Gyeonggi Province holds launching ceremony in Suwon on March 11 for “Gyeonggi Traditional Culture Year”

Yangju Byolsandaenori performance, Icheon traditional turtle event, and Yongin Baekjung farmers’ music

Gyeonggi to hold ongoing annual programs such as Gyeonggi Folkloriada Festival and traditional family events

◇ Participants pose for a photo after the launching ceremony for “2015: Gyeonggi Traditional Culture Year” at Hwaeseong Haenggung Palace, Suwon, on March 11. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Jae-hoon

“The year 2015 marks the rediscovery of Gyeonggi traditional culture”

Gyeonggi Province proclaimed 2015 to be “Gyeonggi Traditional Culture Year,” during which the province’s traditional and cultural heritage will be showcased.

The province held a launching ceremony for “2015: Gyeonggi Traditional Culture Year” on March 11 at Hwaeseong Haenggung Palace in Suwon. It announced that, under the slogan of “This is Gyeonggi Culture”, the province will seek to redefine and rediscover the value of the province’s cultural heritage. 

The event was attended by over 1,200 people including Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil, Advisory Office for Culture & Sports & Tourism First Vice Minister Park Min-kwon, Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Chairman Kang Deuk-gu, and National Folk Museum of Korea Director Cheong Jin-gi, along with other representative figures and Gyeonggi residents.

The “Traditional Culture Year” is an annual event that has been carried out across the nation by the National Folk Museum of Korea since 2007 to unearth traditional resources while also establishing and solidifying a platform for traditional culture development. Starting from “Jeju Traditional Culture Year”, the event was held in Jeonbuk in 2008 under the title of “Jeonbuk Traditional Culture Year” and elsewhere, finally wrapping up this year in Gyeonggi Province through the “Gyeonggi Traditional Culture Year”.

The province will delve into traditional culture in Gyeonggi on a comprehensive scale this year, and embark on various efforts relevant to this initiative. Since last year, the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation’s Gyeonggi Research Center, which supervises the project, has been developing diverse programs based on research on Gyeonggi traditional heritage.

With the launching ceremony held March 11, the province will continue the initiative with various programs such as the Gyeonggi Folkloriada Festival in September, the Gyeonggi Traditional Culture Gallery in August and November, the Gyeonggi traditional family program from May through October, and the traditional play competition in September. In addition, as part of a regional cultural heritage business initiative, various programs that engage provincial residents will be pursued; these include education programs about the province, cultural events for residents, and neighborhood visits.

◇ The event was attended by over 1,200 people including Gyeonggi Province Governor Nam Kyung-pil, Advisory Office for Culture & Sports & Tourism First Vice Minister Park Min-kwon, Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Chairman Kang Deuk-gu, and National Folk Museum of Korea Director Cheong Jin-gi, along with other representative figures and Gyeonggi residents. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Jae-hoon

◇ Governor Nam delivers opening remarks. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Jae-hoon 

◇ A scene from the Yangju Byolsandaenori performance Yangju ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Jae-hoon

As a part of the opening ceremony, various traditional performances appropriate for the Traditional Culture Year were staged; these included Yangju Byolsandaenori (Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea #2) and Icheon traditional turtle event (Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Gyeonggi Province #50). In addition, Yongin Baekjoong Homissityi farmers’ music, which represents a provincial village farmer music group, and traditional folk fusion songs by the female folk song group ‘Arisu’ were also performed.

While former KBS announcer Kim Hyun-wook emceed the event, Icheon turtle event’s Jil-la-ah-bi, who lead the sorghum leave-made turtle mask parade, introduced guests, attracting the eyes of the audience. 

During his opening speech, Governor Nam, who was introduced by Jil-la-ah-bi, commented, “Culture, by all means, is the power that unites us all together by sublimating both happiness and sadness. In particular, traditional culture is something that conveys the spirit of a nation; it is the platform in which our own DNA is comprehensively inscribed.” He also said, “I sincerely hope that, during the ‘Gyeonggi Traditional Culture Year’, Gyeonggi Province can open a new era that binds seven million overseas Koreans together in a soaring nation.” 

Advisory Office for Culture & Sports & Tourism First Vice Minister Park Min-kwon said, “The new campaign will give us an opportunity to discover limitless traditional cultural heritage and life culture that can be converted into tourism resources to attract more domestic and foreign visitors.” He also said, “The government is headed in the direction of ‘thriving culture’. I am sure that Gyeonggi Province will pioneer the start of a ‘thriving culture’ era” 

Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Chairman Kang Deuk-gu noted, “In the era of local autonomy, it is critical to keep regional identity be preserving traditional culture.” He added, “Let’s prepare to lead Korea’s culture by rediscovering the value of Gyeonggi Province’s traditional culture.” 

The main guests including Governor Nam participated in a number of ceremony events including banner pulling and kite-flying; they also visited various experiential zone booths.

Governor Nam attended several traditional sessions including a paper card game and thread activity, and then viewed the totem pole photo exhibition. At the Icheon turtle event booth, he wrote a wish and hung it on the turtle mask. He also went inside the mask for an onsite experience. In addition, he encouraged the staff of the ‘Euijeongbu Park Se-dang Family’ snack booth where visitors stood in a long line.

◇ Governor Nam participates in the paper card game at the traditional game booth. ⓒ Gyeonggi Provincial Office 

◇ Governor Nam plays with thread. ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News Yoo Jae-hoon 

◇ Governor Nam entered the mask used for the Icheon turtle play and talked with children. ⓒ Gyeonggi Provincial Office

ⓒ Gyeonggi G-News | Nam Kyung-woo echo2008f@gg.go.kr 

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