With all the summer and holiday travelling done the weekend festival trips have begun again. This weekend four of us went to the Gyeongju World Culture Expo. This is actually running for two months from August to Mid October, but with all the holiday trips and other festivals coming up this was the first free weekend I had to go.

Ticket prices were 15,000w ($15) or 12,000w for a group of 10 or more. Luckily we saw some scalpers selling the group tickets for 10,000w ($10). They looked legit and other koreans were buying them too, so we took our chances and they worked ok getting in.

I'd passed by the expo park before in March when we went to the Shilla Millennium Theme Park across the street. The most striking thing you see from the distance is the Gyeongju Tower. This looks like a high rise office tower but with the shape of a nine storied pagoda hollowed out in the middle. I'd seen pictures of it lit up and was looking forward to the evening light show.

Once you enter we first went over to the building with the international travel booths. They had Turkey, Cambodia, Israel, Pakistan, China, Slovakia, and Taiwan. They also had a booth from the Korea Muslim Federation with Qurans and traditional korean mask displays at the back.

Video : World Travel Booths
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow1wTx91 IG0

Outside some ladies in traditional dress were doing a cultural dance which we could hear and see in the distance but missed. Then we walked over to where they had free food samples. The first one was rice balls in leaves and as you waited in the line you passed an assembly line of people taking the rice, patting it, adding ingredients, squeezing it into balls, placing the balls in a tray of leaves.

The next one was a flat salty pastry. My mum makes the same thing and I'm surprised I've never seen them in korea before. First you take the dough and roll it and flatten it into a thin paper thick surface. Then cut out diaganol rectangles that are then fried till crisp and left to try. We call them 'namak parey' in india/pakistan but not sure of the korean name.

We then walked thru a dinosaur park into the world fossil museum. I didnt think rocks would be interesting but they came in many shapes and different coloured crystals and was very interesting. They also had fossilized remains of insects and fish. There was also a large exhibit of dinosaur bones. There was a building housing a circus performance but that needed an extra ticket for 10,00w ($10).

After we walked to a TV set for a show called Athena. I've never seen it but seems like a crime investigation show for counter terrorism. They had a conference room, morgue and lab, office cubicles, and other executive offices. I think it was a mock set as there was no room for cameras/lighting equipment etc. The film set I had been to in the Shilla Millennium Park across the road for a historic drama was more interesting. This was just a typical office.

We wandered thru a sculpture park and some flower fields to the chinese zodiac garden. Then we heard music and headed over to the main performance area. The arena was already full and we caught the opening performance. Two female drummers were banging drums making water splash off the surface while chinese dancers performed.

Video : Dance Show Opening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5jpfdUP dvQ

Then there was a mens opera and a pianist before the more interesting main act came. This was a group of Kung Fu Dancers. After some synchronized opening moves they performed individual dances.

Video : Kung Fu Dance Show Opening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_c4vCWR O58

They started off with a young boy doing a set, followed by a teenager, then a man. After that there were group dance performances, martial arts fights, and using different blades and farming implements as weapons. They were also imitating different kinds of animals.

Video : Kung Fu Dance Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjf7c8TN B2g

Video : Martial Arts Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYtsuVRh 5zs

After an hour I thought the show was done but the announcer kept talking and no-one was leaving. Then to wild cheers and screams a K-Pop star came on stage to perform. I recognized his song as they play it in my gym. The stage had fire and smoke jets as everyone went wild.

Video : K-Pop Star Opening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvaDn2Sv m8k

I'm told his name is Kim Tae-Woo. I tried playing the video to my kids but they werent that interested surprisingly. I'm told he is past his peak which was about a decade ago. I enjoyed his music anyway.

Video : K-Pop Star Closing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UygFlWPR rHQ

After the show we found the international crafts booths. They had India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kenya, Ecuador, Indonesia, Thailand, Egypt. This reminded me a lot of the CNE we have in Toronto where they have the international trade and crafts buildings with over 100 countries represented. They also had vendors selling turkish kebabs again.

Then we found the Silla Interactive History Museum. This was good in that there were interactive 3D exhibits. One was standing in a room of mirrors while a movie of soliders plays on the screen so it looks like you are with the army. After that we found the World Doll Museum which had many European and German dolls as well as dolls from around the world.

We then stood in line to go up the Gyeongju Tower to catch the sunset. The elevator reminded me of the Tokyo Tower as you had a uniformed guide explaining stuff as the rode the elevator up. Unfortuantely when we got up it was already dark and there is too much glare and lights in the windows to take any pictures outside.

They had an exhibit of the disputed island of Dokdo which Japan is laying claim too. There was also a replica exhibit of Seokgaram Grotto where you could take your pic which is good since the real one in Gyeongju no photography is allowed. Then they were kicking everyone out the tower at 7pm since the evenings night show was about to begin so we made it in time.

The Gyeongju Tower was now lit up in different coloured lights and patterns while a stage was setup at the base for musical performers. Nearby was a lantern pond that was all lit up now. After a while we decided to leave and not stay for the fireworks finale at 9pm or we would be very late getting back to Daegu.

The Gyeongju Expo is still running till Oct 10, 2011 so there is still time to visit. I think the park and exhibits are open year round as we passed by it in March earlier this year and I've seen pics of other people that went there. There is a glass floor in the Gyeongju Tower which was closed off during the Expo.

For more detail on the expo their website is http://www.cultureexpo.or.kr/expo/en/ma in/main.html
Unfortunately there are no performance times on the site and the flyers that were in the park were all in korean. But a fun day out nonetheless.