Enjoying the spring waters is one of the simple pleasures I always look forward to during my visits to Korea. ( See the
earlier posting on the spring waters of
Osaek in Soraksan and at
Naeso-sa. )
One approaches a zen-like moment when one partakes of the cool waters straight from the ground. Well, OK - visitors at Osaek spring No 2 usually had to use the plastic scoops instead of using their hands so it's not totally a primeval and rustic experience and those who wanted to taste the waters at Spring No 1 had to queue up in front of a stone tortoise which spouted out the spring waters. Still, it's a lot more fun than turning on the tap or opening up a plastic bottle of Perrier.
Koreans may extol the virtues of this spring or that, citing its mineral contents being good for one ailment or another but personally, the appeal lies in getting up close and personal with nature while running the minimal risk of getting the runs.
So I was VERY sorry to read this
recent report from the JoongAng Daily:
"At Osek Yaksu, which has been famous for its medicine water for 500 years, we found not the refreshing gusher we expected but a tiny trickle. Seven elderly ladies who had come from across the country to fill up on the yaksu were also disappointed. After an hourlong bus ride, each of them had to spend 40 minutes to fill one 1.8-liter bottle. According to the locals, the yaksu began to dry up after a large construction project started nearby."
James Hadley noted some construction going on in Osaek Creek when he visited the place in June 2007. The previous year, heavy rains had damaged Highway 44 and the work he observed was intended to create steep banks flanking Osaek Creek and to "grade the creek bed to a gradual profile with a flat cross section. In other words, either the creek was being largely converted into a canal, or previous canalization was being extensively repaired."
Hadley raised some important
questions about the impact of the construction and I wonder if this particular project has anything to do with the spring waters or if another construction project is responsible for turning the Osaek spring into a sad trickle. Either way, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the isutation is a temporary problem or if not, I really hope the locals can do something to ensure that the springs of Osaek will continue to refresh present and future generations of visitors. The best things in life used to be free but these days with nature under siege on so many fronts, we need to pay the price in terms of greater vigilance.
sources: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=255513
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2923178
http://pr.korean.net/eng/koview/koview_10.jsp
http://www.factplusfancy.com/pbw/kr/11/Osaek_Creek_Construction_Work_2007_06_23
