Gyeonggi Province will host the 28th Gyeonggi Intangible Heritage Festival at the Gapyeong Culture and Arts Center from October 16 to 18.

Held under the theme "The Flair and Excitement of Gyeonggi, Connecting Together, Existing Together," the festival will feature a wide range of performances, artwork exhibitions, traditional craftsmanship demonstrations, and interactive programs presented by Gyeonggi's intangible heritage title holders and practitioners.

The performance program will showcase traditional arts preserved across various regions of Gyeonggi Province. Indoor and outdoor stages will come alive with diverse intangible heritage performances, including the Icheon Turtle Play (Icheon Geobuknori), Gyeonggi Sword Dance (Gyeonggi Geommu), Gyeonggi Songseo Yulchang (chanting and storytelling), Yangju Farmers' Music (Yangju Nongak), and Toegyewon Sandaenori (mask dance drama).

The exhibition hall will display exquisite works by artisans who have kept traditional techniques alive, offering a glimpse into the past and future of intangible heritage. A special "Memory Space" will honor the footsteps of late master artisans and performers through their works, photographs, videos, and musical instruments.

Additionally, the "Future Exhibition," featuring works by professional instructors (Jeonseung Gyoyuksa), will highlight how traditional techniques are passed down from current practitioners to the next generation.

On October 17, a commemorative ceremony will be held for the inaugural "Gyeonggi Intangible Heritage Transmission and Memory Day." The event will honor the dedication and value of practitioners who have safeguarded and passed down intangible heritage through a tribute performance for training instructors and the presentation of awards to contributors active in heritage transmission.

This year's festival also features a special international exchange program introducing the traditional culture of Poland's Lower Silesia Voivodeship (Dolnośląskie Voivodeship).

The Legnica Song and Dance Ensemble will perform traditional Polish folk dances and vocal music. Meanwhile, the exhibition hall will display 43 pieces of 700-year-old traditional Bolesławiec pottery and 13 traditional glass craft items.

Furthermore, a traditional paper-making experience hosted by the Duszniki-Zdrój Museum of Papermaking will be available. Visitors can experience Poland's paper culture firsthand in Gapyeong—a region renowned for its own traditional Hanji (Korean traditional paper)—allowing them to appreciate and compare the distinct traditional cultures of both regions.

Park Sung-hwan, Director of the Gyeonggi Provincial Cultural Heritage Division, stated, "This festival is a unique opportunity to experience the diverse facets of Gyeonggi's intangible heritage all in one place, ranging from stage performances to masterpieces born from the fingertips of master artisans. We hope visitors will enjoy the meaningful experience of remembering ancestral traditions and passing them on to future generations, alongside a special encounter with Polish intangible heritage."

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