Seoul's Jung-gu district is accepting submissions for the 2026 Jeongdong Yahaeng Cheongsa Chorong Design Contest through Sept. 14, the district office announced.
Participants are asked to incorporate stories of Jeongdong into a traditional cheongsa chorong — a blue-and-red silk lantern — design. The grand-prize entry will be produced as the official lantern representing this year's Jeongdong Yahaeng festival and will illuminate the autumn night in Jeongdong.
The contest theme is "Jeongdong's Story Carried on Through Light." Entrants are free to draw inspiration from the Korean Empire era and its modern cultural heritage, the neighborhood's historic architecture and autumn scenery, as well as the history, culture, people and future that Jeongdong embodies.
The contest is open to anyone with an interest in Jeongdong Yahaeng, with a limit of two entries per person. Participants must use the official cheongsa chorong template provided by Jung-gu, though there are no restrictions on medium — hand-drawn work, digital art, and pieces created with design software or generative AI are all eligible.
Those wishing to enter must submit an application form and their entry by 6 p.m. on Sept. 14, either in person at the Culture Policy Division on the fourth floor of the Jung-gu district office or at a neighborhood community center within the district, or by email. Postal submissions postmarked by Sept. 14 will also be accepted. The contest template and application form are available for download on the Jung-gu district office website.
Entries will be judged on relevance to the theme, completeness, creativity and practical applicability. A total of 26 winners will share a combined prize pool of 3.6 million won ($2,600): the Jeongdong Grand Prize goes to one winner (1 million won), the Yahaeng Gold Prize to two winners (500,000 won each), the Jung-gu Silver Prize to three winners (200,000 won each), and the Manse Bronze Prize to 20 winners (50,000 won each). Final results will be announced Oct. 6.
The grand-prize design will be produced as the signature cheongsa chorong of the 2026 Jeongdong Yahaeng festival. Other winning and commended entries will also be made into lanterns and used in photo zones and nighttime lighting displays at the festival venue. For further details, contact the Culture Policy Division at the Jung-gu district office.
Jeongdong Yahaeng, Jung-gu's signature festival, will be held over two days — Oct. 30 and 31 — under the theme "Jeongdong, Dressed in New Light." Centered on Deoksugung-gil and Jeongdong-gil, the festival will feature nighttime openings of historic cultural facilities, a palace music concert, busking performances along the stone-wall path, a Jeongdong commentary tour and historical experience activities.
"We have prepared the cheongsa chorong design contest again this year to create Jung-gu's signature festival, Jeongdong Yahaeng, together with residents," district mayor Kim Gil-seong said. "We hope everyone will pour the charm of Jeongdong into their lantern designs, and we look forward to the interest and participation of many people."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
