A Multicultural Festival Brings People Together
(September 26, 2011)

Provincial government hosts festival at city stadium September 24th
Multicultural talent shows and other competitions 

– The 2011 Multicultural Festival (Together Hand In Hand) took place on the grassy outdoor area of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex. Governor Kim Moon-soo and related officials attend a multicultural family declaration ceremony with the choir. (GNews Plus)

 “I had so much fun! Thank you, Korea!”

Gyeonggi Province prepared the 2011 Multicultural Festival (Together Hand in Hand) to promote a healthier environment for its multinational community. The festival took place on September 24th from 10:30 in the morning on the grass field of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Complex.

The festival, hosted by the provincial government and supervised by OBS Gyeongin TV, featured such events as a multicultural family declaration ceremony, multicultural food tastings, a bilingual speech contest, a Korean speech contest, multicultural quizzes, multicultural talent shows, and other programs.

Governor Kim said at the multicultural family declaration ceremony that, “One of the toughest issues that immigrants face is the language difference. We must support these families’ efforts to learn Korean. We already have a local congressman who was born in Mongolia. We might have a president from a multinational background in the future.”

– The grand prize at the talent show went to Durian, a Vietnamese dancing troupe. (GNews Plus)

Durian won the grand prize in the most popular event, the talent show. The team featured Vietnam’s traditional dance, which was praised by judges and audience members alike.

Judge Taru Salminen (34, Finland), well known for her appearances on KBS TV’s Global Beauties Talk Show, said, “The costumes and dance were well presented and the uniform movements were very beautiful. I almost felt as if I was in Vietnam.”

The multicultural food tasting booth was bustling with people. Kim Yeong-seo (17) said, “I got a chance to play some traditional Japanese games. It wasn’t as easy as it looked, but I had a lot of fun. I was surprised to learn there are so many multicultural families in Korea. This event was a great chance to experience cultural treats from all over the world.”

Event participants included not only Koreans but immigrants from China, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Ghana.

Fatima (24) from Uzbekistan and Glares (28) from Ghana said, “The festival was great fun. It’s hard to adjust to the new environment, but Gyeonggi Province’s educational support and events are always a great help.”

– A young student trying his luck at a traditional Japanese game. There were plenty of games from all around the world to choose from. (GNews Plus)