Boeun Hoein National Heritage Night Tour

🗓️ 2026.09.11 ~ 2026.09.13

The 2026 Boeun Hoein National Heritage Night is a local cultural heritage event that opens the national heritage sites and village spaces of Hoein-myeon, Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, to the public after dark. The festival takes its narrative from the Pibanryeong Goblin descending on Hoein Village to invite visitors to a mysterious playhouse. Around that storyline, the program is organized into night views (Yagyeong), night walks (Yaro), night stories (Yaseol), night history (Yasa), night flowers (Yahwa), and night markets and snacks (Yasi/Yashik), with night stays (Yasuk) also available.

Visitors follow the magistrate’s procession through historic spaces: Hoein Insan Gaeksa (guest house), Dongheon Naea (magistrate’s official residence), Sajikdan (altar to the gods of earth and grain), Hoein Hyanggyo (local Confucian school), and Pungrimjeongsa. Along the route, the event stages a Manggwollye (ritual to salute the king), professional storyteller performances, traditional games, calligraphy, natural dyeing, and intangible heritage demonstrations and experiences. The venue itself is transformed with night landscapes that use the national heritage as a backdrop, goblin character displays, a moonlight stamp tour, resident participation programs, family experience areas, food areas, flower gardens, and photo zones. It is a night-type cultural heritage festival where visitors can walk through Hoein’s history and living culture and share the value of national heritage and local stories with residents.

Main Programs

• Magistrate’s Procession and Hoein Insan Gaeksa Manggwollye — A procession of the magistrate and a ritual to salute the king, set at the Hoein Insan Gaeksa guest house.
• Pibanryeong Goblin Opening Performance — The opening event that introduces the goblin narrative and sets the tone for the evening.
• Insan Gaeksa Night Performances and Traditional Culture Performances — Evening performances held at the guest house, featuring traditional culture.
• Intangible Heritage Demonstrations and Performances — Opportunities to observe and experience living heritage practices.

Side Programs

• Hoein National Heritage Night Landscapes — Night views of heritage buildings and village spaces.
• Hoein Night Path Stories with a Professional Storyteller — Guided storytelling along the night paths.
• Goblin Busking and Street Performances — Casual performances that animate the streets.
• Hoein Moonlight Camp — A camping program under the moonlight.
• Flower Gardens and Night Photo Zones — Designated areas for nighttime photography.
• Hoein Moonlight Walls and Alley Landscapes — Illuminated walls and alleyways that add to the night atmosphere.

📍 Address: Jungang-ri, Hoein-myeon, Boeun-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Free admission (Some experience programs require advance reservation)

📞 Inquiry: 043-540-3407

⭐️ Instagram: @boeunhoein_26

🖥️ Website: yahang.imweb.me

Hoein is a town in Boeun County, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. During the Joseon period it functioned as a local administrative and cultural center. The name is commonly interpreted as “returning to benevolence,” and the town’s historic buildings and institutions reflect a community organized around Confucian education, ritual, and agriculture.

The main heritage district contains a row of traditional houses, stone boundary walls, and narrow lanes that have been maintained rather than rebuilt. The most important landmark is Hoein Hyanggyo, a Confucian academy where local students were prepared for the civil service exams and where seasonal rites were performed. The buildings are not large, but their proportions, placement, and simple detailing are typical of provincial academic architecture in the Joseon period.

The town also appears in local folklore, particularly stories about dokkaebi, the goblins of Korean mythology. These tales are tied to specific places in and around Hoein, and they are the basis of the Boeun Hoein National Heritage Night Tour. The tour leads visitors through the heritage district after dark, with stops for storytelling and performances at historic sites. The route makes use of the existing nighttime atmosphere of the district rather than relying on elaborate staging, and the result is a quiet kind of theater in which the town’s history and its myths are allowed to stand side by side.

