'Promenade of Art' to feature variety of performance

By Kang Seung-woo

A square in front of a tourism exhibition center near Cheong Wa Dae will transform into a stage for a variety of outdoor performances starting next month.

A poster of Promenade of Art

Cheong Wa Dae Sarangchae is a two-story comprehensive tourist promotion center designed to show visitors the history of former Korean presidents and Korea's traditional culture.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Thursday, the Promenade of Art will be held every Saturday from Sept. 1 to Oct. 27 and feature a collection of 16 non-verbal, fusion gugak (traditional Korean music) and band performances among other things.

However, there will be no program for Sept. 22 as Chuseok holiday begins on the day.

At 3 p.m. every Saturday, two performances will be held for a one-hour run at the square in front of Cheong Wa Dae Sarangchae.

The event, loaded with varied programs, first took place from September to November last year, and from May to June this year. In this year's spring event, it attracted 6,000 visitors.

A magic performance is set to raise the curtain on the two-month event, which will be followed by an a cappella concert by Acacia the opening day.

A taekwondo performance, combined with K-pop dance, will be displayed by K.U.T.D. taekwondo team on Sept. 15, while the Korean University Cheerleaders Association (KUCA) will step onto the stage on Oct. 6. The KUCA is the nation's largest cheerleading performance group, comprised of cheerleaders from 12 schools in Seoul and Incheon.

The biannual event will also offer a popera show on Sept. 29, while drum-beating break dancers, who performed on the sidelines of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, are ready to wow visitors on Oct. 6.

A classical music troupe will present songs, including some K-pop and jazz numbers, on Oct. 20 and the 16-week event will be wrapped up by a bubble performance on Oct. 27.

“Autumn is a great season to travel and enjoy culture and art,” a KTO official said.

“We hope Cheong Wa Dae Sarangchae will establish itself as the nation's representative venue for art tourism for locals and foreigners through the Promenade of Art.”