"Strolling Through Heritage Under the Moonlight"... Suncheon National Heritage Night Walk Kicks Off October 9

Held for Three Days at the Maesandeung Missionary Heritage Site in Suncheon
Nighttime Tourism with Heritage Belt, Signature Experiences, and Local Packages

Suncheon City, Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City, announced on the 2nd that the "2026 Suncheon National Heritage Night Walk" will be held from October 9 to 11 for three days in the original downtown area of Suncheon, the Maesandeung Missionary Heritage, and around Suncheon Hyanggyo.

With the theme "Strolling Through Heritage Under the Moonlight," this event goes beyond merely opening national heritage sites for public viewing. Instead, it is set to become an immersive nighttime festival where citizens and tourists can deeply experience the historical value of these sites.

2026 National Heritage Night Tour Poster. Provided by Suncheon City

In particular, the city plans to connect national heritage sites in the original downtown into a belt, integrating various signature contents and stay-type packages to expand the positive effects of visitor inflow to the local commercial districts.

Rather than simply treating national heritage sites as objects of viewing, the city aims to transform them into a driving force for visitors to stay and spend in the area. By establishing a structure for "stay-type heritage tourism," the goal is to inject long-term vitality into the original downtown.

This Night Walk will turn the entire original downtown into a vast historical and cultural belt by organically linking Nammun Square, the Street of Culture, Hanok Geulbang, Suncheon Central Church, and the Maesandeung Missionary Heritage Site.

The Seomun Information Center and the Street of Culture will be adorned with Cheongsachorong (traditional Korean lanterns), and subtle indirect lighting will be installed along the Maesandeung forest trail and stone walls to maximize the beauty of modern architecture's vintage charm.

An exhibition titled "International Architecture and City Field Workshop," part of a ten-day pre-program involving overseas exchanges with countries like India and France, will be showcased. This exhibition aims to shed new light on the academic and international value of modern cultural heritage.

A rich lineup of signature interactive content will allow visitors to move beyond passive observation and enjoy heritage with all their senses.

The main stage at the Seomun Information Center will feature a grand opening performance by Saengdonggam Crew and the band AUX. Highlights also include a live screening of the musical drama "Ssanghyangsu," which tells the legend of the twin junipers at the 800-year-old Songgwangsa Temple's Cheonjaam, the traditional performance "Seonamsa, Three Treasures" inspired by representative heritage from Seonamsa Temple, and the original musical "Missionary Stories, The Reasons They Stayed," depicting the lives of missionaries at the Maesandeung heritage site—all promising to deliver moving moments.

A variety of interactive programs are also prepared. These include "Maesandeung Time Travel," a stamp tour with seven guides transformed into local figures from a century ago, "CODE 1926: Maesandeung Night Walk Detectives," an outdoor mission game, and "Maesandeung Night Parlor," a private cultural salon that opens the usually inaccessible Deoham House, offering unique and memorable experiences.

Meanwhile, the Suncheon Christian History Museum, which normally closes every Sunday, will open specially on October 11 during the Night Walk festivities.

The standout feature of this Night Walk is the introduction of high-quality local packages designed to encourage long-term stays rather than one-time visits.

Through the integrated package product "Moonlight Heritage PASS," which combines accommodation, food, premium experience programs, and tours, the city aims to attract more staying visitors.

In the Street of Culture area, the "Geumkkot Market" will feature more than 40 artisan art vendors, while collaborative offerings such as "Koitkabae" (a bakery cafe) with the Maegok-dong Residents' Self-Governance Council, a traditional tavern-themed "Night Walk Tavern," and a food truck zone will all serve to fill Suncheon's nights with local flavors.

A city official commented, "The 2026 Suncheon National Heritage Night Walk is a high-quality nighttime festival that interweaves Suncheon's precious traditional and modern cultural heritage. We hope families and couples will take the opportunity to stroll the original downtown under the moonlight and fully enjoy Suncheon's deep history and the unique atmosphere of an autumn night."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.