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Cheongyang Chili Pepper and Goji Berry Festival

🗓️ 2026.09.11 ~ 2026.09.13

As autumn arrives in South Korea’s Chungcheongnam-do province, the Cheongyang Chili Pepper and Goji Berry Festival transforms this agricultural heartland into a celebration of two ingredients that define the region’s identity. What distinguishes this festival from countless other harvest celebrations across the country is its unwavering focus on participatory experiences—the organizers have designed nearly every element to engage visitors directly rather than keep them at arm’s length as spectators.

Cheongyang-gun has built its agricultural reputation on these two crops: the slender, vividly red cheongyang chili pepper (청양고추), among the spiciest varieties cultivated in Korea, and the antioxidant-rich goji berry (구기자), which thrives in the area’s continental climate with its sharp temperature swings between day and night. The festival leverages these specialties through what organizers describe as “five-sense satisfying” programs—experiences that engage sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste in equal measure.

What to Experience

The festival unfolds across five interconnected zones, each with a distinct focus:

Food Zone
The culinary offerings extend well beyond typical festival fare. A dedicated food court pavilion houses multiple vendors, while the specialized food experience village zone grants more intimate access to preparation techniques. The spicy liquor (酒) and spicy pride provincial college zone represents a particular curiosity—this appears to be a competitive or exhibition space where regional universities present their interpretations of how these ingredients intersect with alcohol. Food trucks provide additional flexibility for visitors with limited time.

Culture Zone
The World Chili Pepper and Goji Berry Welcome Center anchors this area, presumably offering historical and agricultural context for these crops. The Jicheon Stream photo zone and night landscape installations suggest the festival maintains its atmosphere after dark—a practical consideration given that September evenings remain pleasantly temperate.

Experience Zone
This zone concentrates the festival’s hands-on programming. The chili pepper and goji berry photo booth offers a predictable souvenir opportunity, but more substantively, children can engage with a wood experience booth and participate in making Cheongyang-i character snacks. Rice cake making, face painting, and “magic sponge” activities broaden the appeal for families with younger children.

Market Zone
Direct sales channels connect visitors with regional producers. Chili pepper and goji berry sales booths offer the raw ingredients, local agricultural specialty sales booths expand the selection to other regional products, and Cheongyang bread sales suggest that local bakeries have developed signature items incorporating these flavors.

Event Zone
The scheduled performances and competitions form the festival’s public face. Chef Yeo Kyung-rae’s cooking show provides professional culinary demonstration, while the national high school cooking survival competition—a format familiar from Korean television—offers amateur competitors a substantial platform. The Catch! Teenieping sing-along show addresses the preschool and early elementary demographic through a currently popular animated character. The King of Spicy Pride competition presumably tests participants’ tolerance for the chili pepper’s heat. More communally oriented activities include making giant geotjeori (fresh, unfermented kimchi) and assembling goji berry rice cake mosaics—both yielding tangible, shareable results.

Evening entertainment features invited singers including Song Ga-in (a prominent trot vocalist), Park Ji-hyun, Park Hyun-bin, and Solji (former member of the girl group EXID). The “Spread the Excitement of Cheongyang” and resident autonomy performances suggest additional programming drawn from local community groups.

For Families

The 2026 edition has specifically expanded its offerings for families with children. Beyond the aforementioned Catch! Teenieping performances and photo zones, the kids zone incorporates a wooden culture experience area and appearances by Cheongyang’s official mascots: Cheongyang-i, Cheong-chorong, and Cheong-hong-i. This represents a calculated effort to transform what might otherwise be a niche agricultural festival into multi-generational destination.

Practical Information

📍 Address: 16-6 Euncheondong-gil, Cheongyang-eup, Cheongyang-gun, Chungcheongnam-do

🛏️ Accommodations near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 041-940-4852

🖥️ Homepage: https://칠갑마루.com/_festa

What are Cheongyang chili peppers?

Cheongyang chili peppers (청양고추) are a Korean chili variety developed in the 1980s and named after Cheongyang County in South Chungcheong Province. The peppers are slender, finger-sized, with pointed tips and skin that ranges from deep green to bright red depending on ripeness.

