The ‘Autumn Royal Culture Festival’ will take place from October 9th to 13th, featuring various cultural events such as court music and ballet at the palaces. The festival will be held at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, and Deoksugung Palace. Some events require advance reservations starting on the 23rd on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Cultural Heritage Administration and the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced that the festival will feature diverse performances, exhibitions, experiences, and lectures, as well as specialized events focusing on hanbok. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the festival offers a unique opportunity to enjoy traditional and contemporary arts in the beautiful palaces. The festival, held every spring and autumn, attracted 600,000 domestic and international visitors in May.
At Gyeongbokgung Palace, a fusion performance combining ballet and court music called ‘Gyeongbokgung Music Hall – Ballet x Sujechun’ will be held at Jibokjae from October 10th to 13th. The performance, which has expanded participation due to audience response, requires advance reservations for both domestic and foreign visitors. Other activities include ‘Royal Family’s Palace Walk’ recreating a royal family’s stroll in the palace.
Various programs related to hanbok will be offered, including historical insights and hanbok accessory making at ‘Gyeongbokgung Sanguiwon’, hanbok cultural content enjoyment through traditional music performances and experiences at ‘Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Yeonhyang’, and an interdisciplinary concert on the significance of hanbok in movies and history at ‘Humanities Concert – Hanbok, Heavenly Clothes’. Additionally, there will be an exhibition of award-winning photos depicting beautiful hanboks in palaces and a ‘Hanbok Best Dresser Selection Event’.
Changgyeonggung Palace will host a play titled ‘Boksakgot, Thinking Sad’ based on the stories of Yeongjo and Sadoseja, Jeongjo, and Queen Hyegyeonggung (Heonkeunghu). There will also be a media art installation ‘Changgyeonggung Moonlight Flower’ at Chunangji and ‘Gyeongbokgung Music Hall – Adding Classic to Elegance’.
Changdeokgung Palace will offer a storytelling session about the palace by artist Lee Si-woo and historian Ahn Ji-young, as well as the ‘Morning Palace Awakening’ where visitors can stroll through the quiet palace in the morning. An online program called ‘Everyone’s Pungsokdo’ will allow participants to create and share their own characters from the Joseon Dynasty.
For detailed information about the festival schedule, free and paid programs, and reservations, visit the websites of the Cultural Heritage Administration, National Cultural Heritage Administration, Royal Culture Festival, and official Instagram account. Ticket reservations for pre-booked programs will begin on the 23rd at 12 PM through Ticketlink. During the festival, a limited number of special passes called ‘Palace Passes’ will be available for unlimited entry to the four palaces and Jongmyo Shrine.