The power of culture that crosses rivers and oceans!
By Vice Chairman of Song Na-ra
Mayor Seo Kang-suk of the Songpa-gu (ward) in Seoul successfully hosted the 23rd Hansung Baekje Culture Festival for three days on September 22-24 at Peace Plaza in Olympic Park.
This year's Hansung Baekje Culture Festival showcased the rise of K-culture from Songpa to the rest of the world with high-quality cultural performances under the theme of "The Power of Culture Across Rivers and Oceans.”
"While last year's festival showed the 'Power of Culture' that started in Songpa, this year's festival captured the epic story from the birth of Hansung Baekje to Songpa becoming the center of K-culture," said Mayor Seo Kang-seok of Songpa-gu. "It was a truly global festival that not only residents but also domestic and foreign tourists enjoyed together" Mayor Seo said.
On all three days of the festival, fantastic performances were held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on a giant 60-meter stage with large LEDs and a media facade.
From traditional cultural performances to K-pop singers leading the Hallyu Culture, the visitors saw a comprehensive artistic stage covering genres such as musicals, dramas, music, and poetry.
The highlight of the festival was the Opening Ceremony. The opening ceremony was held on September 22 from 7 p.m to 9 p.m.
Starting with a stunt children's cheer-leading performance to show support for the Republic of Korea, performances such as a percussion dance from the Baekje period, a musical recreating historical moments of Songpa Naruteo (riverside), lively performances by K-pop singers raised expectations for the festival with spectacular opening performances.
First, the festival featured a performance by master pipa player Lee Seng-gang on a stage decorated with media art symbolizing Hansung Baekje Dynasty.
The second-day performance included a magnificent Big Drum performance by 20 people who awakened the Heavens and the Earth, a dance drama with a shield military dance, and appearances by the queen of vocals Baek Ji Young, the king of masked singers Ali, and global idol Must-B will showcase the power of culture to cross rivers, cross oceans, and spread across the world with the soul of the people.
On the second day, visitors enjoyed the Hansung Culture Concert, which showcased traditional and fusion Gugak (Traditional Korean Music) and K-tunes. The concert showcased the beauty and excitement of traditional Gugak through performances such as Taepyeong Dance, which were designated as Important Intangible Cultural Assets of Korea in 1971, the Gayageum Byeongchang of 20 traditional Korean musicians, Daebuk (Big Drum) performance and Nobility Dance, and the Madangnori performances. Following this, Gugak Band DOSI, Musical Actor Min Woo-hyuk, and Trot Singer Hong Ji-yoon added colorfulness to the performances.
On the same day, from 10:00 to 13:00, the 'One-Minded Social Hall' was held to showcase the talents of the residents, and from 15:00, the 'Residents' Day Ceremony' was held to showcase the pride of the residents of Songpa-gu, the host city of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Every year, residents who have contributed to the development of the community are selected and awarded, and this year's recipient was Governor Kim Young-kwan.
On the final day, the closing ceremony was held under the theme of “Songpa, a Cultural City Where the World Meets Together!”
The stage was filled with K-content, including music, drama, movies, games, dance, and more. K-drama, K-game, and K-movie OSTs were performed by bands and orchestras, followed by K-dance group Hollybang and K-music Girl Group.
In addition, the Festival also operated an 'Experience Village' where visitors could enjoy exotic activities from 11:00 to 19:00 on the three days of the festival. There were a paper maze zone, zip line, rock climbing, kid rider, and more than 20 programs, including the 'Hansung 100' experiences to find the Best Warrior of Hansung Baekje. At the same time, a food market prepared by 23 local residents and organizations showcased a variety of K-foods to satisfy visitors' palates.
Above all, Songpa-gu has prioritized the safety of residents this year, deploying separate 'security-safety personnel' throughout the event site, and posted 160 safety-security management personnel every day.
In addition, the city has introduced a waiting reservation system called 'Magic Pass' for the experience village and prepared rest areas such as a 25-meter large shade so that visitors could enjoy the festival leisurely without any safety accidents.
Mayor Seo Kang-seok of Songpa-gu, said, "It's time to show the power of K-Culture, which stretches from the enterprising culture of Hansung Baekje, which began in Songpa 2,000 years ago, across rivers and oceans."
Then he said, "We will develop the Hansung Baekje Culture Festival into a global festival to promote the glorious Baekje Culture and Songpa, which was at the center of it all."
Welcome remarks by Mayor Seo:
On behalf of the 660,000 residents of our city, I wish to welcome you to Songpa-gu, a city steeped in rich history and strategically located for continued growth and success. It is also the largest city in the Seoul Metropolitan City by population.
We pride ourselves on being one of the world's most livable cities. Our highly-rated schools, art centers, parks, safe and family-friendly neighborhoods, and state-of-the-art medical facilities are extraordinary. Public safety is vital to our community. The Police Department and Fire Department of Songpa-gu are outstanding.
The Olympic Park from the 1988 Seoul Games, Lotte World, and the 123-story Lotte World Tower (the fifth-highest building in the world), and Garak Market (the largest agricultural and aquatic product market in Asia) are just a few of our historic places of interest that we hope you will visit and explore.
The Seokcheon Lake Festival and Hanseong Baekje Culture Festival are very attractive community events for you and your family to enjoy.
Our residents and public workers at the Songpa-gu office join me in welcoming you to Songpa-gu where your family’s health, welfare, and safety are our priority.
Whether you are a long-time resident, newcomer, or one of our many visitors, our professional and courteous staff is here to assist you and takes great pride in providing fast, reliable, and quality municipal services.
Songpa will be your favorite, for work, play, and for life. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.