These peppers occupy a specific position on the heat spectrum. At 12,000 to 23,000 Scoville Heat Units, they exceed the mild heat of standard Korean green peppers without approaching the intensity of habaneros or ghost peppers. This range makes them useful for cooks who want noticeable spice without masking other flavors. The heat arrives quickly and lingers, followed by a mild sweetness that becomes more pronounced when the peppers are cooked or dried.

Several environmental factors in Cheongyang County contribute to the pepper’s character. The region’s mountainous elevation, significant temperature variation between day and night, and volcanic-derived soils with good drainage all promote higher capsaicin concentration. These conditions are not unique to Cheongyang, but local agricultural research and selective breeding have refined the variety over four decades.

Cheongyang now dominates domestic production of Korean hot peppers, accounting for roughly 70% of the national supply with annual shipments exceeding 200 billion won. This concentration has created a substantial processing economy. The fresh peppers appear in markets from late summer through autumn, but the harvest extends through year-round products: dried flakes (gochugaru), fermented pastes, oils, flavored snacks, and even capsaicin extracts for topical applications. The county hosts an annual pepper festival that draws visitors primarily from surrounding regions, where the crop serves as both agricultural product and local identifier.

In Korean cooking, “Cheongyang” functions as a shorthand for substantial heat. Restaurant menus often specify Cheongyang peppers to signal that a dish will be noticeably spicy rather than mildly seasoned. Home cooks use them fresh in stews and stir-fries, or dried and ground as a finishing spice. The commercial success of the variety has prompted some consideration of geographical indication protections, though the name has already entered general usage for similarly hot peppers grown elsewhere.

Jeonju Reading Festival

🗓️ 2026.09.11 ~ 2026.09.13

The 9th Jeonju Reading Festival returns as a representative cultural event of Jeonju City, a UNESCO City of Literature since 2019. Held under the dual banners of “Jeonju, a City that Reads Books and Writes Texts” and the spirited tagline “Run, Book,” this edition distinguishes itself through deliberate generational inclusivity and an operational commitment to sustainability that responds to the realities of climate change.

The festival unfolds across three days—Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13, 2026—concentrated around the Jeonju Hanbyeok Cultural Center and Wanpanbon Cultural Center in the Gyodong district. Rather than positioning itself as a niche literary gathering, the organizers have architected distinct programming tracks that accommodate children discovering books for the first time, multi-generational families, and serious readers seeking intellectual depth. The eco-friendly festival model manifests in practical choices about materials, energy use, and waste reduction—an acknowledgment that cultural events carry environmental footprints worth minimizing.

Main Programs

Hanbyeok Cultural Center Performance Hall

• Opening ceremony, invited lectures, and fusion gugak (traditional Korean music) performances anchor the formal program

Exhibition Hall

• “Family Reading Golden Bell,” a quiz competition format where participating families compete on literary knowledge

Outdoor Performance Stage

• Children’s performances, Taekwondo demonstrations, and Madang Changgeuk—a traditional outdoor theatrical form combining music, narration, and drama

Hyanggyo Cultural Center Seminar Room

• Lectures by local authors, moderated reading discussions, seminars, and hands-on reading-related workshops for attendees seeking concentrated engagement

Jeonju-cheon Dong-ro Area

• A curated book market assembling independent bookstores and publishers alongside interactive experience booths

Outdoor Courtyard

• Citizen participation exhibitions and festival-specific special exhibitions

What Sets This Edition Apart

Where previous iterations emphasized scale and spectacle, the 9th festival consolidates around participatory depth and environmental responsibility. The “Family Reading Golden Bell” competition exemplifies this shift—transforming passive attendance into active involvement—while the climate-conscious operational model, rare among Korean regional book festivals, may influence how similar events organize in coming years.

The location itself carries significance. Jeonju’s Gyodong district, adjacent to the Jeonju-cheon stream, provides a walkable concentration of venues that connects the traditional (the Hyanggyo, or Confucian academy) with contemporary cultural infrastructure.

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📍 Address: 20 Jeonju-cheon Dong-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province (Gyodong)

🛏️ Accommodations near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 063-230-1858

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjbook_kr

🖥️ Homepage: https://www.jjbook.kr/?mode=homepage

What is Jeonju famous for?

Jeonju has built its reputation on three distinct but connected foundations: a signature dish, an intact traditional district, and a concentration of literary institutions that together earned the city two UNESCO designations.

The city’s most widely recognized contribution is Jeonju bibimbap. While simplified versions appear internationally, the original preparation remains specific to this region. The dish incorporates local bean sprout broth, seasoned fernbrake, and sesame oil produced in the surrounding area, with traditional preparations using thirty or more distinct components. This specificity helps explain why the city, rather than the dish alone, became a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2012.

Jeonju also contains the country’s most substantial collection of intact hanok buildings. The Jeonju Hanok Village includes roughly eight hundred of these structures, maintained as residences, guesthouses, and workshops. Visitors often rent hanbok to walk the cobblestone lanes, though the area functions as a residential neighborhood rather than a reconstructed heritage site.

The city’s third distinction arrived in 2019, when UNESCO City of Literature status recognized Jeonju’s infrastructure of small publishers, writer residencies, and annual literary events. The combination of both UNESCO designations—unusual for any single municipality—reflects how seriously the city takes cultivation of its food and written cultures. This matters practically: a visitor can attend a poetry reading in a hanok café, then eat a meal whose preparation follows documented local methods, within a few minutes’ walk. The reading festival operates within this existing context, not in spite of it.

Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival

🗓️ 2026.09.10 ~ 2026.09.13

Jangsu-gun is the country’s leading production area for Hanwoo (Korean beef) and apples, and this festival is built around both. First held in 2007, the Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival is Korea’s first red-color festival and reaches its 20th edition in 2026. In 2024, the festival expanded its scope beyond individual agricultural specialties to include Jangsu Red Food, a category covering Hanwoo, apples, omija, and tomatoes. That expansion also brought in processed products such as apple beer, apple soju, apple bread, and omija liquor. What began as Korea’s first red-color festival has since grown into Korea’s first red-food festival, and it is now positioned as a major cultural tourism festival in the country.

Main programs

• Jangsu Hanwoo Yard and Apple Yard: the nation’s largest-scale display of the region’s two signature products, along with a Red Food Zone
• Jangsu Red Food cooking with Hong Seok-cheon
• Making Jangsu temple food

Side programs

• National Hanwoo carcass carrying experience
• Jangsu Cultural Center Gitjeol-nori
• Jangsu Cultural Center Shining Orchestra

Consumer participation programs

Visitors can join hands-on activities throughout the festival, including making apple keyrings, making apple keycaps, apple golf, apple fishing, and apple and omija rice cake pounding.

Other content

• 1,700kg Hanwoo seed bull experience

Visitor information

📍 Address: 378 Hannuri-ro, Jangsu-eup, Jangsu-gun, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 063-350-2356

🖥️ Homepage: Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival

What is Hanwoo?

Hanwoo is the native cattle breed of Korea, raised on the peninsula for more than two thousand years. It is used for beef and is known for heavy intramuscular fat, which appears as fine white marbling. The fat has a relatively low melting point, so it softens quickly during cooking and contributes to a tender texture. The flavor is mild, slightly sweet, and not overpowering, with a short finish rather than a lingering aftertaste.

Production is regulated in stages, from calf rearing through feeding and aging. Hanwoo cattle are typically raised longer than commodity beef cattle and are fed a diet that often includes locally grown grain and forage. Carcasses are graded on marbling, color, and maturity, with the top grades reserved for beef with the most even fat distribution. This system is one reason Hanwoo is more expensive than imported beef.

