By Honorary Reporter Choi King Chiu from Hong Kong
Photos = Choi King Chiu 

I visited the spring edition of this year's K-Royal Culture Festival, which ran from April 27 to May 5 at Seoul's five royal palaces. 

This remarkable event was like going back in time to see the grandeur of the Joseon Dynasty and the nation's rich cultural heritage.

The spring edition of this year's K-Royal Culture Festival ran from April 27 to May 5.

Hosted by the Korea Heritage Service, the festival is the country's largest of its kind and held every spring and fall at major sites of cultural heritage like the palaces of Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung and Gyeonghuigung plus Jongmyo Shrine. 

The Korea Tourism Organization included it among the K-Culture Travel Events 100 for Visit Korea Year 2024. The festival brings these sites to life through performances, programs, exhibitions and reenactments.

The K-Royal Culture Festival offers performing arts, interactive programs, exhibitions and reenactments.

Three events were my favorite among the many offered. On May 2, I joined the Gyeongbokgung Starlight Night Tour at the palace opened in 1395 as the king's main base. "Gyeongbok" means "brilliant fortune," reflecting Joseon's aspirations to thrive and prosper. 

An iconic landmark in the palace is Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, which together with the pond and its serene surroundings creates a uniquely beautiful landscape.

The Gyeongbokgung Starlight Night Tour covers landmarks at Gyeongbokgung Palace including the storehouse Django (top left), Jibokjae Hall and Parujeong Pavilion (bottom left), and Hyangwonjeong Pavilion (right), where actors playing the Joseon king and his servant greet guests.

The tour started with a royal meal at the palace's largest kitchen Oesojubang, where food was prepared for special occasions. Guests enjoyed a lunchbox accompanied by traditional music. 

A guide showed iconic spots within the palace like the storehouse Django, Jibokjae Hall, Parujeong Pavilion and Geoncheonggung Residence. The tour ended with a unique event at Hyangwonjeong Pavilion, which is usually not open to the public, with actors playing the Joseon king and his servant.

This modern interpretation of Doseuk Surasang features a royal Joseon lunch box of 12 courses.

On May 4, I joined "Time Travel to the Joseon Dynasty" at Gyeongbokgung's Gyeonghoeru Pavilion. Tailored for foreign visitors, it offered an exclusive tour of the usually closed pavilion, a traditional venue for guests, led by a guide. Visitors saw actors dressed in Joseon scholar attire and later attended a traditional music performance with stringed instruments.

"Time Travel to the Joseon Dynasty" is an event held at Gyeonghoeru Pavilion (top left) of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. Visitors can see a traditional music performance (bottom left), tour the pavilion (middle) and try their hand at playing traditional instruments (right).

That same evening, I attended "The Palace Concert: Music of a Peaceful World by 100 Artists" at the palace's Geunjeongjeon Hall. Once a venue for royal events, the facility hosted the performance featuring traditional stringed instruments amid the venue's elegant ambiance.

"The Palace Concert: Music of a Peaceful World by 100 Artists" is held in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall at Gyeongbokgung Palace featuring traditional stringed instruments.

Hosted by major cultural sites in the city, the festival deepened my understanding of Korea's rich history and heritage and gave me a profound appreciation for its cultural elegance. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the event will have a fall edition from Oct. 9-13.

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.