A national multipurpose cultural center partially opened its doors to the public on Friday after nearly a decade of construction in the southwestern provincial city of Gwangju.

The Asia Culture Center was built on the site of the old provincial government building of South Jeolla Province, a space that symbolizes the May 18, 1980, people's democratic uprising in Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of Seoul.

The construction began in 2005 as part of then President Roh Moo-hyun's plan to foster Gwangju as a mecca of culture and arts in Asia. 

The new four-story building with a combined floor space of 160,000 square meters will serve to promote creativity and exchange in the culture and arts of contemporary Asia, as well as a place for visitors to experience the unique and diverse cultural offerings of Asia.

On the eve of the partial opening day, some 5,000 Gwangju citizens visited the center to enjoy performances by a Belgium dance troupe and an a cappella group as well as a laser show and an air show of drones.  

The ACC's official opening is due in November, when the ACC Culture Exchange, the last of the center's five major facilities, is completed.

Various cultural events are planned to mark the partial opening of the four facilities -- ACC Archive & Research, ACC Creation, ACC Theater and ACC Children.

The ACC Archive & Research will hold archive exhibitions commemorating 40 years of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Singapore, featuring 14 categories of subjects such as Asian designs, architecture and photographs. 

The ACC Creation will hold an exhibition designed by the German visual artist and curator Anselm Franke to delve into the meaning of "boundary and division" through large rivers that played important roles in forming Asia's history, culture, society and economy.

The ACC Theatre will show 33 films by 29 Asian directors, including ones acclaimed in international film festivals such as "The Monk from the Tang Dynasty," by Taiwan's Tsai Ming Liang, and "Cemetery of Slendor," by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul.

The 2015 Children's Festival is under way at the ACC Children as well as on streets of Gwangju, featuring 41 acclaimed children's plays from 11 countries, including the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Spain, Australia, Italy, Malaysia and Japan. The festival will run until Sept. 12.

"This partial opening is greatly meaningful in that it can show the process of filling the country's largest cultural facility together," Bang Sun-gyu, the ACC's acting chief, was quoted as saying in a release. "We hope it will become truly the country's national attraction," he added. (Yonhap)