Gochangeupseong Fortress: In the Footsteps of KBS's Hwang Jin-yi, Part 2

 The scene in which Ha Ji-won’s Hwangjinyi practises her dance before her first love, the impressionable and impetuous aristocrat ( played by Jang Geun-seuk) was shot at Gochang- eupseong.



See the last few minutes of this Youtube video from the KBS drama. 
Now I’ve been to other fortresses before in South Korea such as Nagan-eupseong, the fortress at Gongju and Hwaseong in Suwon, so what would make Historic Site No. 145 in Gochang-gun in North Jeolla Province (Jeollabuk-do) so special and worth visiting?

 Various sources suggest visitors take note of its distinctive round walls outside the fortress gates erected during the early Joseon Dynasty, a moat to discourage invaders and the absence of private dwellings ( unlike Naganeupseong, for instance) with only government buildings erected within its walls.

But I think what gives Gochang-eupseong its unique charm is its story of WOMEN POWER.

Professor Hur Kyoung-jin recounts a legend in the Spring 2005 edition of Koreana:
“At one time, two ramparts had to be built in the region at the same time, so men built one section at Seosan while women built another at Gochang. As an incentive, it had been decided that whichever town completed its walls first would be awarded a local magistracy…. However, since the men underrated the women, they would wile away the time in drink and merriment. In contrast, the women worked ceaselessly, hauling the stones and building the walls, without taking breaks. In the end, their steady efforts enabled the Gochang walls to be completed first. "

Dapseong Nori (walk around fortress) is held during the Gochang Moyang Fortress Festival 

( before or after September 9th in lunar calendar)

"To commemorate this legendary event, every year the women of Gochang walk all along the walls as part of a ‘wall-stamping’ festival. It is believed that anyone who walks the full length of the walls will be assured of good health and a long life. The effects are said to be especially beneficial if carried out during a leap year, when the gates to the afterworld would be open.”

A full circuit of these walls once is supposed to "prevent disease".

 Go round TWICE to enjoy a lifetime of good health AND

if you've the stamina to repeat the promenade for the THIRD time,

you've secured your ticket to heaven.

So if I manage to make my way to Gochang on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, I'd need to bear in mind a few things:

1. Find out from the KTO when AND WHERE exactly this picturesque ceremony takes place. One blogger was too late for the event and had to be content with the sideshows.  Must remember to ask for the specific gate where this annual parade begins and ends.

2. I must NOT expect dramatic sights of ladies in hanbok gracefully and stoically bearing big rocks above their heads. Apparently, custom only requires symbolic gestures and the modern-day ajumma need only carry a stone as big as her dainty fist.

3. It's a 10-min walk from Gochang Bus Terminal to get to  Gochangeupseong.

sources:
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=658574
http://culture.gochang.go.kr/site_english/
http://culture.gochang.go.kr/site_english/festival/07-01.htm
http://jikimi.cha.go.kr/english/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvZxuVlq45Y
http://koreana.kf.or.kr/popup.asp?flag=view&article_id=5789&sword=gochangeupseong&volumn=19&no=1&lang=English

Yecheon - A Side Trip from the KBS Hwangjinyi Trail

While I'm not likely to make the effort to look for the Byeongamjeong Pavilion which formed the evocative backdrop to the meeting and parting of the young lovers in the KBS period drama, Hwangjinyi, I wouldn't spend spending time in Yecheon, the county where the pavilion is located.
This county in Gyeongsangbuk-do tends to go under the tourist radar; no surprise with more well-publicised attractions in nearby Andong.

Yecheon's in Gyeongsangbuk-do

Still, the county with a charming name (Yecheon,  예천군, 醴泉郡, sweet liquor.stream/spring) has a few places worth highlighting for a different travel experience especially as I prefer the laid-back pace with the opportunity to sample the agrarian practices and the traditional lifestyle of the yangban.

