Royal Culture Festival to kick off in Seoul after two-year pandemic disruption

A nighttime image of the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, Oct. 14, 2021, is seen in this file photo provided by the Cultural Heritage Administration. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

The Royal Culture Festival, the country's largest festival themed on the Korean royal court and its culture, will return almost to its normal state Tuesday after two years of pandemic-caused disruptions.

This year's event will kick off its spring season with an open ceremony at 8 p.m. at the square in front of the Heungnyemun Gate in Gyeongbok Palace, central Seoul, which served as the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

Founded in 2015, the event hosted by the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) and its affiliated Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation has been held twice every year ― in May and October ― at Seoul's five Joseon-era palaces ― Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Changgyeong, Deoksu and Gyeonghui ― as well as two other royal sites. The festival, however, was held virtually for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This spring's edition, set to last till May 22, features a total of 49 programs to be held publically and online.

During the festival period, the palaces will remain open without closing Mondays as they usually do, while admission to Gyeongbok Palace will be free of charge. Deoksu and Changgyeong palaces will remain open until 9 p.m. for nighttime tours.

In addition to the festival's usual venues, this year's editions will also take place in the compound of Cheong Wa Dae, which was formally the "back garden" of Gyeongbok Palace, for the first time in its history, as the compound was fully opened to the public with the start of the new government earlier in the day.

The opening ceremony is themed on Joseon-era rituals performed before the start of the Lunar New Year to drive out evil spirits, and festivities to deliver hope for overcoming the pandemic and returning to normal daily routines, according to the organizers.

There will be performances of a traditional Korean dance, and a music show created through a contemporary reinterpretation of such rituals, a creative musical play and a multimedia show themed on the history of Gyeongbok Palace, during the ceremony.

The ceremony will also be streamed live on a YouTube channel jointly run by the CHA and the heritage foundation. (Yonhap)

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