Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival 2010

Those in South Korea have a few days left to catch the Jinju Namgang Yudeung (Lantern) Festival. It started on Friday, the first of October and will end on Tuesday, October 12th.  Head for Namgang River in Chilam-dong, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do Province to enjoy sights such as these.

Unlike the Loy Krathong Festival when tiny decorated rafts are released onto the river as a kind of prayer to the Goddess of Water, the Jinju Lantern Festival has its roots in turbulent times when the Japanese invaded Korea in 1592. The invasion known as Imjinwaeran tested the resilience and creativity of the besieged Koreans in the fortress who managed to outwit the Japs by communicating with support through lighted floats sent along the river.

Last year many festivals were cancelled on account of the H1N1 flu but thankfully this isn't the case this year.

So if you're not headed down to Busan this weekend for the international film festival ( more on this in next posting), head down south to Jinju to practise your night photography skills, or  try your hand at making your own lanterns or just soak in the ambience.


Earlier postings on Jinju:

Jinju - The Most Beautiful City in Korea?

A Museum Dedicated To An Invasion

Did The Japanese Invade Korea For Teabowls?

Tomb of Noses - Roald Dahl Would've Loved This One!

One of Top Three Pavilions in Korea

Letter For Some Jinju Ajummas

sources:
http://www.korea.net/detail.do?guid=50279

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2926859
http://www.yudeung.com/09E_index.php
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=292766
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=697197

Jinju in Spring - A floral tribute

Sorry, I'm botanically-challenged so I would be grateful if anyone out there could identify the following flowers for me. If my labels are wrong, please let me know. All these were taken within the grounds of the fortress in Jinju.

Pic above: Main gateway to the fortress in background; unidentified floral object in foreground; hard to imagine with such colourful pretty flowers that this was once a site of bloody battles.

Pic above: Petunias or pansies ??? Taken somewhere near the pavilion

Pic above: Camellias near a temple - I read that the falling flower evokes an image of decapitation to the Japanese samurai but what does it mean to the Koreans?

Pic above: Taken from the fortress ramparts; actually this was my first glimpse of cherry blossoms ever in real life before I suffered a surfeit of them in Jinhae.

Letter for some Jinju ajummas

To the ajummas of Jinju that I met,

This is a long overdue letter to thank you for your warm and spontaneous hospitality. I had arrived at the bus terminal from Daejeon by mid-day in the spring of 2007. The walk to find a yeogwan was some distance away but thankfully, after settling in, it was a short stroll to the fortress. I then spent a good part of the afternoon walking my feet off on the grounds and was getting a little tired when I came across a group of you ladies at a small temple, Hoguksa, near the western end of the fortress.


You were all seated cross-legged on the floor of an annexe surrounded by paper lotus lanterns in various stages of completion. It was apparent that you were volunteers helping to prepare the decorations for the upcoming celebrations for Buddha’s birthday. I remember struggling to find the words to ask if I could join you and pitch in to help a while. Your openness and friendliness made me feel so at ease that I was soon settling down to apply starch to the paper petals and leaves for you to assemble on the wire frames.
Source of pic: http://elizabethbriel.blogspot.com/2004_05_01_archive.html

The seonim ( monk) who brought in more boxes of paper lotus petals must have been surprised to see me there - a tourist with a backpack and baseball cap. But you rattled off something to him and it continued to seem like the most natural thing to accept a stranger from another country who couldn’t understand any part of the gossip and chatter going on around her. I wanted to take a photo of us together but I ran out of film and for the umpteenth time wished I had a digital camera.

I also want to thank specially one ajumma who was working as a volunteer in the Jinju National Museum. I learnt that you had also been a tourist in my own country and had even climbed its highest mountain. I was impressed by that but even more touched when you invited me for a meal after I had completed my tour of the museum. Kamsa-ham-nida for introducing me to the delicious Jinju bibimbap in the heart of the marketplace –in a cosy sikdang clearly popular with the locals.

Source of pic: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=404018506&blogId=491528312

Last but not least, go-map-seum-nida as well to another ajumma that I met later on at Boriam, Namhae. You had actually travelled from Jinju to this temple for some special prayers but you also took time to show me the way to Ssanghongmun ( the twin caves). Moreover, without your support and example, I wouldn’t have been able to complete the 108 prostrations – something I once thought was a feat for only the tough and truly devout.

