Intangible heritage performances and traditional folk games

Region-specific experiences tailored to each museum

All museums closed on Sept. 25; check schedules in advance

Visitors and tourists at the National Museum of Korea [National Museum of Korea]
Visitors and tourists at the National Museum of Korea [National Museum of Korea]

National museums across the country are serving as cultural hubs for the chuseok holiday, offering programs that reflect each region's distinct character for both homecoming visitors and local residents.

The National Museum of Korea and 12 other national museums announced Friday that they will hold cultural events for families during the chuseok period. The events are designed to help visitors engage with traditional culture and cultural heritage in an accessible way. Online and in-person programs will run from Tuesday through Sept. 30, with schedules varying by museum.

The National Museum of Korea will present "The Art Spot" series — an intangible heritage performance program — from Thursday through Sunday, excluding Sept. 25, the holiday itself. Performances will be held twice daily at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the museum's open courtyard.

Children enjoying folk games at the Jeju National Museum [National Museum of Korea]
Children enjoying folk games at the Jeju National Museum [National Museum of Korea]

The Chuncheon National Museum will offer hands-on rice-cake pounding and a taste of freshly made injeolmi. The Jeju National Museum will run traditional folk games including yutnori, tuho ring toss and jegichagi. The Cheongju National Museum will host a chuseok festival featuring farmers' music, a traditional comedy play, a children's film screening, folk games and wish-postcard writing. The Gongju National Museum will stage a traditional outdoor performance with nine master artists on Sept. 26 in its outdoor plaza, alongside a workshop where visitors can build a janggu drum out of Lego bricks.

The Iksan National Museum will invite visitors to write chuseok wishes at a moon-themed wishing event, take part in traditional folk games and join a photo-certification event. The Gwangju National Museum will offer a flower-pot making workshop tied to its special exhibition "Dogidogi, Earthenware That Holds Us." The Jeonju National Museum will host a folk-games yard featuring samulnori, displays of traditional everyday tools and hands-on folk-game activities. The Naju National Museum's holiday playground will feature a wide range of games — tuho, top spinning, ssangnyuk, gonu, crokinole, rubber-band jumping and cooperative jegichagi.

The Daegu National Museum will run craft workshops — traditional folk-painting ddakji, a tiger-painting bag charm, a character kite and a mother-of-pearl tray — and will present two daily performances: "My Dream" on Sept. 26 and "Rainbow Show" on Sept. 27. The Gyeongju National Museum will present the special exhibition "Hwangnyongsa: Enshrining the Buddha's Relics" and run a digital self-guided exploration activity at the Wolji Pavilion gallery.

The Jinju National Museum will offer traditional folk games, hands-on activities tied to its Duam special exhibition, and Imjin War-themed programs including armor, archery, cannon and military-music experiences. The Gimhae National Museum will set up traditional games including hoop rolling, tuho, jegichagi, rock-knocking and ddakji.

Operating hours and participation methods vary by museum, and some programs will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis and may be subject to change in the event of rain. All national museums will be closed on Sept. 25, the chuseok holiday itself, so visitors are advised to check detailed schedules and closure information on each museum's website before heading out.

National Museum of Korea Director Yu Hong-jun said the museums had prepared a variety of events so that families across the country could enjoy traditional Korean culture together during the holiday. "We hope you will visit a museum, encounter our cultural heritage, and share memories across generations for a truly rich holiday," he said.


terry@heraldcorp.com