[Feature] 11 Years of Tradition Wears Technology: UNESCO Grand Festival Expands
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
The UNESCO Grand Festival in Jeongseon, now in its 11th year, has grown from a showcase of Korea’s UNESCO-listed intangible cultural properties into a regional cultural platform that blends community, tradition, and contemporary experiments. Since its 2015 debut, the festival has evolved—combining pansori narratives with modern elements, mixing traditional performance with hip-hop and b-boying, and presenting rites like Jongmyo Jeryeak—to deepen the aesthetic and cultural reach of Korea’s intangible heritage. Strong local partnerships, especially with Kangwon Land, helped stabilize the festival and cement Jeongseon’s identity as the home of Arirang (a traditional Korean folk song). The 2025 program emphasized restoring historical forms and community-rooted traditions; the 2026 edition, titled “Expanded Tradition, Living Heritage,” will further integrate technology and audience participation. Planned features include QR-code guides, short explanatory videos and audio at entrances, smartphone-based sound and performance restorations, and a small on-site archive where visitors can see, hear, and touch recordings and photos. The festival’s artistic director says technology will help the living tradition be “felt together” rather than merely shown.
