Hwaseong Cultural Festival “Beauty conquers the enemy.” It was not from an estheticist or an artist. It was from King Jeongjo the Great (22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty) 200 years ago. He ascended the throne of the Dynasty in the later period of the 600-year-old dynasty, and the scientific and practical spirit began to germinate in this centuries-old Confucian society. Surprisingly, the king, who was busy ruling hundreds of castles, fortresses and towns in the kingdom, put too much effort into building Hwaseong Fortress in the rustic town of Suwon which was considered as a backwater despite its close proximity to Hanyang, the capital of Joseon (now Seoul). The court officials were not convinced as to why His Majesty was so intent upon building a fortress in a rustic area with such great effort. A courtier dared to ask why His Majesty was so serious about building that fortress, adding that he believed a fortress was a fortress strong enough to defend against the enemy. “Beauty conquers the enemy,” the King simply replied. Hwaseong, the beautiful fortress built by King Jeongjo, is totally different from other foreign fortresses and has been highly acclaimed for its astonishingly scientific and eco-friendly architecture and its elaborate and sturdy structure. That is why UNESCO designated the fortress a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival is where you can study and experience Hwaseong, one of the Korea’s proudest and the world’s acknowledged cultural assets, in depth. The whole festival pays a tribute to the achievements of King Jeongjo, and its events maintain both traditional and modern aspects. The festival begins with Citizens’ Parade in which civic groups, clubs, and schools take part, and Reenactment of the Royal Parade of King Joengjo the Great to the tomb of his father, Crown Prince Sado who tragically died before he inherited the throne. The Reenactment of the Royal Parade of King Joengjo boasts the most overwhelming scale and formation among the present-day reenactments of court ritual events of the Joseon Dynasty. To reenact the grandeur of the king’s respect to his father’s tomb, the event employs 80 horses, and over 1,200 people put on dazzling period costumes, tools and accessories according to their given role and social class in the parade. The parade starts from Suwon Sports Complex and proceeds along the controlled street to Janganmun Gate. It continues to pass along Hwaseong Temporary Palace three-way intersection to finally reach Yeonmudae. Tens of thousands of people from home and abroad gather along the parade route, taking photos and greeting the parade with great cheers. Local community centers provide spectators with chairs, drinks and snacks. The whole town is now in a festive mood. Another interesting event is the reenactment of the 60th Birth Anniversary Banquet for Queen Hyegyeonggung. Queen Hyegyeonggung is the mother of King Jeongjo and the wife of Crown Prince Sado. King Jeongjo threw a big celebration for his mother at her 60th birthday by preparing royal cuisine and court dance show to wish his mother a long and healthy life. In the reenactment, King Jeongjo and Queen Hyegyeonggung enter the hall to the tune of traditional court music. In front of the court and the spectators, King Jeongjo offers a cup of liquor to his mother and reads aloud a letter dedicated to her. The court dancers perform and a pansori solo singer adds to the fun. Throughout the event, the interesting plot of the event and the participating traditional artists with flamboyant costumes and accessories who dance and sing transcend time and space to give the crowds of today pleasure and amusement. Other interesting reenactment shows are Night Guard Training Reenactment, powerful Martial Art 24-gi Performance, Gwageo Exam (Public Official Exam) in the presence of King Jeongjo, and Wedding Ceremony between Crown Prince Sado and Queen Hyegyeonggung which shows a traditional court wedding ceremony. Let’s time travel to the past. The festival has many experience events. Most popular is a walking tour in jipsin, the then common straw shoes. The tour follows the major tracks of Hwaseong Fortress. Its admission fee was KRW 10,000 as of year 2012. The event is so popular that tickets have been sold out early. If you are interested, you’d better hurry up in the coming year. Those who participate in the walking tour will be given a T-shirt, a pair of jipsin and a shoe pouch in return. If you want to make sure that you have fun without regrets and leave the festival venue with more than a few photographs of your moments at the festival, visit the festival homepage and book online in advance. On-site application is available only when a reservation is cancelled. Royal Culture Experience is a small but interesting event that gives you a chance to sip a taste of what the royal life is like. Try on court costumes and ride a King’s palanquin for a photo shoot. At Suragan, the royal kitchen, you can take a peep at how the royal dishes are prepared and delivered. Korean traditional music is played by ChungAng Traditional Orchestra, Seoul Metropolitan Traditional Music Orchestra, and Gyeonggi Provincial Traditional Music Orchestra almost every night at Haenggung Palace Square. Listening to traditional music, you can fully immerse yourself in the Korean traditional culture. Staged are original plays and fusion stories which reinterpret historical facts or gukak, Korean classical music. As there are performances and events day and night, you will be busy trying not to miss out on any of them. What about taking a little break to look around the nearby towns? There is Korean Folk Village where many historical dramas set in the Joseon Dynasty are filmed. The village reenacts the life of the people in the Joseon Dynasty in the old traditional houses, streets and buildings. Suwon Hwaseong Museum is another excellent choice. It presents the history and culture of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress with various relics and historical records. Still not satisfied? Everland Theme Park awaits you in the vicinity. You can wrap up Hwaseong Cultural Festival here, enjoying over 40 up-to-date rides and taking a tour to the world’s only wild Safari World. • LOCATION Yeonmudae Square (Changnyongmun Gate), Hwaseong Temporary Palace Square, Suwoncheon Stream, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and the whole area of Hawseong-si, Gyeonggi-do • PERIOD September 27 – October 1, Year 2013 • PROGRAMS -Waking Hwaseong Fortress in Jipsin, Straw Shoes Learn the precious value of cultural assets while walking along Hwaseong Fortress in jipsin with your family. -Reenactment of Court Events Jakhyeonye (King’s respect to his ancestors), Public Official Exam, 60th Birthday Banquet, presented with modern-day explanations. -Hwaseong Fortress Building Experience To experience the greatness of the era, participate in the building process of Hwaseong Fortress based on the idea of Silhak that is about practical learning and the use of science which was strongly backed by King Jeongjo the Great. • EATS -Suwon galbi (Grilled Ribs) Hwachoonok serves its unique style of salted galbi meat attached to 17cm-long •MUST-BUYS Traditional handicrafts sold in many booths •TOURIST HOT SPOTS -Suwon Hwaseong Museum A special museum displaying the history and culture of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site -Hwaseong Temporary Palace Historic Site No. 478 Beautiful Haenggung Palace Road: a 420-meter street stretching from Hwaseong Temporary Palace to Paldalmun Gate. The street is filled with 16 craft workshops and 48 famous restaurants. -Everland Shuttle bus available: 40 minute drive from Suwon Station One of the top 7 theme parks in the world •TRANSPORTATION/DIRECTIONS -1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes by car from Seoul -1 hour by subway (line No. 1 bound for Cheonan or Byeongjeom) from Seoul Station to Suwon Station -Free shuttle bus available Route: World Cup complex - Yeonmudae - Suwon Hwaseong Museum – Paldalmun Gate - Yeonmudae - World Cup complex 10:00 ~ 22:00 (every 20 minutes) Some streets will be closed to traffic during the parades: World Cup complex - Changnyongmun Gate - Paldalmun Gate •HOME PAGE shfes.suwon.go.kr/main.asp (English, Chinese, Japanese sites available)
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 11:14:42 +0000
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