GYEONGJU, South Korea-- The southeastern city of Gyeongju will host a light festival this fall as part of a cultural exchange program among South Korea, Japan and China, officials said Thursday.
The city, one of the nation's most popular tourism destinations, has been selected as this year's Culture City of East Asia, a program launched in 2014 by the three nations to promote mutual exchanges and understanding.
The festival will take place at Gyeongju Expo Grand Park from Sept. 2 to Oct. 16.
The event consists of four sections, featuring the countries' traditional lanterns; large lights in the shape of the countries' iconic bells; and light artworks themed on history, folktales and cultural traditions. It also offers programs for visitors to experience making lanterns and floating them on water.
Gyeongju, 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul, was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla (57 B.C.-A.D. 935).
China's Jinan and Wenzhou and Japan's Oita Prefecture were also picked as this year's Culture City of East Asia.
Source: Yonhap News Agency