Suwon, famous for its Hwaseong fortress, offers many festivals throughout the year. From jazz and theatre festivals to parades, heritage and cultural festivals, Suwon has it all. After having had to cancel many festivals in the previous years due to you-know-what, the Suwon Cultural Foundation is now back in full swing offering a wonderful program all year round for residents and visitors to this historical city.
Barely a 30 minutes bus ride from Seoul, Suwon is worth a visit any day, but why not combine your sightseeing tour with a nice evening stroll through the Suwon Cultural Heritage Night this weekend - an event to celebrate Suwon's history, cultural heritage, performance and art, and an opportunity to spend a warm summer night outside enjoying a wide variety of activities for all ages.
8 Different Cultural Activities
The Cultural Heritage Night has been held since 2017 and a lot of events and activities were added over the years. This year there are 8 different types of cultural activities in and around the temporary palace, most of which are free to attend during the festival time.
Night view is one of the 8 events, where parts of the temporary palace will be illuminated by beautiful light projections during a special night tour, called the ‘Moonlight Flower Story’. Events within the palace do require a reservation and a ticket, though entry is free to those over 65, under 6 and to people wearing hanbok.
The night road is another type of activity, which allows people to walk through the bustling streets around the palace filled with little stands selling handmade goods, art, snacks and street food. A mission tour of collecting different monsters from several locations throughout the event adds a nice little challenge to do while enjoying the area, and a souvenir can be obtained after completion of the challenge - but be quick, souvenirs are only available while stocks last.
In night history, story tellers talk about stories from Suwon via mobile street performances throughout the area. There will be a lot of things to see, experience and learn through these plays which bring the history of Suwon to life in front of the spectators.
Night talk hosts a wide range of different performances, including different music events from traditional Korean instruments such as gayageum to jazz, traditional dance and samulnori performances as well as demonstrations by the Muye24 Martial Arts team and the Korean Traditional Equestrian Martial Arts Academy.
King Jeongjo, who built the Suwon Hwaseong fortress in 1796, also ordered for martial arts manuals to be compiled for the military. The book contains 24 styles of martial arts, including several weapon styles such as swords and long spear, archery and horseback martial arts. These styles were studied and revived and nowadays the martial arts team demonstrate their skill at various festivals and competitions. While the night festival will not include the horses, the weapons demonstration is definitely worth watching.
‘I'm a lover, not a fighter’ you may say - don't worry, the Suwon Cultural Heritage Night has you covered with the night art event. For art lovers there are many exhibitions and galleries that open late and even some art experience to take part in directly. There are lanterns and lights at different venues, and shows such as ‘Jeongo's Dream’, a light show projected onto the wall of the Suwon Museum of Art. Exhibitions about the King's portraits and the history of the Suwon Beef Market also share a glimpse into the past through modern art. Some events require prior reservation and some are not free.
Night city has another small market near the art museum for you to visit, as well as different workshops to attend in the workshop street. A ‘spin the wheel’ roulette event also provides an opportunity to get vouchers and discounts for local shops and businesses.
After all the walking, watching and participating in events, many food and drink venues are open till late as part of the night food event, giving you an opportunity for a late night snack or drink or enjoy a late night dinner at one of the local restaurants. For people wanting to stay overnight in Suwon, the overnight stay event offers free tickets to the Suwon Temporary Palace to those staying at a hotel in Suwon during the Cultural Heritage Night. There are several hotels and even a temple stay option available. Proof of stay is required to get the free tickets.
For people who want to come to Suwon by car but don't want to worry about parking nearby, a story bus is provided from Gyeonggi University back gate to the Suwon Hwaseong Museum, just a 5 minute walk away from the festival area. The story bus provides explanations and commentary on the festival activities by tour guides, giving you further insight into this event.
All the information can be found on https://www.swcf.or.kr and although the website is in Korean, using auto-translate on Google Chrome gets you to where you need to go. Don't bother clicking on the English language tab itself - the English website is not up to date.
On the website, find the Suwon Cultural Heritage Night Tour tab and the 8 night tab to see all the information for the different events offered, as well as where to find them and what time they will be accessible.
Often there are volunteers at the festivals who do speak a bit of English too and brochures are also often printed in English as well, so even if you aren't fluent in Korean, you'll be able to have a wonderful time at this event.
Suwon Cultural Heritage Night Visitor Information
Festival Dates:
May 31 - June 1, 2024
Festival Time:
18:00 - 22:00
Location:
Hwaseong Temporary Palace (화성행궁) and surrounding streets, 825 Jeongjo-ro, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do.
Website:
https://www.swcf.or.kr
Story bus:
17:30 - 22:00
Advice:
Wear comfortable shoes and consider public transportation to avoid parking issues. Bring some spending money for the markets too!