1. First stop I'd make: Hoeryeong-po or Horyeong-po or Hoelyeongpo (회룡포). This place is a geography lesson on ox-bow lakes come alive.  Firmly in the embrace of the Naeseong-cheon, which is a tributary of the Nakdong-gang, this agrarian village in Yonggung-myeon is about 17 km west of Yecheon.  It used to have at least twenty households a decade ago but apparently "only nine households remain".  It would be interesting to count how many households there are now. BTW, how many households are needed to call a village a village?

For best views of Horyeong-po, I'll need to get out my hiking boots and head for Biryong-san. Check out this posting on a day trip with rewarding views.

The pavilion on Biryongsan for great views of Horyeongpo

I'll play a game of spot the  rice fields and try to  identify the squash and watermelons plants but at the same time see if any particular spots look familiar as outdoor locations for  "Autumn in My Heart or Gaeul Donghwa ( 2002), one of the earliest Hallyu K-dramas which became popular outside Korea.

Cast of Gaeul Donghwa - Won Bin, Song Hye-gyo, and what's his name?

I'd also see if I can join a group  of visitors participating in a 2-day village experience. Hopefully I can learn to make and sample Korean rosebay cakes, and  pretend to be a farmer for a few hours by seeding potatoes, corn and collecting mugwort and pickpurse  ( Spergula arvensis L. ) in the surrounding hills. Or I'd just call 011-802-9054 or contact Chairman Ju-Hee Ryu at 017-533-651 to see if they'd entertain individual requests.

◈ Hopefully I'd have the stamina to reach this site to get similar scenic shots of this picturesque village such as those on this website  and these great shots from The Marmot's Hole. Must also remember to read up beforehand on the Three Rivers Pub or the Samgang Jumak, the last of the traditional watering-holes in the country.

2. Geumdangsil Village meaning "Lotus Blossom Floating Over / On? The Water" sounds like another pleasant stopover.  It's 1 km from Byeongamjeong ( Local Road 982 towards Yongmunsa)  and the description of its "picturesque old homes and stacked stone wall-lined streets" sounds promising. It'd be fun to get happily lost in its maze of narrow lanes and alleys. I could also check out Park Yeon-i's home ( in the first alley past the village entrance near Bansonjae House) which was used in the movie "Please Teach Me English".  Not so keen to take up the villagers' offer to dress up in period costumes but I wouldn't mind  signing up for calligraphy lessons or tea ceremonies for a sampling of the yangban ( aristocratic) life.

Musr remember that free calligraphy lessons are available on Monday evenings 7 pm but must BMyO brushes, chinese ink, paper. Contact : Yongmun myun office 82-54-650-6612 Transportation : 20 m from Yechun eup(10km).

Yecheon Hot Spring

3.If there's a 24-hour jjimjilbang at theYecheon hot spring  (예천온천), then this is the place for me. Let's see if there's any basis to the claim from the KTO website: "The nutrients in the water also have anti-aging properties."

To get there, I'd have to board a  bus to Yecheon Intercity Bus Terminal (예천시외버스터미널) at Dong Seoul Terminal (Departure 11 times a day (06:40-20:00), 2 hour and 30 minute ride). Then I'd need to get on the bus to Beolbang / Punggi (Hot Spring) at Yecheon Bus Terminal (06:20-18:10, 20 minute ride)

Nailseong Observatory

4. Never been to an observatory before so a visit to the Yecheon Astronomical Science Park a.ka. Nailseong Observatory could be an enlightening experience but if there aren't many translated displays in English, then I doubt if I could make head or tail of the artefacts on display in Nailseong Planetarium.
Perhaps I'd be better off as an armchair traveller and surf its website at http://www.portsky.net/

Still, it might be fun trying out the high-powered telescope and the astronaut training simulations even though I can't read  about the history of astronomy etc if the explanations are all in Korean only. If I can master my nerves, I'd try out the " G-force Simulator, bounce around in the Moon Walk Chair, experience the vertigo of zero-gravity on the Multi-Axis Trainer, or float in space using the MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit)".  But if my queasy and cowardly stomach protesteth too much, then I'll humbly retreat to the auditorium to find out what a 4D movie looks like. Wonder if the overnight stay facility here is as cheap as a jjimjilbang stay?