Jangsu County, in North Jeolla Province, is a major Hanwoo-producing area. Its inland location gives it cool nights and a wide temperature range, which farmers say helps cattle develop fat slowly. The county also has granite-based soil and clean water, both relevant to the feed and pasture used for the herds. Jangsu farmers maintain a regional certification system and market their beef under the Jangsu Hanwoo brand. The cattle are generally processed after two to three years, longer than typical beef production, and the resulting meat is sold through local co-ops, direct orders, and restaurants.

The annual Hanwoo and Apple Festival in Jangsu combines the region’s two main agricultural products. It offers tastings, cooking demonstrations, and direct sales from farms. For anyone interested in Korean beef, the festival is a convenient place to compare several producers in one setting. Hanwoo is also available in Korean barbecue restaurants in major cities, where it is usually grilled over charcoal and served with salt, ssamjang, or a light soy-based sauce.

Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival

🗓️ 2026.09.10 ~ 2026.09.13

*The following festival details are from the previous year’s (2025) festival; details for the 2026 festival are currently being updated.*

With Hanwoo (Korean beef) and apples as its central themes, this is Korea’s first “Red Color Festival”—a distinction it has held since its inception in 2007. The festival reached its 19th edition in 2025, making it one of the more established regional celebrations in Jeonbuk Province. What began as a straightforward agricultural showcase has undergone a notable transformation; starting in 2024, the festival moved beyond its two original pillars to encompass what organizers now term “Jangsu Red Food,” incorporating omija (Schisandra berry) and tomato alongside Hanwoo and apples.

This expansion into a broader culinary category has accompanied a push into value-added products. Visitors now encounter not merely raw ingredients but a range of processed goods: apple beer, apple soju, apple bread, and omija liquor among them. The festival’s evolution from Korea’s first Red Color Festival to what it bills as Korea’s first Red Food Festival reflects a deliberate effort to reposition itself within the competitive landscape of Korean cultural tourism events.

Programs and Activities

The festival divides its offerings into four categories, allowing visitors to calibrate their participation according to interest and energy level.

1. Main Programs

The core experience centers on three large-scale installations: the Jangsu Hanwoo Yard, which organizers describe as the nation’s largest; the Apple Yard; and the Red Food Zone. Beyond these exhibition and market spaces, the festival has incorporated interactive culinary programming, including a Jangsu Red Food cooking experience featuring chefs from Culinary Class Wars (the Netflix series known for its Black and White Chefs format). Additional main-stage activities include a Jangsu Red Food temple food making experience and a parent-child cooking program focused on tomato spaghetti preparation.

2. Side Programs

For those drawn to spectacle and physical competition, the festival offers the National Hanwoo carcass carrying experience—a test of strength involving the literal transport of beef carcasses—and the National Jangsu Hanwoo power arm-wrestling competition.

3. Consumer Participation Programs

Hands-on activities with lower barriers to entry include Jangsu apple bracelet making, Jangsu apple keyring crafting, apple golf, apple fishing, and apple rice cake pounding (a twist on the traditional tteok preparation ritual).

4. Other Content

Younger visitors or those seeking gentler interactions can access pony riding and horse feeding experiences.

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📍 Address: 378 Hannuri-ro, Jangsu-eup, Jangsu-gun, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province

🛏️ Accommodations near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 063-350-2356

🖥️ Website: https://www.jangsufestival.com/index.php

What is Hanwoo?

Hanwoo is Korea’s native cattle breed, Bos taurus coreanae. For centuries, these animals were bred on the Korean Peninsula primarily as draft animals for rice farming, with written records of their husbandry appearing as early as the second century BCE. Their transition to beef production occurred gradually through the twentieth century as mechanization reduced demand for agricultural labor and rising incomes created new markets for premium domestic meat. By the 1990s, Hanwoo had been repositioned as a luxury product, differentiated from imported beef through branding and quality controls that emphasized its Korean origin.

