Korea-China culture festival seeks to bridge gaps

Exchange students from China perform at the 2017 Korea-China culture festival in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. / Courtesy of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office

By Lee Suh-yoon

Yeondeungpo-gu will host a special joint culture festival, Sunday afternoon, to celebrate the Chuseok holiday and promote cross-cultural understanding between its Korean and Chinese residents.

Yeongdeungpo is home to over 50,000 Chinese residents. Most of them are migrant workers of Korean descent, belonging to a Korean ethnic minority group in northeastern China.

The annual festival will kick off with a calligraphy performance along with music played on a traditional instrument, the Guzheng, also called the Chinese zither.

The district office hopes the festival will provide a taste of home for those who are unable to visit their relatives in China during the Chuseok holiday, and at the same time help Koreans gain a deeper appreciation of the migrant population's culture.

Musicians perform with traditional Chinese instruments, including the erhu, at the 2017 Korea-China culture festival in Yeongdeungpo. / Courtesy of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office

Korean performers will also take to the stage, albeit with less traditional themes, to stage musical and b-boying shows.

The event will take place at Seoul Daedong Elementary School near Daerim Station on Line 2, and host various performances, exhibitions and interactive booths.

“We hope the event will promote mutual understanding between Koreans and foreign residents, helping the two parties experience the joy and abundance of this traditional holiday together,” said Chai Hyun-il, head of Yeongdeungpo-gu Office.

The festivities will continue on Tuesday at Yeongdeungpo Park, featuring a singing contest among local community members and a photo exhibition showing the lives of Chinese-Koreans here.