‘Heojun Festival’ at Seoul Botanical Garden from 13th to 15th, first time in 4 years since COVID-19

Gangseo-gu Representative Festival Jeonggi-shin Experience, Marathon, and Singing Contest, etc.

The 'Heo Jun Festival,' the representative festival of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, will be held at the Seoul Botanic Park for the first time in four years since COVID-19. (Photo by Gangseo-gu)

Gangseo-gu, Seoul, will hold the "21st Heo Jun Festival" from the 13th to the 15th of this month at the Seoul Botanic Park and Heo Jun Museum. The Heo Jun Festival, a representative local event, is being held for the first time in four years since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Heo Jun Festival is a resident participation festival that anyone can enjoy, featuring over 70 events across six themes (Let's Heo Jun, Let's Join, Let's Perform, Let's Challenge, Let's Experience, Let's Appreciate) over three days. The main venue is the lawn yard of the Botanic Park.

The themed program "Let's Heo Jun" is the main event of the Heo Jun Festival and is operated at two special experience spaces related to Heo Jun and the Donguibogam: the "Jeong Gi Shin Experience Hall" and the "Heo Jun Village Experience Hall." The "Jeong Gi Shin Experience Hall" is an exhibition and experience space themed on the essence of the human body in Donguibogam: Jeong (精) = body, Gi (氣) = energy, and Shin (神) = spirit.

In the "Jeong" section, visitors can experience InBody analysis, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, shoulder ultrasound, rhinitis management, and body shape management. The "Gi" section offers experiences such as a cotton candy bicycle generator, VR sports games, mini curling, and a challenge to become the arm wrestling king. The "Shin" section provides aroma scent therapy for calming the mind, worry doll making, and personal color diagnosis. Additionally, cultural interpreters introduce the medical skills of Heo Jun and the greatness of Donguibogam, a UNESCO Memory of the World.

The "Heo Jun Village Experience Hall" recreates the lively Joseon era marketplace as the stage for the time travel program "Go! Go! Joseon World." The humorous and vivid acting of professional actors creates the illusion of being in the Joseon period. Under the guidance of experience program experts, visitors can make Jin-gyeong landscape octagonal lanterns at Gyeomjae Art Studio, try tarot reading at a fortune-telling house, and stack medicinal herb packets at a herbal medicine shop. The "Jeong Gi Shin Experience Hall" and "Heo Jun Village Experience Hall" can be visited on the 14th and 15th at the Botanic Park lawn yard.

On the 14th, the "Gangseo Heo Jun Marathon," with over 2,600 participants, will take place around the Botanic Park lawn yard and Hangang Park area.

The "Opening Ceremony" will be held at 7 p.m. on the 14th at the Botanic Park lawn yard, featuring the opening theme performance?a media performance titled "Royal Physician Heo Jun, Becoming Light," which combines creative dance, traditional Korean drum performance, and video. Following the opening ceremony, the Heo Jun Concert, featuring artists such as Davichi, will add excitement to the festival returning after four years.

The district office has planned the nationwide event "Heo Jun National Song Festival" to offer richer enjoyment to residents and promote Gangseo-gu nationwide. The "Heo Jun National Song Festival," following the opening of the closing ceremony at 6 p.m. on the 15th, will conclude the Heo Jun Festival with fireworks.

Park Dae-woo, Acting Mayor of Gangseo-gu, said, "This year's Heo Jun Festival is planned as a resident participation festival with various programs such as a marathon, song festival, and various experience halls so that anyone can enjoy it. We hope families, couples, and friends visit the festival site together and create unforgettable memories."

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