3rd international 'culture Olympics' kicks off on S. Korean island

By Shin Hae-in

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- Clad in multifarious costumes,
performers from all over the globe gathered on South Korea's Jeju Island
Wednesday to show off their artistic traditions during the third International
Delphic Games.
Under the theme "Tuning into Nature," the event will run from Wednesday through
Sept. 15 on this resort island with performers from 54 countries taking part in
six artistic categories, including music and acoustic art, the performing arts,
crafts, architecture and social arts, according to the Jeju Delphic Committee.
Korean music and dance -- representing the country's Confucian, Buddhist and
Shamanic traditions -- and contemporary performances heated up the opening
ceremony, attended by Lee Jong-duck, chairperson of the organizing committee for
the 3rd Delphic Games, Seoul's Vice Culture Minister Kim Dae-ki, and the
International Delphic Council (IDC) founder and secretary-general Christian
Kirsch among others.
"Let's illuminate the East and West together," Kirsch said in his congratulatory
address.
Akin to the Olympic torch relay, a consecration using lake water from Jeju's
Mount Halla was held to kick off the event. Once performed in ancient Greece to
sanctify the Delphic Games as an offering to the gods, the ritual is held to
ensure the event's success.
The Delphic Games originated out of the ancient Greek festivals that were held
every four years at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. Cultural fairs were
dedicated to the sun god Apollo, featuring various musical and drama
performances, while the Olympic Games were intended as a platform for military
drills.
The Delphic movement of the modern era was initiated by Germany's Kirsch, who
promoted the importance of global cultural understanding and proposed artistic
competition as a form of education. Representatives of 18 nations founded the IDC
in Berlin, Germany in 1994.
The event in South Korea is the largest so far. Twenty-seven countries attended
the first Delphic games in Russia and 21 countries attended the 2005 games in
Malaysia.
Along with competitions, organizers have also prepared various non-competition
events, including Buddhist and Shamanic festivals, a break-dance and hip hop
performance, and the Delphic Bar-Global Food Festival, during which attendants
will be able to experience hundreds of exotic cuisines.
The Maestro Program will feature performances by world-renowned artists -- South
Korea's Shim Woo-sung, Mongolia's Tserendorj Tseyen, Jill Bell from the U.S.,
France's Claude Mouchard and Spain's Alejandro Zaera Polo.
Meanwhile, organizers were on high alert due to the fast-spreading influenza A
virus, setting up special medical desks in all performance halls. Attendants were
asked to sterilize their hands while volunteer workers checked the body
temperatures of all those entering event halls.
Anyone aged 19 and older is qualified to compete at the Delphic games where
winners will receive either gold, silver or bronze Delphic Medal Award, the
Delphic Laurel Award, the Delphic Peace Award and the Delphic Lyre Award.
hayney@yna.co.kr