SUWON — The 63rd Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival wrapped up its eight-day run with the theme performance "Suwon Fantasy — Yajo" at a special stage at Yeonmudae on the 11th, the city of Suwon said on the 12th.
Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-joon took the stage before the closing performance and said, "We will make Suwon's unique appeal more widely known and build a true city where culture and tourism thrive together."
"This year's festival was a time when we carried King Jeongjo's great eight-day journey forward as today's festival," the mayor said. He added that the royal procession of King Jeongjo "showed the potential and strength to grow into a K-culture road, and the wide range of attractions, including the Suwon Hwaseong media art, captured the eyes and ears of visitors."
"We will work harder so that the vitality of tourism spreads across the entire city and into neighborhood commercial districts," he said, calling on residents "to be reliable partners on the journey toward a city where culture and tourism thrive together."
This year's festival, which opened on the 4th, was held around Suwon Hwaseong Fortress under the theme "Saebit Hongmin." The phrase means a new light that broadly benefits the people, reflecting the aim of sharing King Jeongjo's spirit of caring for the people with residents and visitors from around the world.
The festival expanded its footprint this year, using the entire area inside Suwon Hwaseong Fortress as its stage. Venues including Haenggung Square, Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, Yeonmudae, Yongyeon Pond and the Traditional Culture Center hosted programs such as "Suwon Fantasy — Yajo," the water performance "Seonyumong," "Time Travel: A Night Tale at the Palace," the citizens' construction program "Hwahong" and the Suwon palanquin race.
The joint reenactment of King Jeongjo's royal procession, the festival's highlight, took place on the 4th. The city said it plans to use this year's festival as a springboard to develop the event beyond a leading local festival into a historical and cultural tourism attraction that draws visitors from around the world.