To get there, I'd have to take a bus bound for Gamcheon (감천), Oncheon (온천), Beolbang (벌방), or Punggi (풍기) from the Yecheon Intercity Bus Terminal ,  *Bus departs approx. every 90 min


Sources:


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
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=805822
http://www.invil.org/english/village/daegu/contents.jsp?con_no=101565&page_no=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yecheon
http://wiki.galbijim.com/Yecheon
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=805928
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1127954
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1216638
http://san-shin.net/Yecheon-Biryongsan.html
http://en.ycg.kr/open_content/main/
http://211.114.21.20/alienspecies/eng/search/detail.jsp?id=16&page=10&code=
http://georgesuzuki.blogspot.com/2010/09/100911-mt-biryongsan-hwerongpo-yechon.html
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/program/program_tour_detail.htm?lang=e&current_page=7&No=1359

What I've Been Missing This Summer

Here's a selection of photo stories from the JoongAng Daily from the past two months. This posting is  a reminder to myself of what I've missed while I was unable to blog this summer.

Ajumma's version of Nanta

1.Women from Wanju, North Jeolla, present a performance based on the old practice of ironing out wrinkled clothes by pounding with wooden clubs. The performance was held at the 2011 Seongbuk District’s Day of Social Enterprises at the Seongbuk District. [JoongAng Ilbo]

Magical Mystery Tour by Moonlight

2. Greeters welcome visitors to the Moonlight Tour at Changdeok Palace, hosted by the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation. The event included an evening tour of the palace and performances of traditional Korean music and dance. The tour will resume in September. [NEWSIS]

Were the gods listening when Gangnam was flooded?

3.The National Folk Museum holds a traditional ritual to pray for clear skies, peace and the well-being of the nation. During the folk ceremony, called Gicheongje, museum-goers participated in prayers to the ancient mountain and river gods in the east, west, south and north to stop the deluge by offering drinks and food. By Kim Sang-seon

Would budget travellers be turned away from these cafeterias?

4. Dozens of Seoul citizens eat lunch yesterday at a police station cafeteria. With high inflation, many have resorted to eating in places like police stations and district offices, which offer inexpensive meals. [YONHAP]

Welcome Home, Uigwe, Even Though The French Say It's Just a Loan

5. Hyojang Seja Chaekrye Dogam Uigwe, above, an illustrated guide to the inauguration of the crown prince, will be displayed at the National Museum of Korea from July 19 to Sept. 18 in a special exhibition commemorating the return of the documents from France. It is one of 297 volumes of the Oegyujanggak Uigwe, which were returned to Korea from France in four difference batches from April to May this year. [YONHAP]

Hurray for the Dulle - How long will it take to walk around Bukhansan?

6. Climbers check a section of the Dulle walkway course that circles the entire circumference of Mount Bukhan, which was opened to the public yesterday after nine months of construction. [YONHAP]

How many different ways can you cook tuna?

7. Chefs yesterday lift a giant bluefin tuna to divide into pieces at a tuna restaurant in Jonggak, central Seoul. The tuna, which weighed 350 kilograms (772 pounds) and measured 270 centimeters (8 feet 10 inches) long, was caught off the shores of Jeju Island. [YONHAP]


 

Did Mr Gere do the 300 bows?

 8. U.S. actor Richard Gere signs a guestbook at Jogye Temple in central Seoul  as monk Sung Jin  watches. Gere, was in Korea for six days to promote his photo exhibition “Pilgrim,” which features photographs of Tibet, and to experience Korean Buddhism. “Pilgrim" runs until July 24. Gere will also visit Tongdo Temple in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang, and Donghwa Temple in Daegu. [AP/YONHAP]

Remind me to look out for a paddy field next time I visit Changdeokgung.

