Gwanghwamun Square is home to many of Seoul's iconic cultural venues and host to crowd-drawing events. This summer, it'll be making a splash once again — literally.
From late July to August, a variety of venues and programs, ranging from water parks to stamp tours and concerts, hope to beckon locals and overseas tourists alike to the famous square.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Friday that Gwanghwamun Square will be transformed into a summer retreat in the city where visitors can "fight the heat."
According to the city government, convenience facilities, including pergolas, changing rooms and drying rooms, will be set up around the Hangeul, Myeongnyang and Tunnel fountains, where refreshing jets of water cool off visitors. Visitors can also enjoy two swimming pools and water slides that will be installed at the venues until Aug. 8.
The fountains operate from 10 a.m. to 9:50 p.m. with a 10-minute break every 50 minutes, and are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. Admission is free.
Young visitors can also participate in the Taegeukgi bracelet-making program or other hands-on activities creating Mugunghwa-themed items from Aug. 6 to Aug. 10. Taegeukgi refers to South Korea’s national flag and the mugunghwa is the country's national flower.
A studio will be set up behind the statue of Adm. Yi Sun-sin in the middle of the square.
Online reservations can be made at Seoul’s official Public Service Reservation website from 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Each person can only reserve a spot for one participant, and reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
The workshops are open to children under the age of 12, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. A total of 500 participants are expected to participate as the city government will accept 25 participants per hour.
Meanwhile, a mobile stamp tour for both local and foreign tourists will be taking place during the same period as well.
Participants will be asked to visit five different spots around Gwanghwamun Square and complete missions to earn digital stamps.
After completing the stamp collection, visitors can return to the booth to draw for prizes such as beach towels, sports bags and beverages.
Anyone can join on-site without a reservation by simply scanning a QR code between 1 p.m. from 6 p.m. from Aug. 6 to Aug. 10. English service will be available for overseas visitors.
If splashing about in fountains or collecting stamps isn't your thing, performances teams are set to entertain Gwanghwamun Square visitors from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Flea markets, food trucks and interactive booths will be installed in front of the King Sejong statue as well.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
