By Lee Hwan-hee
Staff Reporter
Fifth Gyeongju World Culture Expo is expected to begin Sept. 7. It is an event that began in 1998, as a mixture of a cultural festival and a tourist expo, for Gyeongju as well as South Korea; Gyeongju is a major tourist spot in South Korea, and it is also famous for being the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla.
In a press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday, the Expo's secretary-general Oh Soo-dong explained the event as "an exhibition for world cultures," that will also provide plenty of enjoyment for those who attend it.
He added, "Because we wanted the Expo to be a truly international event, last year the Expo was held at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, and it is planned that the Expo in 2009 will be in Thailand."
In particular for this year's expo, an 82-meter-high Gyeongju Tower has been erected where a multi-media show using lasers and fireworks will be held every night. Also new is an expo cultural center.
The organizing body of the event hopes to bring in about 15 million people, and has planned a variety of events to attract them. The main attraction is a 3-D animation film called "Mud Warrior Chacha," based on a famous Korean ceramic sculpture from the 5th century depicting a warrior on horseback. It will be a part of a 3-D animation film festival that will also include the U.S. film ``The Polar Express," and the Japanese film "The Box."
The other attractions include traditional dance performances from 20 countries including Cambodia, Poland, and Bulgaria, as well as traditional puppet performances from 6 countries including Denmark, Russian, and Japan.
It will also feature a special exhibition of the works of video artist Paik Nam-june, who contributed to past expos. The exhibition will feature about 100 of his major works.
The expo coincides with "Visit North Gyeonsang Province" year.