The breed’s physical characteristics reflect both its history and its current purpose. Hanwoo cattle are generally smaller and slower-maturing than European beef breeds, with a genetic disposition toward intramuscular fat deposition that differs from the more subcutaneous fat typical of Angus or Hereford. Their meat shows fine, web-like marbling rather than the larger fat seams common in heavily grain-finished American beef. The fat itself has a lower melting point and a higher proportion of oleic acid, which produces the clean, slightly sweet flavor that distinguishes Hanwoo from the richer, more complex taste of Japanese Wagyu. The muscle color tends toward bright cherry red, a visual marker that Korean consumers associate with freshness and quality.

Production standards are intensive and tightly controlled. The national grading system, administered by the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, assigns numerical scores for marbling distribution, meat color, fat color, and texture, with 1++ reserved for carcasses meeting the most stringent criteria across all categories. Most cattle enter feedlots at twelve to sixteen months and remain on grain-based finishing rations for an additional six to twelve months—substantially longer than the typical four-to-six-month finishing period for American beef. This extended feeding, combined with the breed’s slower growth rate, means Hanwoo cattle often reach market weight at twenty-four to thirty months of age. The result is higher feed costs and lower throughput, which producers recoup through premium pricing in a domestic market that has historically limited imported beef through tariffs and quotas.

Regional variations within Hanwoo production have developed their own reputations. Hoengseong in Gangwon Province, located in the mountainous interior where the 2018 Winter Olympics were held, established the benchmark for premium Hanwoo during the 1990s and early 2000s through coordinated marketing and consistent grading. More recently, Jangsu County in North Jeolla Province has built comparable recognition by emphasizing longer finishing periods—often pushing cattle past thirty months—and by documenting lineage through bloodline registries that appeal to consumers seeking assurance of genetic purity. The region’s producers cite local water quality and temperature differentials between day and night as factors contributing to cattle health and feed conversion, though the extent to which these variables meaningfully affect meat quality remains subject to the interpretive preferences of graders and consumers rather than controlled analysis.

The economics of Hanwoo production continue to evolve. Domestic consumption peaked in the mid-2000s as beef prices rose and pork, which Korea produces more efficiently, captured market share. Export efforts have been limited by production volume constraints and by the breed’s adaptation to a specific palate—Korean consumers generally prefer leaner, less marbled meat than Japanese or American markets. Recent research programs have attempted to reduce finishing times through selective breeding without sacrificing marbling scores, with mixed results. Meanwhile, the status associations of Hanwoo consumption persist: the meat remains a fixture of gift-giving, celebratory meals, and business entertainment, occasions where its price reinforces rather than constrains its appeal.

Deoksugung Palace’s Stone Hall at Night

🗓️ 2026.09.09 ~ 2026.10.18

Seokjojeon, whose name translates literally to “Stone Hall,” is the neoclassical centerpiece of Deoksugung Palace. The Korean Empire’s last years unfolded within its walls, and its stately Western facade has stood in striking contrast to the palace’s traditional pavilions for over a century. [Seokjojeon Hall by Night at Deoksugung Palace] opens this historically charged building to visitors after sunset—guiding them through the halls, the flavors, and the stories of the imperial family that once called it home.

Unlike an ordinary daytime visit, the program is structured around four connected experiences:

1. Deoksugung, Seokjojeon Night Tour — Exhibition viewing and commentary at the Seokjojeon Great Empire History Museum, led by a professional guide.
2. Terrace Cafe Experience — Tasting Emperor Gojong’s Gabae-cha (coffee) and desserts on the 2nd-floor terrace of Seokjojeon, with classical music in the background. Three types of refreshments are provided, and each visitor chooses one of four beverages.
3. Reception Room Musical — Watching a creative musical that offers a glimpse into the period of the Korean Empire.
4. Insaeng-gung-cut — Taking commemorative photos at a self-photo box with the night view of Seokjojeon as the backdrop, complete with Enlightenment-era props.

The program began as a pilot project in 2021. Its reception exceeded expectations, leading to an official launch in 2022, and it has been operated semi-annually since 2023. It is a complex cultural experience that allows visitors to travel back in time to the Seokjojeon Hall of Deoksugung Palace, where the stories of the Korean Empire’s imperial family are carried by the palace staff—and to carry those memories home through ‘Insaeng-gung-cut’ photos and souvenirs using Enlightenment-era props.

