Byeongamjeong: In The Footsteps of KBS's Hwang jinyi, Part 2

Do I really want to spend precious time hunting down Byeongamjeong, a pavilion cum bridge which may no longer resemble the one featured in the KBS drama, Hwang-jinyi? Though I may admire the work of  Ha Ji-won ( BTW, check her recent interview with CNNGO Seoul here)  and think the younger Jang Geun-seuk even cuter than his present all-too-pretty incarnation, I'm not sure that I'd be so crazy as to visit this place simply because it served as romantic backdrop to a fictitious romance.



So here's the contrast between reel life and real life. Above, the music video of the heart-breaking tragic tale of yangban youth ( played by Jang Geun-seuk - all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed before he developed the brooding hippie look ) and the lowborn heroine ( played by the radiant Ms Ha Ji-won ) with a charming proposal scene shot at the pavilion. Below, the more prosaic reality, minus the lovely lighting, floral embellishments and editing out of modern day touches like a dull phone pole.

How To Get There:  

By car -  Take the Jungang Expressway. Exit at Nadeulmok of Yecheon.

Head toward Yongmun on Local Road 928.  About 8km down this road, you should be able to see Byeongamjeong.  It's the easternmost pavilion in a group of pavilions at Seonghyeon-ri in Yongmun-myeon.

By bus - From Dong Seoul Terminal, board a bus bound for Yecheon ( Services run 7 times daily between 6.40 and 18. 40; it's a 2 hour and 20 minute trip). From Yecheon, I'd probably ask around for local buses headed towards Yongmun or take a taxi.

According to one source, parts of the pavilion and stone bridge have been demolished for safety reasons. The rest of the structure is supposed to have been earmarked for similar treatment but this puzzles me as Byeongamjeong has been designated Cultural Property Material No 453. Then again, after looking through the website of CHA (Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea), I'm beginning to wonder if that's a false assumption ie. that such designations don't guarantee immunity from bulldozers.

So these pics may be the remaining record of the existence of this pavilion. Which may be a bit of a shame. Even if it hadn't featured in the KBS drama, it's quite a charming spot and one can only imagine how much prettier it would be with lotus flowers in full bloom in late July and August.

The trees around the pond seem rather photogenic as well, with or without leaves.

Although I'm not so keen to go all the way to Yecheon to look for this pavilion, I realise there are some other attractions that make this place worth visiting. Will cover these in the next posting.

Meantime,  for more on this pavilion which enjoyed its five minutes of fame in Hwangjinyi, check out The Scent of Spring from the Silver Screen: Yecheon ( dated 2007-04-20 )

Sources:
http://findallvideo.com/please-look-at-me-geu-dae-bo-se-yo-choi-hye-jin-engroman-sub/id/1989206191
http://gyeongbukhere.blogspot.com/2011/05/yecheon.html
http://www.investkorea.org/InvestKoreaWar/work/ik/eng/bo/print_added.jsp?bno=704200006&sort_num=114
http://en.filmkorea.or.kr/search/search_viewer.asp?grp=101&dir=1826&gotopage=4
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=805822

Mureung Valley: In the Footsteps of KBS's Hwang Jin-yi, Part 1

Nothing beats sageuk ( Korean historical dramas) for getting inspiration when planning your travel itinerary around Korea. For some inexplicable reason, I've been watching again the KBS drama, Hwang Jin-yi and salivating each time the beautiful scenery of the countryside is featured. So here's the first part of my wish-list as I try to follow the footsteps of the KBS version of Hwang Jin-yi's story. ( Not much point trying to trace the trail of the original gisaeng as she lived in what is now North Korea).

First stop: the famed Mureung Valley in Gangwon-do, popular in the past among poets and these days among K-drama producers. It  forms the backdrop to the scene in which an aristocratic youth ( played by Jang Keun-suk) chances upon Hwang Jin-yi (played by Ha Ji-won) as one of the gisaengs-in-training. Just as it's love at first sight for the young man, it's love at first sight for yours truly as well and I wonder why I didn't pay attention to the mention of this place in my Lonely Planet guidebook. Now I kick myself mentally for this omission as I've also learnt that it's also been used as the outdoor shooting location for two of my other K dramas, Painter of the Wind and City Hall.




Click here for the link to KTO website.

I'd probably find a bus to Gangwon-do from Incheon International Airport.

May have to change at Chuncheon to get to Donghae. If it's late in the day,

 I'd stay at a jjimjilbang near the bus station at Donghae.

If Samhwasa temple or its nearby hermitages here don't have an informal temple-stay,

I guess I could easily find a minbak just outside the park grounds.

Must mentally prime myself not to expect gushing

 waterfalls as they tend to dry up in autumn.

I'd spend time to gawk and marvel at the Chinese characters inscribed on these rock faces.

And of course, hike up to see the Twin Falls.

From the KTO website:

Mureung Valley (무릉계곡), which spans from Mt. Dutasan (두타산) and Mt. Cheongoksan (청옥산), refers to a four-kilometer stretch from Hoamso Pond – where, according to a legend, a tiger drowned to death – to Yongchu Falls, located upstream. The waters of Mureung Valley flow over wide sheets of rocks and into the cracks between them, forming a large and particularly splendid pond along the path. Starting at Mureung Rock, a wide sheet of single rock on which hundreds can sit, the valley twists and turns around Samhwasa Temple, Haksodae Falls, Okryudong, and Seonnyeotang Ravine, all the way to Ssangpok and Yongchu Falls, providing breathtaking scenery along the way. Also known as ‘Arcadia,’ scholars and poets frequented the valley in olden times and the 5,000-m2 Mureung Rock bears the inscribed names of some of these poets and their works. The valley offers a medley of curious-looking rocks and stones, and other odd scenery that attracts many tourists.

Also, I'd need to check out Sogeumgang in the vicinity.
Hiking Trails - 3 suggestions from KTO:
* Trail 1:  Entrance - Mureung Rock (무릉반석) - Samhwasa Temple (삼화사) - Dutasanseong Fortress (두타산성) - Dutasan Mt. (두타산)

* Trail 2: Entrance - Mureung Rock - Samhwasa Temple - Gwaneumsa Temple (관음사) - Gojeokdae (고적대) - Dutasan Mt.

* Trail 3: Entrance - Haksodae (학소대) - Ssang Waterfalls (쌍폭포) - Youngchu Waterfalls (용추폭포) - Bakdallyeong (박달령) - Cheongoksan Mt. (청옥산)

Travel options:
1. Take a bus from East Seoul Terminal to Donghae. Nineteen rounds of bus services are provided everyday from 07:09 to 20:05 and the ride takes about 3 hours.

Or take a train from Cheongnyangni Station to Donghae/Mukho Station. Six rail services are provided everyday from 07:00 to 22:40 and the ride takes about 6 hours.

2. Once you are in Donghae, you can take a city bus from Donghae Intercity Bus Terminal to Mureung Valley. (The bus operates at 30-minute intervals and the 14.1 kilometer journey takes about an hour.)

 
sources:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=789870#
http://punynari.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/forfigure-fm.jpg?w=600
http://tigersandmagpies.com/2010/01/donghae-cheongok-cave-mureung-valley/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlKdfq64mj0&feature=player_embedded
http://www.skynews.kr/article_print.asp?mcd=60&ccd=6&scd=3&ano=37
http://english.dhtour.go.kr/guide/10.htm

Houses in Korea I Fell In Love With, Part 1

Been watching the TV drama Personal Taste with Son Ye-jin and Lee Min-ho. Their characters live in a hanok-style house which is a  real beauty. Alas, the reality is the house known as "Sanggojae"  meaning “A place for mutual love”  in the drama  is actually made up of two locations. The exterior scenes were shot outside No 31 Beon-ji, Gahoe-dong, in the Bukchon Hanok Village while the indoor scenes were filmed in a set located in Yangju MBC Culture Valley.

So I am keeping my fingers crossed that the same isn't true of my first love which was and still is the beach house featured in Il Mare , a 2000 production directed by  Lee Hyeon-Seung. The romance  featured Lee Jeong-Jae and  Jeon Ji-Hyeon, two very attractive leads but really the house was the thing that had me hooked. The setting was sublime, the profile of the house was unassuming, even austere and it conveyed a sense of intimacy amid an stark and exposed landscape. Admittedly it's not a house for a family, let alone a couple; it strikes me as a home for a solitary soul who enjoys the solitude.

The Il Mare house was small; read: not many rooms to clean unlike the overwrought mansion featured in Full House, the 2004 KBS drama with Song Hye-gyo and Rain. ( More on the Full House house below.)

The interior and exterior facade were simple, exuding a Zen-like atmosphere and the cabin was projected out into the open sea - idyllic, provided it's never in the path of any typhoon such as the Kompasu Typhoon which has just hit parts of Korea.

What's been frustrating is that I've not been able to find out if this house really exists or was simply a temporary structure just put up for the shooting of this drama.  All I've been able to dig up so far is that scenes of the movie were shot in Ganghwa Island's Sukmodo, and Jeju Island's U-do. If any kind and knowledgeable soul out there has the answer and links, could you please share the location of the house with me?

More about the house used in the 2004 KBS drama, Full House, starring Song Hye-gyo and Rain, taken  from the KNTO website:

It was " filmed in the Gwangyeok-si area of Incheon. Located near Incheon International Airport, the place may be reached in a ten-minute boat ride from Sammok Harbor to this quiet, seashore getaway.

Unlike other filming locations in Korea, this is an actual house. Made mostly of wood, this house, which is a private-owned vacation house, cost approximately the equivalent of one million USD to be built. The beach front property looks out onto open waters, with elegant views that could be used on any postcard. Many fans of the miniseries make a pilgrimage to this now famous home. Nearby sightseeing locations include Jogak (sculpture) Park on Modo Island; a bridge connects these two islands."

sources:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/content/cms_view_301253.jsp?gotoPage=1&genre=7320

http://leeminho.wordpress.com/2010/04/16/on-the-set-of-mbc-tv-series-personal-taste/
http://seoulgirl015.wordpress.com/2010/08/06/going-to-sanggojae/
http://english.seoul.go.kr/cav/ena/hallyu_view.php?pidx=2&idx=10177
http://www.trendir.com/house-design/korea-modern-architecture-pixel-house.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_House_(2004_TV_series)
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_5.jsp
http://www.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-436046/k-movie-il-mare/
http://www.cgpinoy.org/architectural-f3/il-mare-series-stills-and-sample-clips-t9982-60.htm?change_temp=
http://www.cuteworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Personal-Taste-Ep-02-22.jpg
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/CU/CU_EN_8_5_1_67.jsp

What Does Jeon Do-yeon Have in Common With J.K. Rowling, George Clooney and Leonardo diCaprio?

Answer: They have all received the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres award from France in recognition of their contributions to the arts and literature. Jeon now joins her compatriot, Lee Byung-Hyeon as one of the Asians in the entertainment industry to be so honoured. The medal was presented to her during the 14th Pusan International Film Festival.

In the early days of her career, she played second fiddle to Choi Jin-shil in a TV drama series but soon she was depicting a variety of characters.Consider the range of roles she's taken on:  A lovestruck teenager in love with her teacher, played by Lee Byung-Hyeon, (Harmonium in My Heart) ; a spoilt woman who falls for an illiterate would-be actor ( Shooting the Star); a restless wife caught in an affair ( Happy End);  a devoted wife succumbing to the charms of the rake played by Bae Young-Joon ( Untold Scandal), a President's daughter in love with a cop ( Lovers in Prague); a prostitute who is infected with AIDS ( You Are My Sunshine) and of course, her award- winning role as a devastated widow and mother whose son is kidnapped and murdered ( Secret Sunshine).

A personal quote, cited on IMDB website:

"I enjoy acting so much that I have no need or desire to be called a great actor. This is partly my personality, but also the fact that I get so absorbed in acting, to where I can't see or think of anything else. I can't tell you what great acting is, but for me, it is to give everything you have with honesty, sincerity and persistence."

Indeed, her passion for acting is clear in all the characters that she plays with conviction. One can only hope that she will continue to enjoy even more meaty roles and that more film-lovers will recognise her talent.

sources:
http://english.chosun.com/
http://asiaenglish.visitkorea.or.kr/ena/HA/content/cms_view_316145.jsp?gender=Whttp://yeinjee.com/asianpop/tag/asian-celebrity/korean-celebrity/park-si-yeon/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0161133/bio

Why a Goose's Dream?

Can someone please explain to me why that particular bird is in the title? Not that I've anything against geese but am just curious as to what the bird means to Koreans. Anyway, whether it's a goose, duck or swan, it's a great song and delivered impeccably by Insooni. The song is also featured in Beethoven Virus.

A Goose’s Dream / A Swan’s Dream
Translation by x3Yesung of Soompi

I have a dream, Even if I’m thrown away or ripped to shreds
Deep in my heart, I have a dream as precious as gem
If by chance, without a reason,Somebody ridicules me behind my back
I should be patient, I would wait just for that day.

As you always worry, You say that foolish dreams are poisonous.
Just like a book that tells us about the end of the world
There’s the reality that we can’t turn back already

Yes I have a dream.I believe in that dream
Please watch over me, Standing in front of that cold wall called fate
I can firmly face it, One day I will pass over that wall
And be able to fly, As high as the sky
This heavy thing called life can’t tie me down
At the end of my life, on the other day that I can smile, let’s be together

Hangul Lyrics
거위의 꿈
인순이
난 난 꿈이 있었죠
버려지고 찢겨 남루하여도
내 가슴 깊숙히 보물과 같이
간직했던 꿈

혹 때론 누군가가
뜻 모를 비웃음
내 등뒤에 흘릴때도
난 참아야 했죠 참을수 있었죠
그 날을 위해

늘 걱정하듯 말하죠
헛된 꿈은 독이라고
세상은 끝이 정해진 책처럼
이미 돌이킬수 없는
현실이라고

그래요 난 난 꿈이 있어요
그 꿈을 믿어요 나를 지켜봐요
저 차갑게 서 있는
운명이란 벽앞에
당당히 마주칠 수 있어요
언젠가 난 그벽을 넘고서
저 하늘을 높이 날을수 있어요
이 무거운 세상도
나를 묶을순 없죠
내 삶의 끝에서
나 웃을 그날을 함께해요
그 꿈을 믿어요
나를 지켜봐요

Surprising Seonunsan, Part 1

SEONUNSAN (선운산) PROVINCIAL PARK, JEOLLABUK-DO

“Seonunsan is a gorgeous place. Among other things, it boasts a temple, Seonunsa and small sub-temples perched all around a gorge. Behind Seonunsa is a 500-year-old camellia forest that blossoms around the middle of April.” ( Lonely Planet)

Heaven knows why but I am so easily seduced by that description that Seonunsan is put on my itinerary for my November 2005 trip. However, the sight of the crowds entering the park make my heart sink and I begin to wonder if it’s a mistake. It isn't easy finding a place to stay during this peak season. The Youth Hostel is fully booked and anyway, don't fancy sharing a roof with noisy school groups at this point in time. But the further I get from the main temple, my fears of a wasted trip fade away.


Seonunsan is, indeed, a beautiful place. A mini green tea plantation and a busy stream flank the narrow trail which leads to Dosol-am, a tiny hermitage, about an hour’s walk away from the main temple. Leaves of amaryllis plants cover the grounds in patches, hinting at the spectacle that greets visitors in September. While the camellias are not evident, the deep reds of the maples here are ample compensation. The maples here aren’t as profuse as those in Naejangsan but the colours are quite stunning, evoking a real sense of autumn.


A quiet place with lively cats, Dosolam has some lovely maple trees with leaves carpeting the ground in red, gold and orange hues that rival a Persian rug. It also has a great view of Cheonma Peak  (Cheonma-bong)and one can even hear the exhilarated shouts of walkers who reach its summit. I surprise myself by reaching this cliff as well without actually planning to do so.

After a stiff climb up many steps and some hauling with handy ropes, I stand with a strong sense of personal victory on a great vantage point and look down into the valleys and across to other peaks.

 On my way back, I chance upon two signboards marking the spots where MBC filmed some dramatic episodes for its highly successful drama series, DaeJangGeum a.k.a. Jewel in the Palace: the cliff where Lady Choi commits suicide and the cave where the heroine’s mother is buried.

Yongmun Cave (Yongmun-gol) actually comprises three enormous holes in the rock face that one can walk through. It’s a bit creepy if one is there in the forest alone amid the cool gloom and silence. Luckily a group of walkers pass by so I can ask them to take a snapshot of me posing beside a pile of rocks for a fictitious grave. Oh the power of TV.


For another posting on Seonunsan, click here.

sources:
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=658504
http://culture.gochang.go.kr/seonunsan/
http://culture.gochang.go.kr/eng/
http://culture.gochang.go.kr/eng/
http://article.joins.com/article/article.asp?ctg=12&Total_ID=2656630
http://english.whatsonkorea.com/view_listings.ph?lid=5273&code=M_A&scode=M_A3&ss_code=M_A3-9&pst=M
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/images/wallpaper/0909/004_1024.jpg
www.dvdbeaver.com/film/articles/...amas.htm

What's Your K.Q. (Korea Quotient) ???

FUN QUIZ No 1 : HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW SOUTH KOREA?
Update: I've decided to make this first quiz short- only 5 pictures to identify.

Can you guess where these photos were taken? Clues are given for each.

Update: You may find the answers if you visit other postings on this blog.

There will be FIVE photos posted for this first quiz. ( see future posts to this blog)

No 1 Clue: Can a fake grave from a TV drama become a tourist attraction?

No 2 Clue: The tiny "temple" is gone but this pond is beautiful in any season.

No 3 Clue: Holy shit! You have to go far south to find this. ( pardon the language)

No 4 Clue: Photo of its partner is in another post on this blog

No 5 Clue : Are the children too much for T-Rex? Or is he running from the hen - dragon?

HAPPY GUESSING!