9. Tourists join officials of the Rural Development Administration and the Cultural Heritage Administration to plant rice in a paddy at Changdeok Palace in Seoul. Joseon Dynasty kings used to show their support of agriculture by planting rice themselves. By Kim Sang-seon

Sorry, smokers but my lungs and nostrils are celebrating this bit of news.

10. Seoul Metropolitan Government officials patrol Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul as a new ordinance designating the plaza as a nonsmoking zone took effect. Smokers caught breaking the rule will be fined 100,000 won ($93.06). By Kim Do-hoon

Sources:

1. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2938374

2. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2937755

3. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2939776

4. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2939775

5. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2938962

6. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2938308

7. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2938186

8. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2937857

9. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2936985

10. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2937041

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

Important Update On Free Shuttle Services

Please take note if you're in Korea and  planning to make use of the free shuttle services between Seoul and Busan.

Between July 1 and August 31, the route is as follows:


Gwanghwamun 8:00 - Lotte Hotel Seomyun, Busan 14:20 - dep. Lotte Hotel, Busan 16:00 - arrive Seoul 22:00

Also the service will be stopped temporarily betwen 9th and 14th September to avoid the traffic snarls during the Chuseok holiday season.

For more information, click here.
 
source:
http://english.visitkoreayear.com/english/benefit/benefit_07_01_01.asp

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

Hallyu Spreading

I betcha someone is probably placing a pin on a large world map in the office of KTO in Seoul right this minute to update his superiors on the progress made by the Hallyu Wave since the start of the millennium.

If I were doing an academic exercise for some post-grad work, I may even do a study on how Hallyu has spread first through K dramas,then Kpop music and even Korean food & drink to far-flung places like Manipur, Santiago, Tashkent and also Teheran.

So what's next - K ballet? K musicals? K fashion?

See article below from Donga-Ilbo.

JUNE 21, 2011 22:58


The "Korean Wave," or hallyu, started in Asia focused on TV dramas and K-pop but is now spreading to other genres and reaching a broader global audience.


The term "Korean Wave" was coined in 2003 when the hit soap opera "Winter Sonata" attracted huge fans in Japan. The fever has grown into a worldwide phenomenon with children in a small remote village in Manipur, India, saying "Thank you" and "I love you" in Korean.


Bekhzod, a college student in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent starts each day listening to the song "Gee" by Girls’ Generation that goes, “So cool, dazzle my eyes, can’t breathe, I’m shaking.” He sets the alarm of his mobile phone with this music and also watches the Korean drama "Queen Seondeok" on Samsung TV while having breakfast with his family.


Uzbek, Yoshlar, Tashkent and Markaziy, four state-owned TV stations in Uzbekistan, compete against other to air more Korean dramas.


Bekhzod has an LG Electronics air conditioner at home that he turns on during breakfast. Perhaps his fondness for Korean pop and dramas has prompted him to use Korean home electronics.


The young man’s bag is full of Korean-made pens and notebooks. When morning class is over, he gets Korean lessons from an ethnic Korean living there in preparation for a Korean-language contest. His daily life is surrounded by “Made in Korea” products.


If Korean dramas led the Korean Wave in early 2000s, K-pop is doing so now. K-pop is popular not only in Japan, China and Southeast Asia but also in North America, Europe, Africa and South America.


YouTube’s K-pop map shows that the music videos of Shinee’s “Replay” and 2NE1’s “Lonely” are viewed all over the world except in Chad and the Central African Republic.


According to the Korean Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry’s 2010 content industry statistics, Korean music exports rose 71 percent between 2005 and 2009 from 22.27 million U.S. dollars to 31.26 million dollars.


The spread of the Korean Wave is helping raise Korea’s national brand image and the export of Korean products. After Lotte Liquor BG hired Korean actor Jang Keun-suk to endorse its products, Lotte exported 24 million bottles of the Korean rice wine "makgeolli" to Japan in the first half of this year, 40 percent more than its initial target.


