs: the traditional state examination (including Gukgung, or Korean archery; Korean writing-prose and poetry; and classical Chinese poetry), the Bangbangnye (award ceremony), the Yuga Haengnyeol (parade of successful candidates), the Saeunsukbae (ceremonial bow of gratitude), and various traditional culture experience programs.

Poster for the 8th 1593 Jeonju Byeolsi Reenactment Event. Provided by Jeonju City

The elementary and middle school Gukgung (Korean archery) competitions will be held as individual tournaments (for lower grade elementary, upper grade elementary, and middle school students) and as team tournaments (mixed elementary and middle school teams) on the day of the event. Any elementary or middle school student nationwide who has completed archery training may participate.

The elementary school Korean writing contest is divided into prose (travel essays, essays, letters) and poetry (children’s poems, sijo), and participants can choose one format to submit.

Participants must select one of the following topics: "A Special Day Spent in Jeonju" or "Jeonju, the City of Culture," and submit their manuscript by mail. After a preliminary review, the award ceremony will be held on the day of the event.

The topic for this year's classical Chinese poetry contest is "Jeonju Byeolsi," and the required rhyme characters are Jin (眞), Shin (新), Jin (珍), Bin (彬), and Shin (伸). Those wishing to participate can download the seven-character regulated verse (칠언율시) manuscript form from the Jeonju Traditional Culture Training Institute website, complete it, and submit it by registered mail.

As with the Korean writing contest, a preliminary review will be conducted, and the award ceremony will take place on the day of the event. Once all state examinations are completed, the Bangbangnye (award ceremony for successful candidates) will be held. The winners will receive a certificate from the mayor and the Eosahwa (a symbolic flower for successful candidates), along with a cash prize.

After the award ceremony, the successful candidates will wear the Eosahwa on their heads and visit examiners, seniors, and relatives in a traditional parade called the Yuga Haengnyeol, which starts at the Jeonju Traditional Culture Training Institute and proceeds along Eunhaeng-ro, Taejo-ro, and Gyeonggijeon Shrine. The parade will include a traditional music band composed of students from the Department of Korean Traditional Music at Jeonbuk National University, a flag-bearing team from the Traditional Culture Village Association, and a percussion band made up of Hanok Village residents.

When the successful candidates arrive at Gyeonggijeon Shrine, they will perform the Saeunsukbae, a ceremony in which they inform the king (represented by the portrait of King Taejo) of their success and express their gratitude.

Applications for the Gukgung competition and submissions for the Korean writing and classical Chinese poetry contests will be accepted until November 7. For more details, please refer to the Jeonju Traditional Culture Training Institute website.

The head of the Jeonju Hanok Village Office said, "The Jeonju Byeolsi was a historic event in which people overcame national hardships together, and I want to share its significance with citizens today. I hope that through this reenactment, everyone will be able to experience the traditions and values of Jeonju firsthand."