Jeongdong Culture Night festival to celebrate area's rich history

The Jeongdong Culture Night festival is set to take place in the stone wall path surrounding Deoksu Palace and the Jeong-dong neighborhood in Jung District, central Seoul, on May 23 and 24.

The Jeongdong Culture Night festival from 2024 [JUNG DISTRICT OFFICE]

The Jeongdong Culture Night festival is set to take place in the stone wall path surrounding Deoksu Palace and the Jeong-dong neighborhood in Jung District, central Seoul, on May 23 and 24.

First launched in 2015, the festival aims to spotlight Jeong-dong’s historical identity and promote cultural tourism in the area. The neighborhood boasts an array of Western-style brick buildings built during the late-19th and early-20th centuries, serving as the location of some of the country’s first modern schools, churches, embassies and residences.

This year’s theme, “The Light of Jeongdong, Embroidering the Future,” reflects the area’s legacy as a place where Western modernity intersected with Korean tradition.

The event will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on May 23 and from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on May 24.

The festival will be filled with the following: late-night access to historical sites and cultural performances, hands-on programs along the streets of Jeong-dong, street performances, guided historical walking tours, nighttime landscape displays, street food vendors and an outdoor art market.

The centerpiece of the event will be the participation of 35 cultural and historic institutions — including embassies, museums and religious sites — that will open their doors for evening tours, performances and exhibitions.

Opening night festivities will begin at 6:50 p.m. at Deoksu Palace, with a concert set against the backdrop of the historic royal court. Last year’s opening ceremony drew over 2,000 visitors. This year’s performers include Jung District’s honorary ambassador and pianist Daniel Lindemann and singer-songwriter Sunwoojunga.

The Jeongdong Culture Night festival from 2024 [JUNG DISTRICT OFFICE]

One of the festival’s most popular programs, the Embassy Tour, will return this year. The Embassy of Canada in Korea will host a lecture on Korean and Canadian folk beliefs, while the British Embassy will offer a guided tour of its historic grounds.

Religious institutions in Jeong-dong are also worth visiting. The Chungdong First Methodist Church will host organ and quartet performances. The Seoul Anglican Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Nicholas, located next to the British Embassy, will present a pipe organ recital, while the Salvation Army Museum of History will host a performance by the Salvation Army band.

Several memorial halls and museums will contribute to the programs as well. Ewha Girls’ High School’s Centennial Memorial Hall will feature a lecture by history educator Choi Tae-sung and offer guided tours of the school. Paichai School’s History Museum will stage a media facade concert and host a special talk by architect Hwang Doo-jin. The Korea Territorial Development Museum will hold an opera performance by Operaum.

Guided historical walking tours will be offered in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese to accommodate international visitors. This year, over 200 Jung District residents will volunteer as festival staff supporting and operating the event.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY LEE SOO-KI [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]