Jeong-dong Culture Night to illuminate central Seoul's modern history this week

People enjoy the opening ceremony of the Jeong-dong Culture Night at Deoksu Palace in central Seoul, Oct. 13, 2023. Courtesy of Jung District Office

Seoul's Jeong-dong Culture Night will showcase the city's historic and cultural landmarks from Friday to Saturday near Deoksu Palace and Jeong-dong in Jung District.

First held in 2015, the event is Korea's premier nighttime cultural property festival. It has successfully drawn over 200,000 local and international visitors annually, establishing itself as an authentic regional festival.

Visitors can explore Korea's modern history and culture along Jeongdong-gil, starting from Deoksu Palace Stone-wall Road to notable sites such as the Seoul Museum of Art, Chungdong First Methodist Church, Jeongdong Theater, Ewha Girls' High School and the Kyunghyang Shinmun building.

Under the theme "spring" this year, it will feature a variety of activities, including historical and cultural facility tours, cultural performances, street performances, experiential programs, historical commentary tours and vibrant night installations. Additionally, visitors can enjoy food, craft markets and handcraft workshops along the Stone-wall Road.

A total of 36 venues, encompassing public institutions, cultural assets, museums, galleries, embassies, religious sites and performance halls, will participate, offering nightly openings, performances, exhibitions and special programs.

The festival will kick off with a concert on Friday at 7 p.m. The classical music group Club M, including Kim Joon-soo from the National Changgeuk Company, well-known in the classical music scene, will perform a blend of traditional and classical music in front of Junghwajeon at Deoksu Palace.

The embassy tour, always a crowd favorite, returns this year. Participants can visit the Canadian and British embassies in Korea by pre-registering on the official website of Jeong-dong Culture Night.

The Canadian Embassy will welcome visitors for 40 minutes starting at 7 p.m. Friday, while the British Embassy will offer 30-minute tours at 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday.

The 2023 Jeong-dong Culture Night featured various street markets along the Deoksu Palace Stone-wall Road. Courtesy of Jung District Office

A docent program, which will be guided by cultural commentators, will run throughout the festival. Starting from the Appenzeller Noble Memorial Museum, participants can enjoy guided tours in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese, providing in-depth historical insights while walking along Jeongdong-gil. Registration for these tours is available both online in advance and on-site.

The festival will also feature pipe organ performances at Chungdong First Methodist Church and Seoul Anglican Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Nicholas, popular among foreign tourists.

At Chungdong First Methodist Church, performances combining Korea's first pipe organ with traditional Korean musical instruments will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Music concerts at the Seoul Anglican Cathedral are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Friday, and 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday.

"There are many historical attractions in Jung District. We hope visitors can immerse themselves in a spring atmosphere with diverse cultural heritage and night activities in Seoul," Jung District Mayor Kim Kil-sung said.