HWASEONG — The city of Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province is holding a history and culture festival marking King Jeongjo's filial devotion and his concern for the people.
The city said on the 1st that the 2026 King Jeongjo Filial Piety Festival and Royal Procession will run from the 3rd to the 4th at Jeongjo Hyo Park and the area around Yungneung, the royal tomb.
The festival has been held since 2002 and ranks as Hwaseong's signature event. It was created to carry into the present the filial devotion King Jeongjo showed toward his father, Crown Prince Sado, and his concern for ordinary people.
This year's program adds resident participation events and advanced technology to the traditional historical content, making it fuller than in previous years.
On Oct. 3, filial piety awards will be presented at the opening ceremony to residents who have practiced filial devotion in their communities. A reenactment procession of the Hyeonryungwon relocation, joined by about 400 residents, follows.
The Hyeonryungwon relocation program recreates the historic moment in 1789 when Crown Prince Sado's grave was moved to Yungneung in Hwaseong. Joseon royal rites and the king's filial devotion are expressed through a procession of residents.
That evening, "The King's Road," an original musical on the theme of King Jeongjo's filial devotion, takes the stage. A drone light show involving 1,000 drones will then light up the autumn night sky.
On Oct. 4, the royal procession, the festival's main program, takes place. About 800 residents will join it.
The procession runs through a traditional section at Hwanggye-dong Hyeonchung Park, a modern section at Dongtan Central Park Hyeonchung Park and a future section from Hyeonchung Park to Yungneung.
The royal procession reenacts King Jeongjo's journey to Hwaseong. A filial piety parade group, a children's royal carriage group, a residents' group and a foreign residents' group take part together, conveying the king's filial acts and his concern for the people.
New this year is a robot procession reflecting the city's image as a future advanced-technology hub. Combining robots with the traditional procession is expected to produce an unusual parade in which history and the future coexist.
At Yungneung, a royal carriage procession for the tomb rites and a memorial rite at Hyeonryungwon will also be held. The rites recall the meaning of the filial devotion King Jeongjo practiced toward Crown Prince Sado. The scenes will be broadcast live at Jeongjo Hyo Park so residents can share in the atmosphere.
Hands-on programs will run at Jeongjo Hyo Park and around Yungneung during the festival. They include Joseon-era martial arts demonstrations, traditional Korean music performances, traditional costume experiences, craft activities and a royal tomb tour program.
Transport support has also been expanded for visitors. Hyundai Motor's Namyang Research and Development Center is providing shuttle buses to the festival site on the 3rd and 4th as part of regional cooperation. On the 4th, additional buses will run to help procession participants return.
"The King Jeongjo Filial Piety Festival and the royal procession are a leading national history and culture festival that carries King Jeongjo's filial devotion and concern for the people into today's values," Hwaseong Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun said. "This year, through new content such as the robot procession, we will present a festival unique to Hwaseong that brings together history, culture and advanced technology." The mayor asked residents and tourists to take interest and join in.
