World cultures come together at Global Gathering
- Contents
-
Traditional food, music, art at Citizens' Park
A traditional performance staged at last year's Global Gathering.People from around the world will converge for Global Gathering once more.
The popular event sees people of multiple nationalities come together at Dasom Madang within Busan Citizens' Park near Seomyeon from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 21. Busan City has partnered with the Busan Foundation for International Cooperation to host Global Gathering, the city's biggest multicultural festival each year.
Diverse cultures of different countries around the world are showcased through live performances and information booths.
Since the festival began in 2006, it has continued to bring locals and foreign residents of Busan together in mutual cultural appreciation.
This year, the festival is set to coincide with Together Day on May 20, unlike previous years when it was held in October. Together Day is a national event to promote multiculturalism, with official events organized through the Ministry of Justice and Korea Immigration office.
The festival will offer a slew of activities aimed at closing cultural divides. About 100 groups from 30 countries will participate in the Global Gathering this year, with booths set up by each country. Traditional food is provided by embassies and communities, with handicrafts and other goods for sale.
Sister city groups stage traditional dance and musical performances, while costume-fittings and global flea markets are set up within the park.
About 98 groups took part in the last year's Global Gathering, which drew more than 30,000 visitors.
In honor of the BFIC's 10th anniversary, it has invited representatives from foreign diplomatic offices and cultural centers in Seoul to host events during the festival.
A booth hosted by the city's foreign language newspaper team at Global Gathering provides an opportunity to meet the people behind the city's Japanese, Chinese and English newspapers, as well as win raffle prizes. Visitors can subscribe to the paper or pick up bound volumes of 2015 editions and the latest issues.
"I hope that participants will be able to understand and exchange different cultures as they experience and enjoy the multicultural festival in one place," said a spokesperson from the BFIC.
- Information: 051-668-7902, www.bfia.or.kr/globalgathering
The source of news: Dynamic Busan
