한국의 명절인 설날이 다가오고 있다. 한국에 살고 있는 외국인들은 여유로워지는 도시를 한껏 즐길 수 있다. 서울시에서 주관하는 한마당 축제는 제례 문화, 제기차기, 설 음식 등을 외국인들에게 선보일 예정이다. 이 축제는 외국인들을 위한 행사로 영어로 제공된다. 축제는 목요일 오후 2시부터 4시까지 개최되며 참가비는 따로 없다.  더 자세한 정보는 ihouse66@gamil.com 혹은 (02)2075-4180으로 문의하면 제공된다.

다른 축제, 행사, 게임 또한 서울 시내에 제공된다.

한복이나 한국 전통 의상을 착용하면 서울의 고궁 입장료는 내지 않고 입장이 가능하다. 무료 공연과 행사가 개사년을 맞이하여 열릴 예정이다.

500년 이상의 전통을 자랑하는 경복궁은 전통 공연과 민속놀이를 선보일 것이라고 발표했다.

설날 한마당 축제를 주관하는 국립민속박물관에서는 유네스코 무형문화재로 등록된 매 사냥을 선보일 것이다. 또한, 사주풀이, 떡국 만들기, 베트남의 신년제와 관련된 다양한 행사가 제공될 것이다. 개사년을 맞이해 뱀이 한국역사에 미친 영향을 세 부분으로 나뉘는 전시회를 통해 선보일 것이다. 더 많은 정보는 mater@royalpalace.go.kr에 문의를 하거나   royalpalace.go.kr/html/eng.를 방문하면 얻을 수 있다.

이 모든 것들을 예전에 본 적이 있다면 유네스코에 등재된 창덕궁을 방문하는 것을 추천한다. 1405년에 건립된 창덕궁은 주변 풍경과 함께 자연스럽게 어우러지고 있다. 설날 당일에는 다양한 한국 전통의상과 민속놀이를 체험할 수 있을 것이다. 입장은 오전 11시30과 오후 1시30 가이드와 함께 입장할 수 있다. 90분간 진행되는 투어의 참가비는 성인 1명당 3,000이다. 추가 정보는 (02)762-8261를 통해 알아볼 수 있다.

설날을 본격적으로 새기 시작한 것은 삼국시대가 존재했던 6세기이다.

경기도 용인의 한옥마을에서는 민화, 연날리기를 즐길 수 있다. 입장료는 성인 15,000원, 어린이 10,000원이다. 한복을 입고 오면 입장료는 반값이다. 문화행사는 2월2일부터 13일까지 진행된다. 투어는 전화 (031-1330)이나 웹사이트(www.koreanfolk.co.kr/folk/english/main.html)를 통해 예약할 수 있다.

대구에서도 설날 퍼레이드가 2월 3일 진행된다. 1시에 시작되어 2시부터 바람 축제가 시작되어 마당 드라마와, 음악. 공연, 민속놀이, 연날리기 등을 할 예정이다.

부산에 간다면 국악 공연에 들를 것을 추천한다. 2월 9일에는 부산 남구의 부산 문화 센터에서 무료 콘서트가 열릴 예정이다. 공연은 오후 5시에 시작되며 선착순 입장이다. 공연 티켓은 4시부터 배포되기 시작한다. 더 많은 정보는 (051)607-3123에 전화하면 알 수 있다.

부산 홍법사에서는 2월 17일 연 만들기 체험을 제공한다. 한국 전통 문양의 수제 연을 만들어 보는 것도 좋은 경험이 될 것이다.

전통적인 체험 보다 레저와 휴식을 취하고 싶다면 관광단체에서 많은 홀리데이 패키지를 제공하고 있다. 어드벤쳐 코리아는 3일 일정의 스키 일정을 $220 (한화 약 25만원)에 제공하고 있으며 서울 하이킹 그룹은 2얼8일부터 11일까지의 제주도 여행을 335,000원 (약 $305)에 제공하고 있다. (코리아헤럴드)

<관련 영문 기사>

Get sucked into Seollal

As the cities empty, Lunar New Year is a great time to experience Korean sights and try cultural events

By Paul Kerry and Lara Pearce

With the Lunar New Year approaching, Korean families will gather at homes and on hillsides across the country to pay respects to their ancestors.

For many expats, Seollal’s holiday exodus gives them a chance to enjoy city sites and leisure activities in relative quiet.

As most expats’ families are far away, museums and city governments put on events to help bring them together while also learning about some of the traditions.

“It’s one of the biggest holidays in Korea and most expats will feel loneliest when it comes to these holidays, living away from home in a foreign country,” explained Michelle Kang of Seoul Global Center, which is helping organize Seoul City’s Seollal Han-madang Festival event in Seoul Citizens’ Hall.

