This weekend, along with the arrival of Children's Day and warmer weather, there are a variety of options on offer. Among the many choices, this week's "Well-curated Weekend" introduces a drone light show at the Han River, the "Museum of Innocence" and the Myeongdong Festival.
Over 500 drones take to the sky to create Seoul's new slogan, "Seoul, My Soul," during a drone light show in a park along the Han River in Seoul on Saturday. (Pablo Air/Seoul Metropolitan Government)
Over 500 drones illuminate the night sky during a drone light show in a park along the Han River in Seoul on Saturday. (Pablo Air/Seoul Metropolitan Government)
500 drone light show over Han River
Seoul is set to light up the night sky with a spectacular drone show featuring over 500 drones this week.
As part of the “Seoul Festa 2023” celebrations, the “Drone Light Show” was originally scheduled to be held on Friday and Saturday at the Ttukseom Hangang Park Waterfront Stage in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, starting at 8 p.m. for about 10 minutes. Friday's show has been postponed to Sunday due to heavy rain, accompanied by strong gusts of wind.
The multimedia extravaganza is sure to dazzle the audience with its performances showcasing not only colorful LED drones but also drones with fireworks and water drones floating on the river. The show will take place against the backdrop of the entire sky and the Han River, which will serve as an infinite canvas for a show.
On Children’s Day, which falls on Friday, the drones will perform under the theme of Korea’s popular animated series “Pinkfong” and “Pinkfong Baby Shark.” On Saturday, the theme will center on the coexistence between the city and nature.
Additionally, another drone show on Friday at 2 p.m. will feature 200 LED drones equipped with color smoke creating a Black Eagles-like acrobatic spectacle.
In addition to the main drone light shows, busking performances will take place at the waterfront stage. Starting at 6:40 p.m., the band Jeonja Bejjangi and pan flute duo Panwoolim Ensemble will perform on Friday, while acoustic guitar duo JFriends Band and singer Lee Jong-min will take the stage on Saturday.
After the drone light show, don’t rush to leave yet. Stick around for Ttukseom’s iconic musical fountain. The in-ground fountain located in the plaza will provide a stunning audio-visual experience for those in attendance.
An installation view of the "Museum of Innocence" in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul (Lee Jung-joo/The Korea Herald)
A welcome drink is offered to visitors once they visit the museum. Visitors are given a choice between earl grey and jasmine tea. (Lee Jung-joo/The Korea Herald)
A look into a curator’s life at the Museum of Innocence
The Museum of Innocence, located in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, takes a completely different approach from the other art museums that we are used to. Inspired by the novel “The Museum of Innocence” by Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, the exhibition showcases artworks that are symbolic of the curator’s life and possessions that he holds dear to his heart.
Like Pamuk’s book, the museum was converted from what used to be the house he and his wife first bought as newlyweds. As the exhibition is based on the curator’s life after his marriage and the memories he shared with his wife and son, visitors can fully immerse themselves in the story and empathize with the curator.
The exhibition lasts for at least an hour, and visitors move through different sections of the exhibition while listening to an audio guide. It is recommended for visitors to bring a set of headsets that can be connected to their phones. The museum also lends them to those who forget to bring a pair. The audio guide is available only in Korean.
As an additional fun feature of the Museum of Innocence, the exhibition offers several photogenic spots that are perfect to post on social media.
Except for certain busy days with high traffic, each visitor is guaranteed a private viewing experience. Therefore, visitors must make a booking through Naver prior to their visit. Up to two spots can be reserved for each time slot.
The museum is located uphill, so it can get tiresome especially if you are visiting under tough weather circumstances. But visitors are offered a welcome drink when they visit the museum that visitors can take their time with to catch their breaths and quench their thirsts.
The tickets cost 9,700 won. The museum is open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
People walk along the main street of Myeongdong where a variety of food vendors are set up. (Park Yuna/The Korea Herald)
A kid poses in front of the Myeongdong character "Mieungi" at Myeongdong Festival 202" on Monday. (Park Yuna/The Korea Herald)
Stamp tour at Myeongdong Festival 2023
As Myeongdong regains its vitality with the return of tourists to Seoul after the pandemic, the city has kicked off the Myeongdong Festival 2023 event, inviting people to experience the neighborhood with stamp tours and a variety of street food from vendors across the main street of Myeongdong.
Those who find the hidden balloon character named “Mieungi” throughout Myeongdong street and share the photos on social media will receive merchandise at the event zone on the street dedicated to the Myeongdong Festival 2023. The event includes a stamp tour where participants will be given a map at the event zone to get a mission at each spot to earn a stamp. After completing the stamp tour, they will receive a prize at SPOT 5 located on the seventh floor at Lotte Young Plaza.
If you bring a receipt from a restaurant or a cafe involved in the event, you will also get a gift at the event zone that includes cosmetics and snacks. A lot of food vendors are set up across the Myeongdong streets selling all sorts of treats, including cheese kimchi rolls, pork belly, grilled lobsters, tteokbokki, abalone butter roast and beef steak.
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