Hyochang Park memorial facilities and the Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall will open at night for a historical and cultural evening event featuring a parade, performances, guided tours, hands-on activities and film screenings.
Seoul's Yongsan-gu will host the "2026 Yongsan National Heritage Night" at Hyochang Park from Friday through Saturday.
Held under the slogan "Hyochang Night: Walking Through Memories," the event is designed to let residents and visitors explore the park's nighttime scenery alongside its history and culture.
On the first day, Friday, the event runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Saturday, it opens earlier, from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The program lineup includes nighttime illuminations using traditional lanterns and LED lighting, guided history tours recounting the stories of independence fighters buried at the park, and mission and stamp tours open to families. Hands-on activities — lantern making, rubbing prints, traditional knot crafting, LED mood-light assembly and creating replica independence newspapers — round out the participatory offerings.
On Friday, pre-registered participants will kick off the festival with a lantern parade through the park from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., carrying lanterns they have made themselves. An opening ceremony follows from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., with mission tours and guided history tours beginning at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, exhibition, hands-on and tour programs continue throughout the day, with performance programs getting underway from 2 p.m.
Alongside this, a neighborhood outdoor cinema called "Woori Dongne Dalbit Cinema" will screen "How to Train Your Dragon" at 7:30 p.m. Friday and "Wicked" at 5 p.m. Saturday. A busking series, "Woori Dongne Music Walk," will also take place during the event, offering residents a richer cultural experience.
Partner organizations — including the Seoul Regional Veterans Affairs Office, the Jungbu Water Supply Division, the Yongsan Culture Foundation, the Yongsan Cultural Center and the Yongsan-gu Volunteer Center — will operate activity booths offering experiences such as trying on Korean Liberation Army uniforms, a water truck service, calligraphy of family mottos and making cultural wish tote bags.
Full details are available on the official 2026 Yongsan National Heritage Night website.
"We have prepared a wide range of programs so that residents and visitors can experience the history and culture of Hyochang Park in a more accessible way," Yongsan-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-dae said. "We hope you will walk through Hyochang's night with your family and neighbors and make meaningful memories."
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