Gyeongju World Culture Expo to kick off next month

This year’s Gyeongju World Culture Expo will be held from October 11 to November 24 at the Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park in Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju. Under the theme of “Culture, the Key to our Future,” the expo will feature a variety of history and culture programs in the forms of exhibit, experience, performance, and video.

In particular, visitors will be able to see the old image of Gyeongju, which was the capital of Silla Dynasty for a thousand years, created digitally using imaging technology and 3D hologram. The capital of Silla will be restored to its former glory 1,300 years ago in the form of light.

The 82-meter-high Gyeongju Tower will be remodeled 13 years after its construction. The tower, which represents the Hwangnyonsa nine-story wooden pagoda, is the symbol of the Bomun Complex. The top of the tower will house an exhibit hall. Every 30 minutes, screens will drop from the ceiling on all four directions to play stereoscopic videos. Visitors will be able to experience the joy walking around the old capital like a king.

“The Palace of Cheonma” exhibit hall will present timeless media art under the theme of “Silla: Kingdom of Glorious Lights.” Invaluable cultural assets in Gyeongju, including Cheomseongdae Observatory, the Golden Crown of Silla, Seokguram, and the Bell of King Seongdeok will be brought into life via state-of-the-art technology. Also drawing attention is the “Lumina Night Walk” taking place at the Hwarang forest behind the Gyeongju Tower. Currently, a trail is being constructed around the forest so that visitors can experience the myth of Silla while walking the trail barefoot.

The “Flying,” one of the best programs at the expo, uses 3D hologram to offer the audience a whole new experience. The Flying, where rhythmic and apparatus gymnasts perform spectacular action without speech, will catch the eye of the audience. The actors fly on the stage and over the audience, being connected to safety wires.

One of the must-visit places in Gyeongju is Gyeongju Solgeo Art Museum, which features the “Culture, the Key to our Future” exhibition for artists Park Dae-sung and four other artists from North Gyeongsang Province. Visitors will be able to meet with the artists and listen to special lectures about art and humanities during the exhibition period.

The operating hours of the expo are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and an adult ticket costs 12,000 won. Please visit www.cultureexpo.or.kr for more information.

“The Gyeongju World Culture Expo will blend the history of Gyeongju with cutting-edge technology to create new cultural values,” said North Gyeongsang Governor Lee Cheol-woo, who serves as the chairman of the Culture Expo.


Young-Hun Jang jang@donga.com