By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
The ``Hi Seoul Festival,'' one of the city's representative festivals held during spring, will now be held four times a year.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to hold the festival each season under different themes from next year. For the project, the city government will also form an organizing commission.
In spring, the festival will offer visitors a chance to learn the city's history and traditional culture. It will take place from May 2 to 5 at venues including Seoul Plaza, royal palaces and traditional villages.
It will also feature various programs aimed at getting locals and foreign visitors to enjoy the festival together.
One of the programs is a mask fest, featuring a carnival and parade. Also, various re-creations of historical events will be also performed.
From July 25 to Aug. 3, the summer part of the Hi Seoul Festival will be held with the main theme being the ``Miracle of Han River.'' Various locations near the Han River such as Han River Park, Yeouido, Jamsil will be transformed into festival venues.
With the main venues around the river, the festival will feature many water activities and events such as wind surfing, beach volleyball games, beach soccer as well as reenactments of traditional raft making with logs.
A bridge will be constructed just under water, which will give people the illusion of walking on water. The festival organizing body will also hold the second International Tightrope Walking Competition at Seonyudo.
In fall, the theme will be performance arts, which begins its nine day fest on Oct. 3.
The fall festival will be linked to other seasonal festivals such as the Seoul International Fireworks Display, Asian Stage Arts Festival and Seoul Drum Festival. BMX stunts as well as inline skating, skateboard and motorcycle competitions will also take place.
The winter festival from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15 will be a lights fest accompanied with Lucevista, ``the view of the lights'' in Italian.
More than 300,000 colored bulbs will adorn 17-meter-tall installations along the Chonggye stream, creating a parallel river of lights. The city's landmarks as well as bridges on Han River will also have new lighting.