Folk museum sheds light on Gyeonggi Province folklore

Masks that the itinerant troupe members wear while performing in the market are on display at the National Folk Museum of Korea in Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul

By Baek Byung-yeul

Gyeonggi Province, home to Seoul, has been a bridge between the capital and provincial areas for a long time.

With favorable geographical conditions -- high mountains in the east, the coast in the west, a wide stretch of lowland in the south and a big river in the north -- the province has historically served as the nation’s political, economic, social and cultural center.

On the occasion of “2015 Gyeonggi Folk Culture Year,” the National Folk Museum of Korea is holding an exhibition, “What Is Gyeonggi Folk Culture!” aiming to offer a glimpse of the provincial folklore, culture and heritage.

Comprised of three parts -- “About Gyeonggi,” “Gyeonggi as a Melting Pot” and “Gyeonggi as a Trading Center” -- the exhibition, which opened Wednesday, definitely makes the audiences feel like travelling to every nook and cranny of the province. It also presents the lifestyle of the inhabitants of Gyeonggi Province, displaying some 200 artifacts representing folk culture of the province.

To prepare the exhibition, curators at the folk museum stayed in various areas of the province for about 10 months last year.

“We investigated what was the unique character of this area and collected folklore materials,” Kim Hyung-joon, a curator at the folk museum, said during a press preview, Wednesday.

Entering the exhibition hall, there is a 19th century map showing Gyeonggi Province during the late-Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). Stepping more into the exhibition area, the second part introduces four different cultural aspects derived from different natural conditions. The third part emphasizes the role of the Gyeonggi Province as a trading center by showing a traditional market which features principal local products. On the ceiling, a projector screen compares the past and present scenes of local markets in the province as well as shows itinerant troupes’ traditional performances.

The exhibition runs through Oct. 26. The venue is located near exit 1 of Anguk Station, subway line 3. Admission is free. For more information, call (02) 3704-3197 or visit www.nfm.go.kr.