Your city claims to be the most beautiful city in the country. I don’t know how true that is but I can definitely agree that it has some of the most beautiful and gracious ladies in the country! Once again, ajummas of Jinju, thank you so much for making my visit to Korea so memorable and heart-warming.

Sincerely,
An ajumma who visited Korea

One of the Top Three Pavilions in Korea

Jinjusanseong has a large pavilion which is supposed to be among the Top 3 on the list of beautiful pavilions to check out in the country. Chokseongnu is a big pavilion, that’s true. But to my untutored eye, it didn’t look aesthetically superior or inferior to other pavilions I’ve seen. However, the determination of the people to keep this cultural asset going as a symbol of the city is perhaps what makes it impressive. Built in 1241 during the Goryeo Dynasty, this pavilion has been repaired or rebuilt at least eight times.

Moreover, Chokseongnu has very decent views of the river and city. Perched on higher ground and overlooking the river, it served as a command post for generals on the lookout for the enemy during times of strife. In less turbulent times, groups of scholars studying ancient classics used the pavilion as an open-air study-room. In these more placid days, photographers, school groups and tourists are its regular visitors.

Source of photo: http://www.ocp.go.kr:9000/ne_dasencgi/full.cgi?v_kw_str=&v_db_query=A4%3A38&v_db=2&v_doc_no=00008315&v_dblist=2&v_start_num=921&v_disp_type=4

Tomb of Noses - Roald Dahl would've loved this one!

Part 4 A GRIM & BIZARRE FOOTNOTE OF HISTORY

“It is said that Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered his troops to kill Koreans and send their noses, packed in salt, back to him to prove that they were killed. Japanese soldiers frequently exaggerated their success in battle.

The Japanese started by first sending back severed heads but the heads were heavy and took up too much space, so it was changed to ears.

However, the Japanese troops began cutting off both ears to double their number of kills. When Toyotomi Hideyoshi realized this, he was forced to change the order from ears to noses…..According to one record, the Japanese sent back 6006 salted noses in 6 large jars….” Apparently, they were kept at the ‘Tomb of Noses’ at the Toyokuni Temple in Kyoto, Japan.
Source of extract: Jinju National Museum brochure

The Lonely Planet reports that in an effort to improve Korean-Japanese relations, the latter returned 20,000 noses to the former and the noses were buried again in a formal ceremony. That’s comforting to hear but could anyone please tell me where the noses are now buried in Korea?

Did the Japanese invade Korea for teabowls?

By the 16th century, the tea ceremony was already the rage in Japan and the Japanese were mad about tea-bowls imported from Korea. If you were a Japanese in those days, you could spend between 10,000 and 50,000 bags of rice to buy your own fiefdom or splurge on the latest Korean tea-bowls.

Small wonder that the Japanese thought it made more economic sense to Iaunch a war against its neighbour across the waters. Not only could they seize as many Korean teacups as they pleased, but they could also assure themselves of an endless supply by kidnapping Korea’s finest potters and taking them back to Japan.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the Japanese warlord who hatched the plan to invade Korea and it just so happened that he was the pupil of the great tea master, Sen No Rikyu. Unfortunately Sen No Rikyu had a falling-out with the warlord and committed hara-kiri before the Japanese invasion of Korea. Wonder what the tea master would’ve said if he had known of his student’s plans.

Source of pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bric_uk/407135262/

A Museum Dedicated to An Invasion?

Part 2 The Jinju National Museum

Source of photo: KNTO webpage

 Not surprisingly, a museum dedicated to the story of the 1592 invasion can be found on the grounds of this fortress. The Jinju National Museum (open all days except Mondays and New Year’s Day) should please those interested in history, particularly military history and, those who are not so fond of the subject but are blessed with imagination, may find themselves drawn to the different folding screens which portray the different battles and how the Korean fortress was besieged by the Japanese armies.

There are many other exhibits to engage the young and the young at heart; you can learn more about the the military campaigns through the audio-visual presentation; you can put on the fake gold crown and pose as royalty for the digicam; you can collect an ink stamp of the famous turtle ship ( geobukseon) invented by Admiral Yi shun-shin who defeated the Japanese at sea.

You could also take advantage of the free access to the Internet available in the museum gift shop to email an update of your travels to friends and family.

