The Hoeam Temple Site in Yangju, a historic site bearing the traces of Joseon Dynasty founder King Taejo Yi Seong-gye, is holding a large-scale festival as it approaches the final stage of UNESCO World Heritage inscription.
The city of Yangju in Gyeonggi Province announced Wednesday that it will host the 9th Yangju Hoeam Temple Site Royal Festival from May 17 to 19 at the Hoeam Temple Site and surrounding areas. This year's theme is "History Runs Again, Toward World Heritage."
The festival was planned ahead of the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting scheduled for July in Busan. The Yangju Hoeam Temple Site is currently on UNESCO's priority nomination list for World Heritage inscription. The strategy is to promote the historical value of the site both domestically and internationally through the festival.
This year, organizers sought to shift from a "spectator festival" to a "festival created together." The royal procession has been expanded, and opportunities for citizen participation have been broadened. The festivities begin with an eve-of-festival event at Okjeong Lake Park on May 17, followed by a large-scale procession connecting the city center to the Hoeam Temple Site on May 18. Thirteen citizen representatives will take part in the eve-of-festival event, and citizens will also directly participate in the main royal procession.
A Buddhist cultural experience program has been newly introduced, featuring meditation sessions and temple food lectures. The program preserves the historical background of the Hoeam Temple Site while minimizing religious overtones.
"The Yangju Hoeam Temple Site Royal Festival is a flagship festival of northern Gyeonggi Province that combines both elegance and entertainment," a Yangju city official said. "We will do our best to promote it widely to the world."
The festival has been designated as a representative municipal festival for 2026.