From tteokbokki cook-offs to 'Young Yi Sun-sin' field days, Jung-gu gears up for autumn weekend festivals

Jung-gu in Seoul is set for a lively autumn weekend of neighborhood festivals.

Five neighborhoods — Hwanghak-dong, Hoehyeon-dong, Sindang 5-dong, Jungnim-dong and Gwanghui-dong — will each host a village festival on Saturday and Sunday, with programs drawing on their own local history and culture.

A children's field day themed around the boyhood of Admiral Yi Sun-sin will add to the festive atmosphere.

Saturday's lineup features the Hwanghak Zelkova Tree Festival, the Hoehyeon Ginkgo Tree Festival, the Baekak Festival in Sindang 5-dong, the Jungnim Malli Festival in Jungnim-dong, the Autumn Fairy Tale Festival in Donghwa-dong, and the "Young Yi Sun-sin Myeongnyang Field Day" organized by Jung-gu's elementary after-school care program. On Sunday, Gwanghui-dong will welcome residents with its ONE the FULL Festa.

Trees, tales and community — festivals in Hwanghak-dong, Hoehyeon-dong and Sindang 5-dong

Now in its 16th year, the Hwanghak Zelkova Tree Festival will be held around the Hwanghak-dong community center. The event opens with a traditional ritual beneath the zelkova tree — the neighborhood's guardian tree — to pray for peace and good health.

A flea market will also be held, with participation from Dongdaemun Central Church, local daycare centers and the kitchen-furniture street merchants' association. Hands-on activities for all ages include making keyrings using "worry stones," which have recently grown in popularity. Proceeds from the flea market will go toward helping neighbors in need at year's end.

Also on Saturday, the Hoehyeon Ginkgo Tree Festival — "Hoehyeon Ginkgo Noljang" — opens at 10 a.m. at Baengnyeom Plaza on Namsan. The festival's symbol is a ginkgo tree that has stood watch over Hoehyeon-dong for more than 500 years and is a protected tree designated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The event carries on a tradition of praying for the neighborhood's well-being and the rise of talented people, rooted in a legend that 12 prime ministers emerged from this once-auspicious site.

In Sindang 5-dong, the "Baekak Festival" brings together local organizations and residents. The name "Baekak" — meaning white crane — traces back to a story that the area was once so densely forested with pine trees that many cranes flocked there. The Yurak General Social Welfare Center, the Jung-gu Disability Welfare Center, the neighborhood council and resident clubs are all taking part to create a festival that bridges generations and neighbors.

The program includes a residents' singing contest, a fitness competition, a "5-dong tong" kimbap-making contest and other participatory events. Vehicle traffic will be restricted along some sections near Baekak Market, with the market merchants' association, the women's association and the community center joining forces to ensure a safe festival.