Dongdaemun-gu's 'Cheongryong Cultural Festival' Celebrates Bountiful Harvest Prayer

The 34th Cheongryong Cultural Festival Held on the 26th at Yongdu Elementary School in Dongdaemun-gu
Featuring a Royal Procession, Traditional Performances, and Traditional Costume Fashion Show

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) announced on the 26th that the "34th Cheongryong Cultural Festival" was successfully held at the playground of Seoul Yongdu Elementary School.

This event is Dongdaemun-gu's representative cultural festival inherited from the Joseon Dynasty's rain ritual, a traditional ceremony praying for community harmony and a bountiful harvest.

The Cheongryong Cultural Festival was jointly hosted by the Dongdaemun Cultural Center (Director Yoon Jong-il) and the Cheongryong Cultural Festival Preservation Committee (Chairman Kim Young-seop), with support from Dongdaemun-gu.

Among the "Obangtoryongdan" altars established in five regions of Hanyang by the order of King Taejong, the third king of Joseon, the "Dongbang Cheongryongdan," which was the first to be constructed, is the altar currently located in Yongdu-dong. The "Dongbang Cheongryongje," a rain ritual performed during droughts, was characterized by the king personally bestowing a ceremonial gift and conducting the ritual.

This ritual, which had ceased during the Japanese colonial period, was revived in 1991 by the "Yongduje Preservation Committee" and local residents under the name "Yongduje," eventually developing into the current "Cheongryong Cultural Festival."

At this 34th Cheongryong Cultural Festival, Kim Hong-san, a local resident and CEO of Buhung Beat, played the role of the king. After a preliminary event called "Gilnori," the official opening ceremony began at 10 a.m. Then, a royal procession with the king and his officials accompanied by a traditional military band moved to the altar, adding a traditional atmosphere.

After the king ascended the altar and performed the "Dongbang Cheongryongjehyang," a ritual praying for a bountiful harvest, the "Jinsangrye" ceremony, offering this year's harvested rice, followed. Subsequently, invited performances included the traditional Korean opera "Baebangigut" and "Joseon's Magic Troupe," along with a traditional costume fashion show featuring local residents.

The event venue also featured various experience booths such as ▲traditional kite making ▲multicultural experience booth ▲spinning top making ▲rice cake making ▲face painting, allowing residents to participate and enjoy together.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, "The Cheongryong Cultural Festival, along with the Seonnongdaeje, is a representative traditional cultural event of Dongdaemun-gu that contains the spirit and breath of our ancestors," adding, "We will do our best to make Dongdaemun-gu a place where history and culture live and breathe."

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