A festival designed to connect all the Eurasian nations that lie along the Silk Road will be held in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangnam-do Province (South Gyeongsang Province).

Silk Road Gyeongju 2015, an event to shed new light on the traditional Silk Road trade route, will be held at the Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park and surrounding areas in Gyeongju over 59 days from Aug. 21 to Oct. 18.

The Silk Road-themed event is to shed new light on Eurasian civilizations and the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D. 935). It hopes to promote the city of Gyeongju as the starting point of a cultural version of the Silk Road. The purpose of the event is to go beyond the traditional concept of the Silk Road caravan route and to help Gyeongju become the starting for a new era of IT and cultural exchange.



Over 10,000 people, including 1,500 non-Koreans from 40 countries, are expected to participate in the festival.

There will be 30 programs along the main themes of the festival, including "Encounter of Civilizations," "Silla, the Golden Kingdom" and "Live Experience."

The "Silk Road Grand Bazaar," one of the highlights of the "Encounter of Civilizations" section, will feature art from the countries that lie along the maritime Silk Road, including Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Thailand, and nations that are located in the deserts and grasslands of Central Asia, including China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. In all, 19 nations will take part in the event. The "Silk Road Grand Bazaar" will be formed around a traditional street in a tea market and feature authentic regional food and handmade souvenirs. In addition, various traditional performances and puppet shows will take place to help visitors learn about different cultures and societies.



Another highlight is the "Silk Road Parade." It includes performances by Turkey's Mehter Marsi Ottoman Military Band and bands that use traditional instruments.

The "Silk Road Odyssey" is a fantasy-filled desert journey to uncover awe-inspiring tales hidden along the Silk Road trade route. Visitors will be able to experience a fantasy world featuring mythological animals and the stories of the Arabian "1,001 Nights."

Under the theme "Silla, the Golden Kingdom," visitors will be able to learn about major trends in Silla arts throughout the kingdom's existence.

As part of this, the Gyeongju National Museum is offering people an opportunity to view first-hand Silla's artifacts and heritage in the special "Arts of Silla" exhibit that will run through Nov. 1. It is a reintroduction of artifacts shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York's 2013 exhibit "Silla, Korea's Golden Kingdom." Visitors can see 650 golden artifacts, including the Gilt-bronze Maitreya in Meditation (National Treasure No. 83).

There will be a chance to experience a 3-D virtual reality tour of the Seokguram grotto using head mounted displays (HMD) at the Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park.

The non-verbal act "Basilla," currently underway at a theater in the Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park, is based on the epic Persian poem "Kush Nama." The act is to shed new light on Silla's cultural exchanges with various other ancient nations, and it contains the love story of a Silla princess and a Persian prince.



In the Hall of North Korea, visitors will be able to see the past and present of regions of northern Korea from Goguryeo (36 B.C.-A.D. 668) and Goryeo (918- 1392) times through to Joseon times (1392 - 1910), with a section focusing on Korea's independence and division.

The Illumination Show is a multimedia show that casts lights and 3-D images against the backdrop of the Gyeongju Tower and the Wanggyeong Forest. In addition, various non-verbal percussion and dance performances, such as Nanta, Drumcat, Bibob and Jump, will also be held.

For tickets, please visit Smartix (www.smartix.co.kr) or the Gyeongju World Culture Expo (www.cultureexpo.or.kr) homepages.

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of the Gyeongju World Culture Expo Organizing Committee
jun2@korea.kr