Held at Amsa-dong Prehistoric Site and Amsa Chorok-gil
Celebrating the 30th Anniversary: Where Prehistory Meets Modern Culture
Street Parade Returns After Six Years
Featuring Performances by Hyun Jin-young, Kim Kyungho Band, and More
The 30th Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival, set against the backdrop of the prehistoric era, will be held from October 17 to 19 in the area surrounding the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Site (875 Olympic-ro). This year’s festival, themed “The Breath of 6,000 Years, The Light of 100 Years, The Resonance of 30 Years,” will be a large-scale cultural event blending the historical value of the prehistoric era with contemporary culture. In particular, marking the 30th edition of the festival and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Site, international exchange cities and institutions will participate, elevating the festival to an international level.
The Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival, the only one in Seoul set against a prehistoric background, will be held for three days starting on the 17th. Street parade scene. Provided by Gangdong District.
The opening ceremony will take place on October 17 at 7 p.m. at the main stage, “Land of Fire.” The event will feature a torch relay and a drone show illuminating the sky, along with celebratory performances by singers Hyun Jin-young, Park Mikyung, and Jang Minho.
On the second day, October 18, the festival will include a reenactment of “Bawijeol Village Hosangnori,” Seoul’s Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 10, a festival for families of people with severe disabilities, and the “Gangdong Prehistoric Song Contest.” The street parade, involving more than 1,200 participants, will return for the first time in six years. The parade will showcase large-scale installations such as a mammoth (water), archaeopteryx (fire), rhinoceros (earth), and saber-toothed tiger (wind), creating a spectacular scene and vividly recreating humanity’s journey from the Paleolithic to the Iron Age.
The closing ceremony on October 19 will feature performances by singers Kim Hyunjung, Park Sangchul, and the Kim Kyungho Band, culminating in a fireworks display.
This year’s festival has strengthened customized experiences for each generation. For children, there will be a “Prehistoric Water Gun Hunt” and a “Neolithic Archaeology Experience School.” For middle-aged and older adults, a “Prehistoric Healing Foot Bath” will be available, and families can enjoy the “Prehistoric Four-Event Olympics.” At night, visitors can experience the atmosphere of the prehistoric era through the “Prehistoric Night Walk” and a media facade, while a “Festival of Light” will be staged on the outer wall of the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Site Museum.
Throughout the venue, local artists will perform, and there will be street performances such as yabi (shell game) and magic shows. Food booths operated by food businesses selected by the district will also be available. The “Prehistoric Barbecue Experience” will be relocated to the food truck area within the rest zone, allowing visitors to enjoy a variety of foods and gourmet experiences at the same time.
Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival 'Prehistoric Barbecue Experience'. Provided by Gangdong District.
This year, international exchange cities such as Musashino City in Japan, Segovia in Spain, and the Ann Arbor Public Library in Michigan, United States, will visit the festival. Segovia will operate a booth to showcase local culture through promotional videos and jam?n tastings, and after the festival, will visit youth facilities in Gangdong District to benchmark career experience programs. Librarians from the Ann Arbor Public Library will also participate directly, hosting a storytelling and puzzle experience booth.
Suhee Lee, mayor of Gangdong District, stated, “This year’s Gangdong Prehistoric Culture Festival, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Site, holds great historical significance and is establishing itself as an international festival with participation from cities around the world. I hope everyone will experience the cultural strength of Gangdong in a time where history and the present, connected by the breath of 6,000 years, become one.”
Meanwhile, the use of public transportation is recommended during the festival period. From October 17 to 19, the section between Seonsa Elementary School and Seowon Village, as well as the entrance of Olympic-ro 108-gil, will be completely closed to traffic. Some sections between Seowon Village and Olympic-ro 108-gil will be operated as one-way streets. On October 18, when the street parade is held, vehicle traffic will be completely restricted from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on a section of Olympic-ro (from Cheonho-dong Park Intersection to the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Site, approximately 1.5 km). Buses passing through the affected section will be rerouted on that day.
In August this year, officials from the Ann Arbor Public Library in the United States, local children, and Suhee Lee, mayor of Gangdong District (right in the photo), visited Gangdong Central Library. Provided by Gangdong District.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
