Tea gatherings, heritage runs and evening weddings bring visitors to museums and historic sites beyond daytime hours
At Unhyeongung, where King Gojong and the future Empress Myeongseong held their wedding ceremony in 1866, visitors are gathering this fall for a quieter occasion: tea and conversation.
The former residence of Gojong’s father, Heungseon Daewongun, invites visitors to make traditional Korean desserts, sip tea and share stories about their day, accompanied by live gayageum music.
One dessert, gotgamdanji — dried persimmons stuffed with sweet fillings — was chosen to symbolize good fortune.
“Every traditional Korean dessert carries a meaning. We chose gotgamdanji to convey the idea of filling it with good fortune,” said Cho Rang, who directs the event. “Mothers and daughters account for about half of participants.”
The program, Unhyeongung Night Oasis — Moonlight Tea House, is part of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s fall nighttime cultural offerings.
Its two remaining October sessions are fully booked. A new program featuring mission-based activities is scheduled for November, the city said.
“As the number of foreign tourists grows in Seoul, we began extending evening opening hours at cultural venues this fall so visitors can experience more of Seoul’s cultural offerings at night,” said Lee Young-mi, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Cultural Policy Division. “Attendance at these venues has since increased two- to threefold.”
From Sept. 15 through Nov. 30, major city-run cultural facilities, including Unhyeongung, the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, the Seoul Museum of History and the Seoul Baekje Museum, are open until 9 p.m. five days a week. Hours and access vary by venue.
At the Seoul Museum of Craft Art near Insadong, architect and Hongik University professor Cho Han points out nearby heritage sites through the Museum Night Run: Heritage Run program.
After its first session on Oct. 16, three more runs are scheduled for Oct. 23, Oct. 30 and Nov. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. Each session is limited to 20 participants.
For a more intimate look at the exhibitions, the Seoul Museum of Craft Art offers evening curator-led tours, with just 15 participants per session. Visitors can hear the stories behind the works from those who organized the exhibitions. Tours begin at 6 p.m. every Friday through November, with additional Sunday sessions on Nov. 8 and Nov. 22.
The museum’s activities require an online reservation through the museum’s website or Seoul Metropolitan Government’s public service reservation system.
At the foot of Namsan in central Seoul, Namsangol Hanok Village offers a glimpse of Joseon-era life through five traditional Korean houses, each representing a different social background.
Since its opening in 1998, the village has preserved the architecture and domestic culture of old Seoul.
For an evening adventure among the traditional houses, nighttime visitors can explore the grounds through Dokkaebi’s Time Signal: Restoring Seoul’s Memory, a free outdoor escape game that involves solving clues and completing missions using a smartphone app.
The game runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, until Nov. 29. No reservation is needed to join.
At the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Curtain Call Garden turns the rear Arts Garden into an evening gathering place.
The event features food and drink booths operated by participating brands along with 15 live jazz performances during its run. It is open to walk-in visitors daily from 5 to 11 p.m. through Nov. 8.
Visitors who book in advance through December can also join guided tours of the Sejong Center that include backstage access to the Grand Theater and stories about the venue’s spaces, according to the city.
The Seoul Outdoor Library, which operates Friday through Sunday, is open until 10 p.m. through the end of October, weather permitting. Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Library stays open until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
Seoul’s cultural venues are also becoming settings for another kind of evening occasion: weddings.
The city plans to offer nighttime ceremonies tailored to each venue's character, beginning this year at the Seoul Museum of Craft Art, Unhyeongung, the Seoul Museum of History and the Seoul Baekje Museum.
Details and applications are available through Seoul’s public wedding venue platform.
The program is open to couples preparing to marry as well as married couples renewing their vows. The city plans to expand it to more venues, including the Seoul Museum of Art, next year.
“We hope these venues will appeal to couples seeking an intimate wedding in one of Seoul’s historic places — somewhere they can return to over the years and revisit the memories of their wedding day,” said Jang Yoon-mi, an official from the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Cultural Policy Division.
yunapark@heraldcorp.com