Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation are offering 23 expeditions this year with 13 cities of the province, including Paju, Goyang, Icheon, Seongnam, Gwacheon, Anyang, Yongin, Uiwang, Suwon, Anseong, Osan, Hwaseong, and Pyeongtaek.

Old Gyeonggi Trails are historical and cultural pedestrian routes featuring the six main roads recorded in Dorogo (Record of Roads) chronicled by Shin Gyeong Jun, a Silhak scholar of the late Joseon Dynasty. There have been various related programs offered since 2014, which are popular among enthusiasts of history and culture as well as walking.

This year, Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation continued five programs for provincial residents, including: Theme Expedition, Walking Together, Expedition on Regional Ties, Ode to Youth and Academy.

In the Theme Expedition, the most popular program, participants attend lectures based on four themes—history, fortress, ecology, and culture—while walking along the trails. This year, there are four expeditions planned: a historical expedition that begins in Yongin on April 20, the Uiwang Fortress Expedition on May 25, the Yongin Ecology Expedition on June 29, and the Suwon Art Expedition on November 23.

Walking Together, which showcases the unique features of Samnam-gil, Euiju-gil, and Yeongnam-gil, consists of three events: Walking Together Along the Great Yeongnam Road in Yongin on May 11, Walking the Samnam-gil Together in Osan on September 28, and Walking to Eurasia through Euiju-gil in Paju on October 26.

The Expedition on Regional Ties is a program undertaken in collaboration with cultural centers, autonomous resident committees, schools, and local communities along the historical and cultural expedition trails. It is structured to encourage vitalization of the Old Gyeonggi Trails under the lead of local organizations. The program runs six times during weekdays for visitors who cannot participate during the weekends.

Ode to Youth is a community clean-up activity and historical lecture for youths. It takes place four times this year: in Uiwang and Goyang in July, and then in Anseong and Yongin in November.

Academy is a program that features a theoretical lecture on local cultural heritage and cultural art experiences along the Old Gyeonggi Trails. The first and second sessions took place on March 15 and 16, with the third and fourth sessions running on March 22 and 23. The advanced course will take place on two occasions on October 18 and 19. The program is offered six times in total this year and is geared to foster local experts and program managers for the future of the Old Gyeonggi Trails.

Gyeonggi Province Cultural Heritage Division Director Park Jong-dal explained: “We established the expedition events from March to November so that we can provide a form of entertainment to residents and share the different historical and cultural stories of our province.” He added, “I hope many residents of the province will support and participate in the expeditions through which they can be entertained and educated on the Old Gyeonggi Trails.”

For more information or to apply for the Old Gyeonggi Trail programs, visit the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation website (http://ggoldroad.ggcf.or.kr). Applications should be made a month before the scheduled program date and are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.