Hwaeseong Culture Festival / Suwon Citizen's Festival
Suwon Citizens festival Civil Service Exam Suwon South Korea from Derekwin
This weekend will see Suwon host the "Suwon Citizen's Festival", which doesn't sound all that exciting based on just the name. However, after exchanging messages with Derekwin and checking the festival website it turns out there will actually be a variety of events going on -- including several of historical significance. The one that initially caught my attention is a reenactment of the Civil Service Exam from the period of King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty (r. 1776-1800). The event is divided into three parts and begins at 10:30 in the morning at Hwaseong Haenggung, Bongsudang. For those interested in traditional calligraphy there will be a contest dedicated to the subject later in the day that may also be worth seeing.
Another event that I'm interested in involves Jeongjo's mother, who wrote The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong (한중록, 閑中錄) detailing her life as the crown princess and the murder of her husband by his father, King Yeongjo. Her son, King Jeongjo, moved the royal capital to Suwon and built Hwaseong Fortress - a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site - as acts of filial piety toward his deceased father. Having read The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong before coming to Korea I'm looking forward to a couple of the events centered around the former crown princess. In particular, the 60th Birth Anniversary Banquet and the State Wedding Ceremony between Lady Hong of Hyegyeonggung and Crown Prince Jangheon.
One aspect of the festival has already started, namely the 24 Martial Arts Performance that will continue through Monday. On Sunday it will be augmented by the Jang Yong Yeong Nighttime Military Drill that starts at 18:00 near Changryongmun Gate. Derekwin has some great photos from previous editions of the military drill that include skirmishes and some nice displays of horsemanship. I'd like to include more of his photos in this entry but only asked for permission to use the one. However, you can check out some of his photographs from the Hwaeseong Culture Festival / Suwon Citizen's Festival via Flickr here, here, and here. I've linked to the festival website above, but for easy reference this page contains directions on how to reach the various festival grounds.
Image from the official site's page on the Anniversary Banquet for Crown Princess Hong of Hyegyeonggung.