5 nations’ UNESCO cultural heritage to take stage in Suwon

A rare convergence of global cultural masterpieces is set to take place in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, which will host the 2025 UNESCO-Gyeonggi Province World Cultural Heritage Festival Showcase on Oct. 18.

The event will bring traditional cultural performances from five countries — Vietnam, India, Mongolia, the Philippines and Korea — to the Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall in Suwon to offer a free showcase of UNESCO-listed intangible cultural assets, the organizer said Sunday.

The organizer said the performance will feature the essence of human cultural and artistic heritage, found in Vietnam’s Ca tru singing performance, India’s Chhau dance form, Mongolia’s morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) music, the Philippines’ Hudhud chants by the Ifugao people and Korea’s lion mask dance.

In addition to the main performances, the event will feature an Indian cultural heritage photo exhibition and a world mask experience corner, providing interactive and educational opportunities for attendees.

The inaugural event was initiated by the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee with an aim to transform the province into a global cultural tourism hub.

“By inviting living human treasures, the province seeks to offer its citizens a high level of cultural enjoyment and establish the festival as a world-class traditional arts and tourism event, alongside the King Jeongjo Royal Parade,” the organizer said.

The project is realized through an agreement with the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP) and the support of the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation.

The organizer said that the event is a showcase for the main festival to be held next year, which will feature over 20 participating nations.

“The 2025 showcase, a preliminary event for the 2026 festival, will be a crucial touchstone for judging whether Gyeonggi Province can successfully host the full-scale festival next year with participation from over 20 countries,” said Nam Jeong-sook, the general director of the event.

“We will do our utmost to ensure that the intangible cultural heritage officials from these five countries have a satisfying performance and successfully establish a network. We hope many citizens will participate in this precious opportunity, which is rarely encountered even in textbooks.”

The showcase will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Jeongjo Theme Performance Hall inside the Temporary Palace at Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon.