South Korea’s annual K-Royal Cultural Festival returns to Seoul for its 12th edition, spotlighting ancient court culture and offering travellers a chance a taste of royal life – with a contemporary cultural twist.
Running from 24 April to 3 May, the festival will take place across five palaces in Seoul-Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, Gyeonghuigung Palaces – as well as Jongmyo Shrine.
While visitors already have access to the palaces on regular days, the festival will offer a variety of experiences not easily or typically available during those visits. Event visitors can also expect various enactments, performances, exhibitions, experiences, and programmes.
This year’s theme is ‘Palaces, Awakening the Arts’, which is designed to provide hands-on experience on South Korea’s royal culture, with performances bringing together K-pop and traditional Korean music, nighttime tours, and culinary experience programmes.
To welcome international travellers, 300 tickets for the opening ceremony on 24 April have been set aside for overseas visitors through advance reservation.
At the opening ceremony on 24 April for instance, the Gyeongbokgung Palace Heungnyemun Gate Square will host a large-scale performance spanning not just the traditional royal court dance, but also a hanbok fashion show, and a gugak (traditional Korean music) EDM performance.
At Changdeokgung Palace – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – a new nighttime programmeme titled “The Dance of Crown Prince Hyomyeong and the Moon” will run from 28 to 30 April. The immersive evening tour invites visitors to move through different palace spaces while following the story of Crown Prince Hyomyeong, a historical patron of the arts during the Joseon court. The English-language programme is limited to 40 participants per day through advance reservation.
Another popular experience, “Awakening the Morning Palace,” will also offer sessions exclusively for international visitors from 28 April to 3 May. Participants can wander through the palace halls and Secret Garden while learning about the architecture and history of Changdeokgung in the calm of the early morning.
Other popular programmes to look out for are The Emperor’s Dining Table for a taste of dishes inspired by imperial banquet cuisine, a K-Heritage Market, and the Gyeongbokgung Time Travel – Royal Palace Daily Life section recreating scenes of everyday life in the Joseon Dynasty royal court.
