Sounds of spring

CULTURAL HERITAGE ADMINISTRATION

As the weather gets warmer and flowers burst into bloom, royal palaces are inviting visitors to enjoy an afternoon or a night of traditional Korean music in their courtyards. Organized by the Cultural Heritage Administration together with the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, Gyeongbok Palace and Changgyeong Palace in central Seoul will begin holding “Royal Palace Concerts” for free to visitors. Gyeongbok Palace, which is staging both afternoon and evening concerts, held its first show last Friday (pictured above) in front of Sujeongjeon Hall.

The afternoon concerts start at 2:30 p.m. and lasts 40 minutes, while the evening concerts start at 8 p.m. and lasts 50 minutes. According to organizers, the palaces are going to hold seasonal concerts - from April to June for spring and from September to October for autumn - and offer diverse traditional Korean music and performances associated with each season. Changgyeong Palace, meanwhile, is only holding evening concerts, from 8 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. The first concert will be held April 30. For more information, call (02) 3210-1645.