Junggu's 'Jeongdong Night Tour' Revived After 5 Years

October 13-14 Event... 30 Organizations Participate in Night Openings and Rich Cultural Activities... Pre-Events, Events, and Supporter Recruitment Raise Festival Excitement

A dream that never stops, connecting the past and present, meets once again in Jeong-dong.

Jung-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Gil-seong) will host 'Jeong-dong Night Walk (Jeongdong Yahaeng, 貞洞夜行)' on October 13 and 14, inviting the dream of the Korean Empire back to Jeong-dong for two days.

'Jeongdong Yahaeng' is a historical and cultural themed festival where visitors can stroll along Jeongdong-gil, a treasure trove of modern cultural heritage, and enjoy the autumn night atmosphere. This year, under the theme 'Rendezvous of Dreams ? a meeting of past and present through dreams at the center (Jeong-dong),' the festival highlights Jeong-dong as the 'center where the dream of modernization gathered' amid the whirlwinds of modern history.

The festival opens grandly with the majestic melodies of the palace music concert in front of Deoksugung Jungwhajeon Hall. Over 30 historical and cultural facilities, including Deoksugung Palace and the Seoul Museum of Art, participate, offering a rich festival program centered on ▲ Night Flowers (Yahwa, night openings and performances at Jeong-dong historical and cultural facilities), ▲ Night Road (Yaro, Jeong-dong walking guided tours), ▲ Night History (Yasa, Deoksugung stone wall road experience programs), ▲ Night Setup (Yaseol, street performances), ▲ Night Scenery (Yagyeong, Jeong-dong nightscape), and ▲ Night Food (Yasik, food offerings).

Started by Jung-gu in 2015, Jeongdong Yahaeng was Korea’s first cultural heritage night walk festival, attracting over 200,000 Seoul citizens and foreign tourists annually. It has been recognized as a successful local festival model, with benchmarking events held nationwide. Until 2018, the festival was held every May and October, then managed by Seoul city, and now Jung-gu is hosting it again after five years.

Carrying on the legacy of the 'original Jeongdong Yahaeng' and adding a modern sensibility that appeals to the MZ generation, preparations are underway to create a festival that all generations can enjoy. Plans include recruiting SNS supporters, Instagram follow events, creative poetry contests, and a nationwide singing contest to build excitement for the October event.

The district is recruiting SNS ambassadors (supporters) who will make the festival more 'hip and hot.' Supporters will post various festival-related content on SNS, such as 'How to fully enjoy Jeongdong Yahaeng' and 'Jeong-dong’s modern history seen better when you know more,' to raise interest and participation. Any citizen with a personal SNS account can apply through the official '2023 Jeongdong Yahaeng' Instagram by September 3. The activity period runs from the kickoff ceremony on September 11 until the event ends on October 14.

To celebrate D-50 days before the opening, an official Instagram follow event will also be held. Anyone with an Instagram account can participate until September 2. Participants need to follow the official '2023 Jeongdong Yahaeng' Instagram account, like the event post, and leave a supportive comment. Twenty participants will be randomly selected to receive Starbucks Americano gifticons.

As a pre-event, the district also held the '2023 Jeongdong Yahaeng Creative Poetry Contest,' receiving 150 entries by the 22nd. The final results will be announced after judging in September. Winners will receive prizes up to 500,000 KRW. The winning poems will be exhibited along the Deoksugung stone wall road during the festival, adding romance and charm to the event.

The 'KBS National Singing Contest' held at Jangchung Gymnasium on September 2 is expected to announce the revival of Jung-gu’s representative festival Jeongdong Yahaeng nationwide and heighten anticipation for the main event. Fifteen teams who passed the preliminary round, along with five popular singers including Jinseong, Hyunsook, Shin Seung-tae, Hong Ji-yoon, and Doojamae, will perform, boosting the talents and enthusiasm of Jung-gu residents.

Kim Gil-seong, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, “Our district’s representative festival has returned,” and added, “We will hold a more developed Jeongdong Yahaeng that allows people to enjoy our historical sites from modern times to the present in various ways and connect meaningfully through a ‘rendezvous (meeting).”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.