Special festival recreates major intangible Korean cultural assets in Seoul

SEOUL. KAZINFORM - A special festival in central Seoul will showcase the essence of some internationally recognized traditional Korean performing arts, the culture ministry said Friday, Yonhap reports.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports andTourism in collaboration with the Korean Traditional Performing ArtsFoundation, will host the festival, whose title translates as «GreatInheritance Meets Today,» from Aug. 31 to Sept. 21 on the premises of theNational Museum of Korea.

The upcoming event is the festival's second edition.The inaugural event last year entertained around 15,000 spectators.

Like last year, the 2019 event willfeature 12 UNESCO-recognized Korean traditional performing arts on top of amodern pop music concert and traditional dances from other countries.

Among the 12 items inscribed on theUNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage are «Jongmyo Jeryeak,»the majestic orchestral music for regular royal rituals at Jongmyo, the Joseonroyal mausoleum, and «Ganggangsullae,» an ancient Korean communitydance and ceremony observed with wishes for a bountiful harvest.

The Jeju ChilmeoridangYeongdeunggut ritual, the Cheoyongmu dance, the traditional Gangneung DanoFestival and jultagi, acrobatics on a tightrope, will also be performed.

A total of 19 types of traditionalKorean performing arts will be presented at the premises of the nationalmuseum.

Adding a modern touch to theperforming arts festival, pop singer-songwriter Kim Hyun-chul has been employedto reproduce the best-known traditional Korean tune, «Arirang,» withhis contemporary artistic talent.

A series of traditional performingarts from outside Korea will also be featured during the festival, includingSpain's flamenco, Armenia's Duduk, Taiwan's Peking opera and Khoomei, alsoknown as Mongolian throat singing.

Reservations are available atwww.kotpa.org, free of charge.