Participants at an open media event for an evening tour of Cheong Wa Dae on July 19, 2022, walk around the main building. (Yonhap News)
By Wu Jinhua
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on May 25 said it will host from June 8-19 the summer tour "Night Walk at Cheong Wa Dae" (unofficial translation) jointly with the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation.
This is the second edition of the event following the first last year.
Up to 2,000 visitors per day can enter the compound from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Last entry is at 9 p.m. and Cheong Wa Dae will be closed on June 13.
After going through the main entrance, participants can go on a night stroll while freely walking along the main building and the wide-open garden Daejeongwon, and Sojeongwon, another garden hosting performances, former presidential residence, Nokjiwon, a garden famous for pine trees, and traditional reception building Sangchunjae.
While walking, they can also hear a beautiful melody of musical instruments like the haegeum (vertical fiddle), hand pan, or a metal instrument resembling a pot lid, cello and violin.
Ticket reservations will begin on May 26 at 2 p.m. through a pop-up window on Cheong Wa Dae's official website open to the public (www.opencheongwadae.kr). One person can buy up to six tickets.
For this event, no tickets will be sold on-site. To enter, visitors must show a bar code that they received when making a reservation.
This is the promotional poster for the night tour of Cheong Wa Dae. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)
From June 1-17, Cheong Wa Dae will also host the cultural and arts performance program "Four Seasons, Four Colors" (unofficial translation).
During the event's period, performances will be held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
"Four Seasons, Four Colors" will feature the National Gugak Center-affiliated troupes Folk Music Group performing at Daejeongwon and Contemporary Gugak Orchestra at Nokjiwon.
More information on the performances is available on the Cheong Wa Dae website or by calling (02) 1522-7760.
All outdoor performances and concerts are subject to cancellation due to rain.
jane0614@korea.kr
