Palace culture experiences head to welfare centers and schools, visiting 14 areas in Gyeongsangnam-do and Busan

[Financial News] An experiential event bringing royal banquet culture to welfare centers and schools will be held for people who have difficulty visiting palaces. Participants will experience the process of preparing a royal banquet by making floral decorations and arranging the tables.
According to the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation on the 12th, the Korea Heritage Service and the foundation will run “Palace on Wheels” in 14 areas across Gyeongsangnam-do and Busan, starting in Sancheong County, Gyeongsangnam-do, on the 13th and continuing through November 13. The program will visit 18 locations, including welfare centers for older adults and people with disabilities, family centers and elementary schools, and will run 20 sessions, with about 3,000 people expected to take part.
The program brings activities directly to people in need of social support who have difficulty visiting palaces. In the first half of this year, it was held 22 times across 10 cities and counties in Gyeongsangbuk-do, drawing 3,493 participants.
In the second half of the year, elementary school students and older adults will take part together on Yokjido, while multicultural families and children will participate in Yeongdo, Busan. In Gimhae, participants ranging from kindergarteners to sixth-graders will experience royal court culture.
The experience is an audience-participation program themed around court banquets—in other words, royal celebrations. Participants take on the roles of a “chaehwajang,” who makes royal court flowers; a “suksu,” who sets a ceremonial banquet table; and a “hwawon,” who assembles an Irworobongdo, to complete the banquet.
Royal court flowers were made from silk and other materials and used to decorate spaces and tables for banquets in the royal court of old. Irworobongdo is a court painting depicting the sun, the moon and five mountain peaks, among other things. Placed behind the king’s seat, it represented royal authority and dignity.
The experience is followed by performances of local National Intangible Heritage. Ten performance groups, including Tongyeong Ogwangdae, Tongyeong Seungjeonmu, Jinju-Samcheonpo Nongak, Jinju Geommu and the Goseong Ogwangdae mask dance drama, will join the tour. The performances will be tailored to the areas visited, the participants and the conditions at each venue.
After completing this year’s tour of the Yeongnam region, the Korea Heritage Service and the foundation plan to expand the program to Honam and Jeju, Chungcheong and Gangwon, and the Seoul metropolitan area and other regions by 2030.

[email protected] Jang In-seo Reporter