What stays with visitors is the cumulative effect of the evening. Under the guidance of palace staff, the night moves from the Seokjojeon Great Empire History Museum to the terrace, where Emperor Gojong’s coffee and desserts are served to the sound of classical music; then to the reception room for a musical performance; and finally to a self-photo box, where the illuminated facade of Seokjojeon becomes the backdrop for a commemorative photograph—a fitting end to a night inside one of Seoul’s most resonant historical spaces.

• 📍 Address: 99 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul (Jeong-dong)
• 🛏️ Accommodations near the event
• 💰 Fee: Paid (35,000 won per person)
• 📞 Inquiry: 1522-2295
• ⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.heritage.agency/
• 🖥️ Website: https://www.kh.or.kr/short/M3K4

Seokjojeon Hall is a two-story stone building in Deoksugung Palace, built in a Western neoclassical style. Its name translates to “Stone Hall,” a reference to the pale granite facade that sets it apart from the traditional Korean pavilions and gates elsewhere in the palace grounds. The symmetrical composition, columns, and formal detailing signal its intended purpose: to house a royal court that wanted to present itself as a modern, internationally recognized state.

Construction began in 1900, during the Korean Empire. Emperor Gojong had declared the empire in 1897 and was pursuing reforms meant to secure Korea’s standing as a sovereign state. The building was designed by the British architect John Reginald Harding and was completed in 1910, originally intended as a royal residence and reception hall where foreign diplomats could be entertained. Japan’s annexation of Korea that year changed that use. Under Japanese rule, the building was put to administrative and museum purposes, and after liberation it served for decades as part of the National Museum.

The building is now the Daehan Empire History Museum. Its restored interior includes the throne room, the emperor’s study, and the reception rooms, fitted with period furniture, chandeliers, and patterned wallpaper. The collection covers the final years of the Korean Empire, from the court’s daily life to its diplomatic activities. The museum presents this period through the objects and rooms themselves.

At night, the exterior is illuminated, and the palace grounds host concerts, musicals, and a coffee service in the courtyard. The coffee program is popular because it allows visitors to sit in a setting once reserved for official functions. Seokjojeon Hall remains one of the clearest surviving examples of Korea’s attempt to meet that era’s challenges through architecture and diplomacy.

National Heritage Media Art Buyeo Jeongnimsa Temple Site

🗓️ 2026.09.07 ~ 2026.09.27

The 2026 National Heritage Media Art Buyeo Jeongnimsa Temple Site transforms the historic grounds of Buyeo Jeongnimsa Temple into a nighttime exhibition of media art, centered on the scholars of Sabi Baekje and the knowledge, technology, and national heritage of that era. Running for 21 days from September 7 to September 27, 2026, the event is held daily from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM around the temple site, with the Five-Story Stone Pagoda and the former lecture hall serving as key stages for a program that spans image projections, laser art, lighting effects, large-screen installations, visitor-participation content, AI-based experiences, and kinetic art.

The works draw directly on the historical and cultural vocabulary of Sabi Baekje, including the Baekje Gilt-Bronze Incense Burner, lotus-patterned roof tiles, and the kingdom’s achievements in astronomy, crafts, and architecture. Visitors move through both observational and hands-on content, with each zone offering a distinct entry point into the past.

Zone 1

• Boundary of Light
• Light of Sabi
• Lotus Pond of Light
• Pagoda of Light
• Scripture of Light
• Sabi Sermon
• Sabi Garden

Zone 2

• Incense Burner of Light
• Sabi Astronomy
• Wave of Light
• Sabi Flower Point
• Light of Wisdom
• Sabi Workshop
• Pattern of Light & Light Play

Zone 3

• Path of Wisdom
• Light of Transmission

📍 Address: 83 Jeongnim-ro, Buyeo-eup, Buyeo-gun, Chungcheongnam-do

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 041-837-1722

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mediaartbuyeo/

🖥️ Homepage: https://mediaartbuyeo.com/

Sabi Baekje is the name given to the final period of the ancient Korean kingdom of Baekje, when its capital was located at Sabi, in present-day Buyeo County, South Chungcheong Province. The period began in 538 CE, when King Seong moved the court from Ungjin (now Gongju) to Sabi, and ended with the kingdom’s fall in 660 CE.

