Hanbok Banquet and Huijeongdang Craft Exhibition... Autumn Royal Culture Festival Opens on the 7th

[Financial News] Gyeongbokgung Palace will host a nighttime performance themed around hanbok, while a hall at Changdeokgung Palace will be transformed into a craft exhibition space. Activities where children and teenagers can learn about royal etiquette and traditional architecture are also planned.
The National Heritage Promotion Agency said on the 7th that the 2026 Autumn Royal Culture Festival will run from that day through the 11th at Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Changgyeonggung palaces, as well as Jongmyo Shrine. The Royal Palaces and Tombs Center of the National Heritage Administration is hosting the festival, with the agency organizing it.
The festival's signature program, the Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Banquet, will take place in the nighttime viewing area from 7 to 9 p.m. on the 9th and 10th. It will feature A Stroll by the Royal Family, which recreates processions by the king, queen and others; a fashion talk show explaining royal attire; and an ASMR concert where intangible heritage practitioners let visitors hear the sounds of making clothes.
The program's theme, “Hanbok Lifestyle,” encompasses the ways of making and wearing clothes, as well as the culture of dressing in hanbok in keeping with rituals and customs. It was designated a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022 and is a community heritage practice passed down collectively by the public, without any specific designated holders.
The special exhibition “Joseon Spatial Aesthetics: The Order of White” will run throughout the festival at Huijeongdang Hall in Changdeokgung Palace. Baek Jonghwan, head of WGNB, is directing the exhibition, which will showcase works by 33 artisans, including 24 practitioners of National Intangible Heritage. Admission will be through same-day, on-site waitlist registration rather than advance reservations.
Changgyeonggung Palace will host “Changgyeonggung Time Travel” on the 9th and 10th, exploring King Yeongjo's devotion to the people and court jeongjae (court dances) created by Crown Prince Hyomyeong, among other topics. “Donggwal Jangwonseo,” where visitors aged 60 and older can experience traditional floral arts, will also be offered.
At Deokhongjeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace, the exhibition “From Gwangmu to Yunghui” will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Emperor Sunjong's death. At Junmyeongdang, once an educational space for Princess Deokhye, “Junmyeongdang Children's School” will be held from the 9th to the 11th for children aged 7 to 10 to learn about royal etiquette and the palace's natural environment.
At Jongmyo Shrine, the “Jongmyo Architecture Exploration Team” will run on the 10th and 11th, with teenagers learning about the architecture of the Main Hall through a mission. At 3:30 p.m. each day from the 9th through the 11th, the “Jongmyo Royal Guard Patrol Ceremony” will take place around Oedaemun Gate and Jongmyo Plaza.
The Changdeokgung Palace Royal Playroom, “Changgyeonggung Time Travel” and Deoksugung Palace's “From Gwangmu to Yunghui,” among other programs, can be attended on site without advance reservations. For the full schedule and information on how to take part, visit the Royal Culture Festival website.
[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter