Wishing I was there right now - I can only imagine the comforting warmth of the woollen mittens and scarves, the biting winds, the screams and giggles of delight, the tightening grip of your friend's hand on your own, the sheer joy of speeding down a snowy slope with your buddies and the long trek up for another ride down.
Reconstructing Bulguksa was a tricky challenge - with most of its 80 buildings destroyed by fire and overrun by Mongol and Japanese invader and local robbers, much of the planning ( between 1969 and 1973) for rebuilding this historical temple depended on excavations as reference points. Historical literature was another vital source of information and comparisons with other buildings which belonged to the same period were made as well. There's also a tug-of-war between the desire to replicate the experience of the past and the need to preserve the relics for the future.
So here are three compromises made in the reconstruction of Bulguksa:
First, as Kim Bong-Gon, Director-General for the National Institute of Cultural Heritage pointed out, "Although the existing stone structues in Bulguksa belong to the Unified Shilla Period, ( structures like) Museoljeon, Gwaneumjeon and the corridors were reconstructed in accordance with the style of the Joseon Dynasty".
A firm decision was made as well to limit the reconstruction to the bridge staircases in the facade and exclude the original pond that was under the bridge staircases.
Finally, to ensure that National Treasures No .22 and 23 remained in good condition, the bridge staircases have been cordoned off and tourists can only gain access to the main temple grounds by a side entrance.
Conscientious tourists who want to reduce their carbon footprint may console themselves by enjoying the reconstruction of Bulguksa with cyberview tours here. ( Scroll down after the jump till you see the pic below and click on the red arrows). Happy armchair travelling!
Answer:
So cold that an artificial waterfall outside the Seocho District Office in Seoul turned into a frozen beauty. Temperatures dropped to the lowest for this year so far - minus 9 degrees Celsius (15.8 degrees Fahrenheit). I'd like to visit Korea in winter for the seasonal experience but I suspect that I'd be glued to the ondol, too chicken to venture out. Avid photographers who dare brave the chill and icy winds for great pictures may want to snap similar pictures of frozen waterfalls in Korea's many national parks now before the ice starts to melt.
The Winter Solstice (which falls on 22 December in 2009) and known as Dongji in Korea (Dongzhi in China) , is observed as the longest night and shortest day of the year. It’s also viewed as “the day that ushers in the new year”. Roots of this festival go back a long way to the Chinese beliefs in the balance of yin and yang. The ancients believed that this night marked the beginning of the end of winter and also an increase in positive energy with more daylight hours. As it is a time for hope and recovery, some Chinese families even regard Dongzhi as even more important than their Lunar New Year festival and mark the occasion with reunion dinners.
Patjuk is a staple of Dongji in Korea. This recipe calls for glutinous rice flour to be rolled into small balls and added to a sweetened red-bean gruel. While the white rice balls symbolise new life, the red bean porridge stood for kicking evil spirits out of one’s home.
According to old wives’ tales, evil spirits hate red. The colour is also associated with ‘yang’ ( meaning positive energy) so Korean ajummas used to spray red beans cooked into patjuk all over their homes to discourage such spirits from entering. They also said that a warm winter solstice was a bad omen of disease and death while a cold and snowy solstice signalled prosperity in the coming year.
Patjuk was also offered as part of the first harvest of the season at the ancestral table. Modern housewives are more likely to give their children patjuk because red beans are reputed to be especially good for keeping the body warm and hydrated. Of all the grains, they’re the ones with the most vitamin B1.
Koreans also believed that a person was one year older after eating a bowl of patjuk with one rice ball for each year of his or her age. Question is: How on earth do the halmoenis avoid indigestion if they have to consume so many glutinous rice balls?
My father smiled each time it snowed
Because he had nothing to call his own.
( When he lost all he had to creditors and
had to leave his hometown with his family,
he carried nothing, not even spoons,
except the wound left by one he had trusted.)
Whenever the snow fell, Father never failed
To rejoice because he had nothing left.
Here is Kim Jeong-ram’s “Snow”:
Snow is falling
We hear our souls
Run barefoot.
When the world was created, when we were still dreams
When we were the wings for a larva, sprouts for spring
Breaths of a god
Then, we whispered under our breath.
Poems quoted in an article, “Snowfalls of the heart” by Cho Hyun-wook (JoongAng Ilbo, 24 December, 2008)
Nothing to do with Christmas but I'm in the mood to listen to something old. In Kpop terms, SG Wannabe's hit from 2008, La La La, might fit the bill. Have a thing for no frills MVs with the singers just enjoying themselves in front of the mics.
For more info on SG Wannabe, click here. Didn't realize the SG stood for Simon and Garfunkel.
What better way to shake off the winter blues than to light one candle by g.o.d.? Here's Kim Tae-woo's solo take on the song by the former boy-band.
Credits to g.o.d - JYP - Sidus HQ
Lyrics
In this world,
There are many people who have less than we do.
For those who are struggling even now, we sing this song.
"Stay strong!"
Why is life so hard?
Who said that life was beautiful??
Since I was born, all that life gave me was more trials to overcome.
During those times, I looked into the mirror and asked myself,
"What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this only happening to me?"
It feels like it'll never change.
Not tomorrow, or even the day after.
Don't say that
Don't crumble under the pressure
Whatever life gives you
Whatever you receive
Whatever this unfair world offers you
If you just accept it
Wouldn't you be fighting it?
Would you give up?
Would you surrender to the life that fate dealt you?
Don't bow your head to the world, don't lose strength,
Look at us.
Chorus
When you're tired and exhausted, lean on me
I will always be by your side
So that you never feel like you're alone in this world,
I'll be right beside you, holding your hand.
It's too dark, I can't see the road
All I have on me is one match and one candle
What could I do with this one small candle?
How could the darkness leave by lighting this one candle?
I see the bright light far away in the distance
And here I am making vain efforts alone in the dark
I want to fly towards that bright light
But I can't - my wings fail me.
But that's not the case
So much can happen by lighting that one small candle
I believed that there was nothing else around me
But I discovered another small candle
And when I lit it, they became two
By the light of two candles, I can find more
And two becomes three, and three becomes four
And the darkness disappears
Do you remember?
We fought life without a father
That was the story of my childhood
It was true, and it was hard
But I didn't give up there,
I didn't lose my dream, I didn't lose my courage
I kept trying, and here I am now
Now I want to tell you
You can do it, too.
For an earlier posting on g.o.d. , click here.
source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgzcssEPtX4
Bulguksa is an epic poem in stone which sits snugly on the slope of Tohamsan. Much of it is built from granite – its coarse grains don’t make it the easiest of materials to manipulate but its hardiness will ensure the temple will continue to withstand the ravages of time and acid rain. If I get a chance to revisit Bulguksa, I’ll pay closer attention to the actual structure of the temple to appreciate the skill of its craftsmen.
There’s a saying which goes something like this: “Shilla stone masons managed stones as if they were like clay.” If there was a time travel machine, I’d interview a stone mason from the Shilla period who was directly involved in the building of Bulguksa.
Interesting interplay between rough and shaped stones
I wouldn’t want to interview, though, poor Asadal, the craftsman from the Baekjae Kingdom who was tasked with creating a three-storey pagoda. Legend has it that he wasn’t allowed to see his wife until he had completed his work. How long does it take to carve a stone pagoda? Long enough to drive Asadal’s wife to such misery that she drowned herself in the Yeong-ji ( pond) just below the main staircase leading to the main hall. Let the poor souls rest in peace - they’ve been through too much already.
Shilla achievement in arches
Here are some of the questions I’d like to pose the Shilla mason:
1. Where did you get your building materials from – a local quarry or some further source of stone? What other kinds of stone were used besides granite?
2. What tools or techniques did you use to shape the stones so evenly?
3. How did you manage to put the stones together without using mortar?
4. Why were the bridge cum stairways fronting the temple built at a 45 degree angle?
Not so easy for modern-day pilgrims to climb up to Enlightenment
The main façade of Bulguksa is dominated by two pairs of double-sectioned staircases which are curiously called bridges. There used to be a small fishpond which represented the pure land of Buddha or the river demarcating the division between the earthly and heavenly worlds. So once upon a time, the staircases were real bridges but now they can only be regarded as symbolic of the connection between the tainted world of humans and heaven. Another explanation is that the bridge cum stairways stand for the life of a young man growing older.
A big stone jigsaw puzzle - how to fit the stones without benefit of mortar?
On the east side, you can see Cheongungyo (Blue Cloud Bridge or Bridge of Azure Clouds, 청운교) and Baegungyo (White Cloud Bridge or Bridge of White Clouds백운교). The Blue Cloud Bridge comprises 17 steps and continues onto the White Cloud bridge which has 16. Together they represent National Treasure No 23 or for the Buddhist pilgrim, the 33 steps to enlightenment and the pathway to Jahamun (Golden Purple Gate/ Mauve Mist Gate, 자하문) which leads to Daeungjeon (Sakyamuni Hall).
The Lotus Bridge and Bridge of Seven Treasures
On the west side, you can see National Treasure No. 22 Yeonhwagyo (Lotus Flower Bridge, 연화교) and Chilbogyo (Seven Treasures Bridge, 칠보교) leading to Anyangmun (Peace Enhancing Gate/ Pure Land Gate 안양문) which in turn leads to Geuknakjeon (the Hall of the Pure Land). This pair of staircases are smaller and have fewer steps than their counterparts on their right. The Lotus Bridge was given the name on account of the flowers carved into the steps but unfortunately they’ve faded under the heavy tread of countless pilgrims making their way up to the main temple grounds. Modern-day devotees or secular-minded tourists have to find other routes to enlightenment as the bridges have been blocked off to protect the frail granite blossoms.
Stone platform for prayers - hope they didn't have to do the 108 prostrations here!
It’s ironic how the humble Bulguk-sa which was never intended to be a big name among the Shilla temples turned out to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the main temple featured in KNTO posters. While little remains of its contemporaries like Hwangnyongsa and Bunhwangsa, the major temples, Bulguk-sa, the underdog or Cinderella of Buddhist temples in Korea, has managed to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of the Japanese invasions in the 16th century and catch the imagination of President Park Chung-hee ( 1961-1979) who supported its restoration.
Its origins seem to offer a clue as to its resilience – the architect and prime minister responsible for the the original temple had his own rags to riches story. Kim Da-seong was born poor and so ugly that he was given the moniker “ Big Wall” on account of his flat forehead. Religion proved to be a great comfort to the young Kim and according to legend, he was reincarnated and when he was born the second time, he was found with a seal bearing his name in his fist. The second Kim eventually became the prime minister and personally designed the temple to honour his parents according to one legend which doesn’t state which set of parents – the first, the second or perhaps both.
However, others don’t believe Kim had any such intention in mind. Another version has it that it was built by King Pob-hung for his queen. Shilla kings used to depict themselves as rulers of a Buddha land so this theory of the origins of Bulguk-sa seems plausible. A third explanation maintains that the temple was designed to symbolize “the happy land where mortals found release from all the heartaches and pains of human life by following the enlightened path as taught by Buddha.” As a result, a lot of effort was put into making the small temple beautiful.
There we were - our second day in Gyeongju during our first ever trip to Korea. My friend and I had planned an early start to see both the famous Bulguksa Temple and the Seokkoram Grotto. We'd just made our way into the first courtyard when it started to snow. No big deal to folks who live in temperate climes but it was my very first experience of real snow and to have the snowflakes drift down so gently in such a setting was sublime.
Unfortunately we weren't quite prepared for the cold and found ourselves taking refuge in the temple where a kindly ajumma invited us to draw closer to the electric heater. She even poured for us some herbal concoction from a kettle kept warm by a stove. It was so peaceful watching the drifting snowflakes framed by the wooden portals of the temple.
On second thought, it wasn't a case of nature over the man-made. The scene was a harmonious yin-yang balance between the two worlds. What better place to be witness to the beauty of the Shilla temple being enhanced by the serenity of the wintry landscape?
I've got a small reproduction of the Emile Bell, my one souvenir from Gyeongju which I couldn't resist splurging money to acquire and when I had a second look at the patterns on the replica bell, the ladies didn't look overweight to me.
Editing lapses aside, I'd say this website is a great introduction to would-be visitors to this famous museum and historic city. It has also been a great way for me to revisit Gyeongju to appreciate more fully its cultural legacy. I don't recall if there were the same explanatory notes in English for the artefacts on display when I visited the museum years ago but this website provides some useful and interesting information about some treasures in its vast collection ( it has over 210,000 items but only displays about 3000 artefacts).
Just click here and then click on Exhibition Halls at the top bar. Look out for the famous Gold Crown and ornamental sheath for a dagger in the Archaeology Hall. Read carefully as well the description for a jar with clay figurines. Happy Exploring!
Do you prefer the new R&B version of Super Junior's Sorry Sorry
OR
The Dance version below?
I'm not a fan of Super Junior ( but I'm no anti- either!) and I was annoyed with myself when the tune of Sorry,Sorry kept running through my head while I was exercising outdoors (That's what comes of listening to too much Kpop music on KBS World Radio!) But I was intrigued to read the article below on the KBS World Radio Webpage. Is this a trend in Korean pop music scene - to have fast number hits reworked as slow ones as with the Wonder Girls' "Nobody"?
" Idol group Super Junior has released online the R&B version of the group’s hit “Sorry, Sorry.” The new ballad version is titled “Sorry, Sorry? Answer.” In addition, the remix version of another hit “It’s You” will also be released online. SM Entertainment, which manages Super Junior, has announced that the music video of “Sorry, Sorry? Answer” will be disclosed on the group’s official homepage and other video sites."
Cheomseongdae's graceful profile is more beautiful at night
Cheomseongdae, according to one source, means “star-gazing tower”. Yet experts still are arguing about the actual functions of this striking structure in Gyeongju, according to Sang Sang-yong’s article in the Korea Journal. I’d take Song’s claim that it’s one of “the hottest in the history of debates in Korea” with a thimbleful of salt but let’s have a quick look at the options.
Was it built to read the sun, the stars, the clouds or something else?
Was this granite tower, shaped like a bottle, which was built during the reign of Queen Seondeok ( between 633 and 647 A.D.) intended and used as...
a. an astronomical observatory?
b. a meteorological observatory?
c. a symbolic monument to Shilla science?
d. a sacrificial altar to worship the god of agriculture?
e. an expression of the Shilla concept of religion?
f. all of the above?
Two models showing how people got to the top.
Frankly, I’d echo Rhett Butler’s parting words to Scarlett O’Hara but I’m more impressed with the fact that it’s remained standing for over 1,300 years and has barely shown any stress from seismic shifts. If indeed Cheomseongdae is an astronomical observatory, it may be the oldest one existing in Asia. I guess its longevity and its apparent nod to the scientific, cultural and architectural achievements of the Shilla Dynasty are reasons enough for national pride.
National Treasure No. 31 - A national symbol and a source of pride
At the same time, it's also interesting how the twelve stones at the base reflect the months while the 30 layers may represent the days in the month while apparently the position, angles and directions of the tower corners are aligned to some stars, according to the Lonely Planet.
Sauna at Pension Cheomseongdae - does it really look like the tower?
The next time I visit Gyeongju though, I think I'll go to Pension Cheomseongdae , situated near the Gyeongju Folk Handicraft Village instead. Its sauna, supposedly shaped like its namesake, is heated naturally with pine logs and is open 24 hours so one could even bed down there for the night and dream instead of Hallyu stars.
Mian-hamnida to all the Shilla kings and queens buried in the Gyeongju tumuli but I couldn’t help myself. The first thing I thought when I saw the smooth mounds in the Daereung-won Tumuli Park was: “Wouldn’t it be fun to take a toboggan and slide down a tumulus covered with snow?”
Purists and die-hard patriots would probably bar me from entering the city again for my irreverence. But hey, I’ve read in the Lonely Planet that even Korean tourists have been traipsing up and down the slopes when the security guards weren’t looking.
Unlike most graveyards, the ancient tombs for the royalty and nobility of the Shilla Dynasty have an approachable air about them. Sanitized by the archeologists’ excavations and the manicured lawns, the Daereungwon is more like a languid stroll through a park than an exciting exploration of people’s final resting places.
Even when one enters the Heavenly Horse Tomb ( Cheonmachong) and peers through the glass for a close-up look at reproductions of the famous gold crown ( now in the museum), there are no shivers down one’s spine the way one would feel exploring the Roman catacombs or the dark cramped spaces within an Egyptian crypt. But then again such comparisons are unfair.
Just go with an open mind and you might enjoy learning a thing or two about the difference between a stone-lined chamber tomb and a tunnel-type tomb or discovering the origins of the names for some of the tumuli such as “Bamboo Soldier Tomb” ( Chukhyonnung) , “Tomb of the Deceased’s Shoes” ( Singnichong), and “Tomb of the Auspicious Phoenix” ( Seobongchong).
For more information on how to get there, admission charges and opening times, click here.
Eight years short of a millennium, the Shilla Dynasty enjoyed an impressive run of 992 years (57 BC – 935 AD) under 56 kings. The birth of Park Hyeogeose, the originator of the Park clan, which dominated in the early years, has acquired mythical proportions. Legend has it that he was hatched from an egg laid by a white horse. Clashes between the main clans eventually saw the Kim clan emerge as the most powerful family and the unification of the three kingdoms ( Shilla, Baekjae and Goguryeo) marked the start of the Unified or Later Shilla period. The Shilla kings allied themselves to the Tang Dynasty in China at first but had to defend their country against Chinese territorial ambitions and succeeded in denying the Chinese after a decade-long struggle. At the same time, the name “Shilla” became known along the Silk Road as far as Arabia and Persia.
Map of the Three Kingdoms before unification under the Shillas
The power-sharing arrangement among the leading clans gave way to a hereditary monarchy under King Naemul (356–402) of the Kim clan. The kings strengthened their position by military might and by red tape.. First they put down armed revolts and got rid of their strongest rivals in the aristocracy Next, they tried to undermine the power base of the nobility by introducing a system of salary payments ( jikjeon) to replace the old practice of granting them land which entitled the yangbang to impose taxes on the peasants. But the nobility didn’t take kindly to this and they spent much of the latter period of the dynasty opposing the monarchy and fighting amongst themselves.
Queen Seondeok, the TV drama version
Buddhism became the state religion and during the reign of Queen Seondeok, ( 623-647 ), Son, a.k.a. Zen Buddhism, was developed. There were many achievements in the cultural and religious life of the kingdom under her rule, including the construction of Chomsongdae, the distinctive stone observatory. Earlier on, the kings had assumed the lofty position as Buddha-kings but their status was weakened ironically after the unification of the country as the nobility challenged their authority under a new system modelled after the Chinese government. The assassination of King Hyegong in 780 A.D. ended the succession line, reduced the king to a figurehead and intensified the internal strife between the upper and lower branches of the aristocracy. Finally, exhausted by the civil wars, the Shilla Kingdom fell into the hands of its rivals, the Goryeos in 935 A.D.
For info on the shooting locations for the MBC drama, Queen Seondeok, click here.
Buddhist art and architecture thrived during the Shilla Dynasty
Am revisiting Gyeongju by way of this promotional video created by Arirang TV. Gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect, where to go and what to do while in Gyeongju.
Check out the scene which starts at 7:30 and watch how the tourists make copies of designs on the traditional roof tiles ( kiwa) used in Shilla architecture.
Great to have two favourites in the same movie and even better to hear that Kim Myung-min and Ha Ji-won have won the awards for Best Actors in the movie, Closer to Heaven ( also known as My Love by My Side) in the most recent Blue Dragon Film Awards held on 2 December, 2009.
Kim Myung-min ( Maestro Kang of Beethoven Virus fame) probably suffered more than Rain ( who couldn't eat rice for 6 months apparently for Ninja Assassin) in terms of the physical preparation for his role. As someone suffering from Lou Gehrig's Disease, he had to lose 20 kg during the course of the shooting to depict his character's debilitating condition. Talk about taking Method Acting to the max. Click here and here for more on his hunger pangs.
BTW, a big Gamsa-hamnida to Kwon Sang-woo for dropping out of the role. No idea why you chose to leave the production set but you earn brownie points for being partly responsible for Kim Myung-min getting this part. Don't know if you're kicking yourself for passing up the opportunity of a lifetime or you're relieved that you didn't have to go through so much rigorous fasting for the role, but I'm so glad Kim did it instead of you!
As for Ha Ji-won, her other film, Haeundae probably has gotten more attention but I'm thrilled that she's getting this recognition for her role her as a funeral director who falls in love with Kim's character. She's been growing from strength to strength as well and I hope even more meaty roles will be offered to this versatile actor.
Update: Fans of Kim Myung-min have created a website. You can read his acceptance speech at the Blue Dragon Film Awards at http://www.myungmininternational.com/
On hindsight, I realise that I have done Gyeongju a great disservice. It was our first visit to Korea so my travel companion and I unwisely planned a whirlwind tour of the country and allocated very little time to this city known as a “ museum without walls”. It does seem sacriligeous somehow to attempt to appreciate its 1000- year history in two measly days.
So how much time should one spend in this ancient capital appointed by the Shilla kings? After going over the literature that I managed to collect while there, I think at least one week, if not a few months, should be devoted exclusively to this place because there’s really so much to see – from royal tombs to Buddhist relics to UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Of course, if you’re really strapped for time and you have 10,000 won to spare, there’s a private bus which departs twice daily from the Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal twice daily to the main attractions. Stops on the seven-hour long tour include Bulguksa Temple, the Folk Craft Village, Poseokjeong Pavilion, the Gyeongju National Museum, the Cheomseongdae Observatory and the Cheonmachong Tomb. ( tel. 054-743-6001)
A word of caution though - people assume from the claim that Gyeongju is an open-air museum that the whole place looks like some ancient city. The reality is that its many cultural treasures are scattered around the edges of the present urban centre. It's advisable to read up on the history of the Shilla Dynasty to appreciate more fully the sights.
Even the youngest here can answer this simple question!
Why doesn't he know? Why can't he understand?
Fifty winters ago, I was him. How quickly I've forgotten what I learnt.
The KNTO webpage now has an on-line art gallery featuring works by Kim Hong-do ( also known as Danwon) and Shin Yun-bok, the painters featured in the SBS 2008 drama production, Painter of the Wind. Danwon is known for his humorous and humanistic sketches of ordinary people.
This may be commonplace in countries in the West and some Asian countries, but it's striking for me to see how far Koreans have embraced the Xmas traditions and incorporated them into their community and fund-raising events. Winter seems to be an important time for some serious fun in fund-raising activities.
Santa Marathon ( actually 3 km only) in Olympic Park, 2007.
The event included the participation of 50 hearing and disabled people.
Sidenote: if the Santa coats and caps are produced within the country (instead of being made in China), I can imagine someone in Korea saying "Ho, ho, ho" all the way to the bank.
Good to start them young - children donating their piggy bank savings to charity.
Buy a bauble to pen your Christmas wishes while helping the disabled.
Maronnier Park Hope 2008 Sharing Campaign Credit: KBS WORLD / Jang Jin-kyoung
