"We are different, but together as one."

The stage on which the 2016 Korea-China-Japan Cultural Festival came to life on Aug. 27 spotlighted the artistic personalities of the three neighboring countries, their shared history and culture providing a soundboard for the harmony of diverse sounds.

The festival opened at the Jeju International Convention Center on the occasion of the eighth Korea-China-Japan Culture Ministers' Meeting. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jongdeok, Chinese Vice Minister of Culture Ding Wei and Japanese Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Miyata Ryohei attended the event. It was a full house, with ministry officials from the three countries and Jeju locals filling every seat.

The evening commenced with solo pieces on traditional instruments from the three countries: the 12-stringed gayageum (가야금) and the double-reed wind instrument taepyeongso (태평소) from Korea, the end-blown shakuhachi (尺八) flute from Japan, and the two-stringed erhu (二胡 ), the multi-stringed guzheng (古箏) zither and the fretted pipa (琵琶) lute from China. The solos were followed by a performance of "Arirang" on all the instruments, with accompaniment by the Jeju Philharmonic Orchestra.

The harmonious collaboration between the countries extended beyond music.

From traditional performances to modern ones featuring a dancing robot, the festival drew attention to the many ways in which the three countries are more alike than many people realize.

Fans were used as props in the dance performed by Confucian seonbi scholars (선비춤) put on by the National Dance Company of Korea, just as they also featured in the classical Noh (能) Japanese dramatic performance, and in the Animation Crew's modern-day b-boy dance. They were a motif spanning all three cultures.

Meanwhile, energetic performances like the janggu dance by the National Dance Company of Korea, featuring dancers with waist drums, and acts by the Chinese Oriental Performing Arts Group that combined poetry and dance, provided proof of the shared historical backgrounds across the East Asian neighbors.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Kim Jongdeok said, "The Korea-China-Japan Cultural Festival is an event that brings together artists, and one that showcases cultural diversity and harmonious collaboration between our three countries. We hope to expand the scope of the festival and strengthen cultural cooperation between our three countries."

By Jeon Han, Lee Hana
Photos: Jeon Han
Korea.net Staff Writers
hanjeon@korea.kr