“It’s going to be a big gathering, you can meet some other fellow expats here. At the same time you can learn some Korean traditions, like how to set the table for the ritual service and then some things you can actually get involved in.”

The event will let expats learn the ancestral rites and enjoy Korean and international cuisines. There will also be the chance to play folk games including jegi-chagi and tuho and a chance to make traditional “madeup” ornaments. Seoul City is putting on a Lunar New Year feast designed specifically for expats, including English commentary. The event will take place Thursday from 2-4 p.m. It is free, but requires reservation. For more information, call (02) 2075-4180, email ihouse66@gmail.com or visit global.seoul.go.kr.

Elsewhere festivals, feasts and traditional ceremonies and games abound.

You can don “hanbok,” or traditional Korean attire, and discover your inner nobility at one of Seoul’s grand palaces. Entry is free for anyone wearing hanbok, and special concerts and events are planned to ring in the Year of the Snake.

Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty for more than 500 years, will play host to traditional performances and folk games.

Within the palace grounds, the National Folk Museum is putting on its own Seollal Han-madang Festival, including a special demonstration of hawk hunting -- a traditional winter activity that was recently listed on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List.

There will also be fortune telling, tteok making and special events for children based on Tet, the Vietnamese New Year which coincides with Seollal.

The National Folk Museum is also celebrating with a three-part exhibition dedicated to the role of the snake in Korean culture throughout the centuries. The exhibition will run until Feb. 25. General admission is 3,000 won and includes the museum.

For more information, email master@royalpalace.go.kr or visit royalpalace.go.kr/html/eng.

Seen it all before? Then celebrate at another Seoul UNESCO World Culture Heritage site, Changdeokgung Palace. Built in 1405, this palace was designed to complement the natural topographical features of the landscape. On Seollal, traditional costumes and games abound, adding to the authentic feel of the best-preserved traditional architecture in Korea. Located in Jongno-gu, admittance is by guided tour only, at 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. The 90-minute tour is 3,000 won for adults. For more information, call (02) 762-8261.

Celebration of the Lunar New Year dates back to the sixth century, during the Three Kingdoms period when Korea adopted the Lunar Calendar. So what better way to celebrate the event than by throwing yourself head-on into traditional Korean life?

The Korean Folk Village in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, allows you to do just that. Check out the folk painting exhibition, learn to fly a kite the Korean way or participate in talisman writing while getting lost in the maze of more than 300 traditional houses and buildings scattered across the sprawling village -- all while enjoying the music and dance performances, both traditional and hip-hop. Admission is 15,000 won for adults and 10,000 won for children. Wear hanbok and get in for half price. Cultural events take place Feb. 2-13. For the event schedule, call 031-1330 or visit www.koreanfolk.co.kr/folk/english/main.html. Advanced reservations are required for a guided tour. Call (031) 287-1332 to make a reservation.

Meanwhile, Daegu is ringing in the Lunar New Year early with a grand parade on Feb. 3 at the Daegu-gonggo crossroad in Ahoi Village. The procession will commence at 1 p.m. but stick around, because at 2 p.m. the real party gets under way. The New Year’s Wind Festival is celebrated with madang drama, dance and music performances, character costumes, minsok nori (traditional folk games), Korean board games, kite flying and more. For more information, call the Tourist Information Center at 053-1330.

If you’re planning on bringing in the Lunar New Year by the sea shore, don’t miss out on seeing a traditional performance of gugak, Korean classical music developed during the end of the Joseon period. A free concert is being held at the Busan Cultural Center in Nam-gu, Busan, on Feb. 9, where a janggochum (Korean drum dance), folk songs and dancing will be on show. The concert begins at 5 p.m., but get in early because free tickets will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis from 4 p.m. For more details, contact the center at (051) 607 3123.

For latecomers to the celebrations, or for those who simply want to prolong the holiday, Hongbeopsa Temple is offering kite making on Feb. 17. Try your hand at making shield kites, stringray kites and many others incorporating traditional Korean designs -- all just a short bus ride from central Busan. For more information, call Busan’s Tourist Information Center at 051-1330.

But if you’d rather seek more modern forms of entertainment and relaxation, many tourism organizations offer special holiday packages over the long weekend. Adventure Korea is offering a three-day ski trip to Phoenix Park resort for $220, and the Seoul Hiking Group is running an all-inclusive chartered tour to Jeju Island from Feb. 8-11 for 335,000 won. Find out more details on their Facebook group pages.

For more holiday ideas, call your local Tourism Information Center.
(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)(lara.a.pearce@gmail.com">paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)(lara.a.pearce@gmail.com)
Bae Soo-min contributed to this article. -- Ed.