This is a scene from the Asia Art Market in last year's Asia Culture Week, which was held from Oct. 7-23, 2022, at the Asian Culture Center's Asian Culture Square in Gwangju's Dong-gu District.

By Lee Dasom
Photos = Asia Culture Center

An international festival in Gwangju from late next week will promote understanding of Asia's diverse cultures in Asia through fun.

The Asia Culture Center (ACC) of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Sept. 6 said it will hold "Asia Culture Week" from Sept. 15-24 under the theme "Asia Going Together: Accompaniment" at the ACC in Gwangju's Dong-gu District.

This year's event will provide a space promoting understanding of Asia's diverse cultures through cultural events, interactive programs, exhibitions and performances.

The ACC's Asian Culture Square will have about 50 interactive booths from 13 Asian countries that feature cultural events. Visitors can try a yurt, a traditional portable tent from Kyrgyzstan, chai tea from India and coffee from Thailand.

Performances will also show the distinctive cultures of Asia. The event "All Day Indonesia" on Sept. 17 will commemorate the 50th anniversary of ties between Korea and Indonesia, and a concert of Indonesian music will feature Asian Traditional Orchestra, a troupe comprising traditional musicians from Korea and the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The Asian Dance Community Symposium on Sept. 19 will present talchum (traditional mask dance), the traditional Thai mask dance play khon, and traditional mask dances of Nepal and Bangladesh.

"Ben Khong Chong (A Wharf without a Husband)," an international collaborative concert by the ACC based on the eponymous Vietnamese novel, will be shown from Sept. 23-24 at Theater 1 of the center's Arts Theater. The play's backdrop of the Dinh River is depicted by using real water, creating an atmosphere of Vietnamese nature for the audience.

"This year's Asia Culture Week is rich in diverse programs so that visitors can experience and feel Asia's variety of culture and arts," ACC Director Lee Kanghyun said. "We hope that everyone enjoys all the events throughout the ACC to form a unified Asian community."

This is a promotional poster of this year's "Asian Culture Week" in Gwangju.