▲ This photo, provided by Iksan-si, shows visitors at the Special Cultural Heritage Night Trip in Iksan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, provided by Iksan-si, shows visitors at the Special Cultural Heritage Night Trip in Iksan. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Apr. 11 (Yonhap) -- A special night at the 1,400-year-old royal palace of Baekje has been claiming the title of the representative night festival of the city of Iksan in North Jeolla Province.

The Cultural Heritage Night Trip reportedly had a whopping 35,000 visitors to be gathered around the Baekje Royal Palace over three days from April 7, the city official announced Tuesday. Under the subtitle “The Baekje Palace Is Alive,” this sparkling night tour earned favorable reviews from visitors for its well-organized tour schedule and unparalleled participatory events that cannot be enjoyed elsewhere, as well as memorable night scenery at the Palace.

The full-blown cherry blossoms made this tour, which has also been inscribed in the "Top 100 Tours in South Korea," even more impressive and eventful. Moreover, the special photo booth event was organized particularly for the MZ generation, along with a participatory event by which visitors could wear the ancient Baekje clothes worn by kings, queens, and civilians.

In addition, royal banquets, tea ceremonies, and performance experiences were also carried out for visitors at the patron garden, which used to be a resting place for kings. Strolling along the garden, visitors were able to feel as if they were the King Mu of Baekje looking down at the palace.

The relatively untold stories of this exquisite royal palace were also acclaimed as the highlight of this night program. Under the starlight, visitors dressed up in Baekje costumes circled the pagoda -- a Buddhist tradition where people circled around the monument all night while paying a tribute to Buddha’s good deeds and making their own wishes -- and listened to commentaries on the history of the ancient kingdom and its palace.

In the meantime, shuttle buses stopped by selected parking lots every fifteen minutes to increase accessibility for visitors.

“As we have been getting some favorable reviews regarding our Cultural Heritage Night Trip that combined history, culture, and natural resources all together, we will also be holding the Baekje Historic Site World Heritage Festival and Iksan Mireuksaji Cultural Heritage Media Art Festival in July and September, respectively,” a city official said.


(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)

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