On July 25, Gyeonggi Provincial Museum opens a special exhibition on the fairy tales of Gyeonggi Province under the theme of “Where Have All the Traditional Fairy Tales Gone?” The exhibition targets children, introducing a selection of fairy tales that were chosen after reviewing over 1,500 old stories including legends, fables, and folktales, all of which have been handed down in the Gyeonggi region, the review itself being in preparation for celebrating the millennium of Gyeonggi.

The common theme in the exhibition is that the stories are mainly about ‘people’ rather than animals or metaphysical beings, they unfold beautiful and mysterious plots, and their endings are touching and happy. The modern literary works that share similar themes with the old fairy tales are also on display, illustrating that the ‘old tales’ are handed down and continuously recreated. Passed on through verbal narrative, the traditional fairy tales are our common cultural heritage that we have built up together, and are a part of our modern story as well.

For adults, the exhibition will be a venue to examine the details of the old tales of Gyeonggi Province and to look back into their old days, and for children it will be a chance to find the charm and lessons of the old stories.

※ Relics restoration : Choi Yu-hyeon, Gu Hye-ja, Kim Hae-ja (national intangible cultural assets), Kim Yeong-hui, Bak Gyeong-suk, Hong Mi-yeon, Kim Ji-yeon, Kim Mi-yeong, Jang Jeong-yun, Cha Gwi-mi, Gang Hye-seong