Spring Palace and Royal Tomb Programs Greatly Expanded... Jongmyo Daeje and Royal Tomb Forest Trails Open

Last year's Royal Palace Culture Festival opening ceremony.

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The Cultural Heritage Administration announced on April 7 that it will expand its spring programs utilizing the Four Grand Palaces, Jongmyo Shrine, and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.

The signature event, the Royal Palace Culture Festival, will be held from April 25 to May 3 at the five royal palaces and Jongmyo Shrine. This year, the festival has increased the number of audience-participation programs as well as sessions exclusively for foreign visitors. Featured activities include "A Day Out at Gyeonghoeru with Musicians of the Jangakwon" for single-parent families, multicultural households, and seniors; "Gyeongbokgung Palace Time Travel," which allows visitors to experience a day in the life of a Joseon palace; the nighttime "Dance of the Moon with Crown Prince Hyomyeong" program at Changdeokgung Palace; and "The Emperor's Table," a special program for foreign visitors.

Last year, Jongmyo Daeje Jeonjeon Ritual.

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A memorial rite for King Danjong and Queen Jeongsun, who were featured in the film "The King and the Clown," will be held on April 11. The ceremonies will begin with the memorial at Sareung in Namyangju, followed by wildflower planting at Jangneung in Yeongwol, and then the Jangneung memorial rite. A Cultural Heritage Administration official explained, "Namyangju and Yeongwol will connect the two royal tombs, which have been separated for over 500 years, through the motif of 'flowers.'"

On May 3, the Jongmyo Daeje ritual will be performed at Yeongnyeongjeon and Jeonjeon Halls at Jongmyo Shrine. The ceremony will be broadcast live on a large screen at the Heungnyemun Square in Gyeongbokgung Palace and streamed in real time through the Cultural Heritage Administration's YouTube channel.

Outdoor Ginkgo Tree at the National Palace Museum of Korea.

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The forest trails around the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty will be open for six weeks, from May 16 to June 30, at nine different tomb sites. These include Donggureung in Guri, the fir tree trail at Gwangneung in Namyangju, Sareung in Namyangju, and Taereung and Kangneung in Seoul, among others.

Meanwhile, the National Palace Museum of Korea will begin accepting applications for autumn wedding venues from April 8. From the second to the fifth week of October, the museum will offer its outdoor ginkgo tree rest area as a venue for ceremonies and receptions every Saturday and Sunday, twice daily (at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.). The museum will also provide rental support for the venue and equipment.

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