During this time, the Baekje court established Buddhism as the state religion and used it to consolidate royal authority. The government commissioned temples, sculptures, and ritual objects, and the capital became a node in a network of maritime exchange with China and Japan. Priests, envoys, and artisans traveled through Sabi, carrying texts, Buddhist imagery, and building techniques. The art produced in this period is marked by a restrained sense of line and proportion, and it had a lasting effect on the religious art and architecture of East Asia, particularly in Asuka-period Japan.

The Jeongnimsa temple site in Buyeo is among the most significant surviving remains from the Sabi period. It was a royal temple at the center of the capital, and its layout and stone pagoda provide concrete evidence of Baekje’s architectural practice. The site is now part of the Baekje Historic Areas designated by UNESCO, and it is displayed with lighting and media installations that allow visitors to read the excavated foundations and pagoda without reconstructing the original buildings. Those installations keep the site accessible; the historical record does the rest.

Car-Free Jamsu Bridge Walking Festival

🗓️ 2026.09.06 ~ 2026.10.25

The 2026 Jamsugyo Car-Free Walking Festival is a free event hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Future Hangang Headquarters. It is one of Seoul’s representative street festivals, designed for citizens to enjoy relaxation in the city center and a wide range of cultural programs. The permanent programs around the Jamsugyo area have been further expanded, and eight special programs change every session, giving repeat visitors a different experience from week to week.

Permanent Programs

The permanent lineup includes the Moonlight Restaurant, where foods from various countries gather; the Moonlight Shop, where visitors can find their own items ranging from handicrafts to eco-friendly accessories; and shelters where people of all ages can return to their childhood and enjoy activities or relax.

• Moonlight Playground
• Moonlight Restaurant
• Moonlight Shop
• Moonlight Shelter
• Moonlight Workshop
• Moonlight Gallery
• Ddoo-Ddoo Naktabong Canvas

Special Programs

Eight special programs are scheduled by week. Highlights include Ddoo-gether Water Wars, a cool water gun festival to enjoy the last of summer at Jamsugyo, and Jamsugyo Media Art Night, a new attempt on Jamsugyo Bridge.

• Week 1: Ddoo-gether Water Wars
• Week 2: Club: ONDAY
• Week 3: Jamsugyo Autumn Sports Day
• Week 4: Walking Hangawi Hanmadang
• Week 5: Jamsugyo Gourmet Road
• Week 6: Jamsugyo Media Art Night
• Week 7: Jamsugyo Wellness DAY
• Week 8: COACH X Spotify Project

Collaborative Programs

• Gusukgusuk Live
• Seoro Market
• Silent DJ Party

📍 Address: Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Free (some programs have a fee)

📞 Inquiry: 02-6401-9717

⭐️ Instagram

🖥️ Website

What is Jamsu Bridge (Jamsugyo)?

Jamsu Bridge (Jamsugyo in Korean) spans the Han River in Seoul, running alongside the larger Banpo Bridge. It is a low-lying bridge, and its name refers to submersion: during periods of heavy rain, the river can rise high enough to cover the bridge, at which point traffic is halted until the water recedes. The design allows the river’s flood capacity to remain high by avoiding a raised structure.

In normal conditions, Jamsu Bridge carries road traffic across the river. During the Jamsugyo Car-Free Walking Festival, however, the bridge is temporarily closed to vehicles and opened to pedestrians. People can cross the river on foot, watch performances, and see the Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain at close range. The 2026 edition continues this arrangement with free weekly programming, including concerts, art installations, and activities designed for families.