Seoul's palaces and museums hold special events for Chuseok holiday

As usual, public venues across Seoul are hosting events where anyone can participate in traditional games and learn more about Chuseok and Korean history.

Children learn to play yut, a traditional Korean game which is enjoyed during the Chuseok Holidays, at a preschool in Incheon on Thursday. [YONHAP]

It’s that time of year again! Korea is celebrating the Chuseok holiday, which will last from Monday to Wednesday. When you count the weekend, it’s bound to be a sweet, relaxing five-day holiday.

As usual, public venues across Seoul are hosting events where anyone can participate in traditional games and learn more about Chuseok and Korean history. The following is a list of places that are open during the holiday, ranging from the royal palaces, the Blue House and museums.

Visitors dressed in hanbok (traditional Korean dress) enjoy the Chuseok holidays at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul on Oct. 2, 2023. [YONHAP]

Royal palaces of SeoulThrough Sept. 18:The four flagship royal palaces all located in central Seoul — Gyeongbok, Changdeok, Deoksu and Changgyeong — will be open to the public during the Chuseok holiday. General admission is free, except for the Huwon Secret Garden at Changdeok Palace.

At Gyeongbok Palace, visitors will still be able to see the usual guard changing ceremony at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the Gwanghwamun guard dispatch ceremony at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and the public training of the royal guards at 9:35 a.m. and 1:35 p.m. Each event lasts for around 10 to 20 minutes.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Deoksu Palace branch will also be open for free on all days except for Monday.

The palaces open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. for Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces, and 9 p.m. for Deoksu and Changgyeong palaces.

All palaces will be closed on Sept. 19.

Visitors take a stroll inside the Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, during the evening on Sept. 13, 2023. [NEWS1]

Blue HouseThrough Sept. 18:The Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, will be open in the evening during the Chuseok holidays. From 7:30 p.m. for two hours, visitors can take a leisurely stroll along the former presidential residence and watch jazz music performances outside, which start at 8 p.m. and last for 50 minutes each day.

Entrance is free but requires reservations — of up to four people — on the Blue House’s website. A maximum of 2,500 people are allowed to enter at nighttime for each day.

During the daytime, on Monday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors will be able to play traditional games and watch gilnori (street parade). There will be special performances by talchum (mask dance) troupe The Greatest Masque, the K-Philharmonic Orchestra, National Orchestra Company of Korea and pansori (traditional narrative song) singer Kim Yong-woo.

A tour of the Blue House for families with elementary school children will take place at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Reservations for all events can be made on the Blue House’s website.

Tightrope walking [NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA]

National Museum of KoreaThrough Sept. 18: The Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation is hosting traditional performances at the National Museum of Korea’s outdoor Open Plaza in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

On Saturday, a talchum performance took place at 1 p.m. and a haegeum (Korean zither) performance at 4 p.m. The programs continue throughout the holiday with performances of contemporary folk music, samulnori (traditional Korean percussion), traditional dance, gugak (traditional Korean music) and tightrope walking.

More information on the schedule can be seen on the foundation’s website.

Each performance lasts about an hour. Admission is free with no reservations required.

Children play ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling) at the National Folk Museum of Korea. [NATIONAL FOLK MUSEUM OF KOREA]

National Folk Museum of KoreaSept. 15, 16, 18:To be the coolest person during Chuseok, you need to play the traditional games and activities, says the folk museum in Jongno District, central Seoul. A three-day family event titled “Be a Hipster in Hangawi” (hangawi is another word for Chuseok) is being offered with ssireum (traditional Korean wrestling) contests, traditional games, hanbok (traditional Korean dress) origami, making songpyeon-shaped soap (moon-shaped traditional Korean rice cake), photo-op spots and quiz games.

Times for each program vary, but they will conclude at 5 p.m. at the latest.

Participation is on a first-come, first-served basis but some require online reservations, which can be made on the museum’s website.

Visitors can also check out the museum’s current exhibition, “What a Brew-tiful Day!” which explores the coffee culture in Korea. The museum is closed on Tuesday.

A child tries out gulleongsoe (hoop-rolling) in Gwangju on Feb. 11 [NEWS1]

Seoul Museum of HistorySept. 18:Finishing off the Chuseok holiday will be the events at Seoul’s history museum. From 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., the history museum’s outdoor plaza in Jongno District, central Seoul, will host traditional games for anyone to participate in for free. Visitors are welcome to try out games like gulleongsoe (hoop-rolling), sabang chigi (hopscotch) and ddakji chigi (throwing folded paper).

For others who want a souvenir to take home, the event offers workshops on making toy models of Seoul’s old subways, phone grip stands from nacre and the traditional mask norigae (ornament).

Up to 300 people can do each activity on a first-come, first-served basis.

Gifts will be given to those who also take part in social media post events and a stamp tour of the museum.

From 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. there will be performances like gilnori and samulnori.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]