"The Most Beautiful City in Korea"

JINJU, Gyeong-sang-nam-do Part 1 “The most beautiful city in Korea!”

The tourist brochures proclaim JINJU to be “the most beautiful city in Korea” but I didn’t hear about that until I reached the place. Having seen it though, I would say that it is a pretty place. Part of its attractiveness is that it is built on a river, the Namgang, to be precise in this case. Its most attractive spot is the rebuilt fortress with its walls outlining the contours of a little hill overlooking the Namgang.

However, what makes Jinju special is its place in the national history. Its fortress at the northern end of the Namgang has many tales to tell of a terrible time when the Japanese invaded Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The Jinjusanseong ( Fortress) was the site of one of the main battles and it was here that about 70,000 Koreans died in defense of their country.

Walking around the grounds of the fortress in the spring of 2007, the spring flowers distracted me from the past. Creamy magnolias, yellow dogwood flowers, scarlet camellias, pots of decorative pansies and the occasional cherry blossom tree were all vying for the attention of my camera. It was peaceful and calm, particularly as it wasn’t the weekend and the spring weather was showing its sunnier side.

It was hard to imagine this was once the scene of some fierce battles which involved soldiers, civilians, and even monks who turned soldiers. Standing on the edge of the cliff near the Chokseongnu Pavilion and looking down into the calm waters of the Nam River lapping innocuously around the famed Uiam Rock, I struggled to picture how a Japanese army general could be hurtled to his watery death by a zealous kisaeng.

Photo source:http://wikitravel.org/upload/en/thumb/1/13/Jinju_Fortress_River_View.JPG/400px-Jinju_Fortress_River_View.JPG

Namhae - Part 6 What to Do at Boriam

Above: Rocks around Boriam have a mythical, mystical air

There were surprisingly many visitors at Boriam in Namhae Island.  Half of them were day tourists and hikers who had trekked up Geumsan. Half were devotees, mostly ajummas who were planning overnight stays as they had various rounds of prayers to make. I was wondering where the dorms were until I saw the communal dining room doubled up as temporary sleeping quarters for visitors. People congregated here for vegetarian meals prepared by a harried-looking team of volunteers and it was cleared after dinner and thin mattresses were spread on the floors for ajumma to catch forty winks before waking up for the pre-dawn prayer session.

In between the prayer sessions, one  kind –hearted and patient ajumma, who made regular trips from Jinju just to worship at Boriam, took me under her wing and showed me the way to Ssanghong mun ( Double Red Gates) – at first it seemed like a small cave with twin openings.

Actually it comprised 2 tunnels through a massive rock on the cliff face. Once again I cursed mildly the dull and damp weather that didn’t encourage any good snapshots.

But I was once again floored by the simple spontaneous act of generosity of the Koreans as my self-appointed guide who was quite a few years my senior lent me her gloves. She had seen how clumsy and unsteady I was, making my way slowly over the rocky path and almost crawling to lower my centre of gravity. I never fail to marvel and envy the Koreans for their sure-footedness and good balance. It seems everyone from the grandparents down to the infants are very fit and good walkers.

And there is a lot to see if you are a good walker. Mount Geumsan where Boriam commands fine views of the Hallyeo National Maritime Park, boasts 38 scenic views which include Mang-dae, an old watchtower and beacon built during the Goryeo dynasty. I managed to find my way to the old beacon but to my surprise, a group of Christians were already occupying the round structure in some outdoor service.

Above: Didn't dare intrude on open-air service on signal beacon so snapped board instead.

Towards evening, the mists cleared as if Nature was granting me somewhat grudgingly a chance to have a better look at the scenic wonders of this place. In a way, the mists added to the mystery of the place and to be rewarded for one’s patience by panoramic vistas of Namhae towards the end of the day made the visit all the more memorable.

Namhae which has been dubbed Treasure Island may not reveal all its secret treasures so easily, but if you are fortunate, the process of discovering them with the help of the friendly local inhabitants will be reward in itself.

For more information about the list of sights, log into the Namhae website ( http://english.namhae.go.kr/)

sources:
http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/culturenlife/culturenlife_tour_detail.htm?No=1336
http://www.san.go.kr/english/info/gyeongsang_geumsan.jsp
http://www.tour.go.kr/resource/re_reso_viw.asp?hidCtgry_cd=A&hiddenRes_cd=4884-A-13418