Changgyeong Palace offers digital dive into Korea's heritage

An immersive digital installation brings to life through 3D and augmented reality technologies an opulent banquet held in 1848 to celebrate Queen Sunwon’s 60th birthday. Courtesy of Korea Heritage Agency By Park Han-sol Changgyeong Palace in Seoul is set to transform into a backdrop for “Digital Pungnyu,” an immersive festival that whisks visitors back to the era of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) and early 20th-century Korea. Presented by the Korea Heritage Service and Korea Heritage Agency from Nov.

7 to Nov. 14, the festival will fill the palace’s historic halls and courtyards with five digital installations inspired by the country’s cultural heritage. Near the picturesque Okcheongyo Bridge, outdoor booths will feature screenings of two virtual reality films: “Poet’s Room” and “Dani: The Portrait of a Beauty.



” “Poet’s Room,” a 23-minute film about the life and legacy of Yun Dong-ju (1917-45), one of Korea’s most celebrated modern poets, was invited to compete in the Venice Immersive section at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival. Meanwhile, “Dani: The Portrait of a Beauty” breathes life into the iconic genre paintings of Joseon-era artist Shin Yun-bok, reimagining them as a love story interwoven with “pansori” musical storytelling and traditional dance. The work earned invitations to South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival this year.

A scene from the virtual reality, or VR, film "Poet's Room" / Courtesy of Korea Heritage Agency Inside the palace, two immersive installations will spotlight “Uigwe” — a collection of royal protocols that meticulously documented and illustrated the procedures of key state ceremonies, including weddings, funerals and banquets. These digital works bring a chapter of history to life through 3D and augmented reality technologies, each portraying the grandeur of the 19th-century funeral procession of King Jeongjo and the opulent banquet celebrating Queen Sunwon’s 60th birthday. The last showstopper lies in the vicinity of Haminjeong Pavilion in the form of “From Nature,” a 13-meter-long LED media art projection.

This piece captures the delicate beauty of classical Korean crafts — represented by ceramics and wooden furniture — by taking viewers on a microscopic journey of particles to illustrate their intricate production process. “Digital Pungnyu” is free and open to all visitors of Changgyeong Palace..