With Korean food gaining popularity in Singapore after the historical drama "Jewel in the Palace (Daejanggeum)" was aired there, CJ Foodville opened a "bibimbap (spicy rice with vegetables)" chain Bibigo in the city-state.


LG Electronics, which started relatively later than its rivals in the smartphone market, has also raised its market share in Singapore thanks to the use of popular actor Lee Min-ho in ads.

Source:

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2011062218078

The Different Faces Of Korea..according to KTO

Here are the latest promotional videos created by KTO - love the photography and the sight of the solo dancer dressed like a shaman ( I think?) is quite haunting. Pity the sites used in this video aren't identified but I can recognise a few and smile complacently and say to myself, "Been there, seen that."

But, mind you, only a few. Lots more to tick off on my long list of places to visit. Don't you love those magnificent trees? Can someone tell me their location?

On another note, pretend to be a marketing student and compare the different videos aimed at different regional markets. The first aimed at Chinese market depicts the dynamic Korea which puts a modern spin on its traditional performing arts while the second, intended for the Japanese market invariably features Bae Yong-jun but also typically emphasises the natural beauty of the country on an intimate scale. In contrast the exotic and mystical is highlighted in the campaign for the US and European markets. Even its slogan, "Be One With Earth and Sky" smacks of New Ageism. Is that what KTO thinks will sell Korea to Americans and Europeans?

Can't speak for them but hey, I'm sold.



sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=quQLnALSCps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0K8981Xluw&feature=related

The Honeymoon Is Over

When I backpacked on buses in past visits to Korea, I used to marvel how the local bus companies managed to offer services in rural areas even though there were few passengers occasionally. It was fun trying to make small talk with the halmeonis or halrabeojis who were often amused and bemused by this foreigner travelling alone. Fast forward to 2011 and this sobering news found on the Hankyoreh:

(Photo by Jeon Jin-sik)

"Residents living in rural areas of Buyeo County, South Chungcheong Province, wait for buses on their way home from visiting a local market that opens every five days at a bus stop in Buyeo Town, July 15. Recently, a number of farming and fishing village buses, which are the only transportation means for those who live in remote and secluded villages in the country, have ceased operation due to the accumulated deficit of the operating companies. Those companies have reduced and stopped bus services as their financial difficulties have worsened from oil price hikes and rising labor costs, in addition to a decreasing number of passengers. As of late 2010, 101 companies ran 2006 buses in 4181 bus routes.Accordingly, elderly residents and students in those regions have encountered considerable difficulties in going to school and the market."

Looks like I'll have to spend more time waiting for less frequent bus services or consider alternative ways of getting around the country. But really the inconveniences suffered as a shoe-string traveller are peanuts compared to what the poor halmeonis and elderly ajummas are going to suffer when their main lifelines are going to be severely curtailed or even disappear entirely.

How will grandma find the way home?

Anyone remember that grandma bent double who had to make her way from her cottage to the nearest market in town by bus in the movie "The Road Home"? There are plenty of ladies like her scattered across the country and I wonder how they'll manage to carry their farm produce from their humble gardens or fields to sell in the nearest rural market without benefit of local transport.



source:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/488392.html
http://vladivostokfilmfestival.ru/en/archive/film/52/

Open Letter to KNTO

Dear KNTO,

I've been watching with dismay the KBS World video footage of the Mount Umyeon ( in the southern part of Seoul) landslide, abandoned cars on flooded city roads and the sorry sight  residents bailing out water again and again from their denuded homes after floodwaters played cat and mouse with municipal pumps. While I was glad that I wasn't stranded in Seoul this week, I wondered how independent tourists who don't understand Korean  are coping with the disruptions in the capital and elsewhere in the country.

There was no mention of the major traffic jams on the KNTO website and the updates on its Twitter account were not very helpful. May I suggest that you post details such as which bus routes, subway
stations and blocked roads  people should avoid so there's less likelihood of visitors getting caught in some traffic snarl or worse, being trapped by the rising floodwaters?

I think such updates via Twitter or your website to inform tourists who can't follow media reports in Korean or Hangul would be more useful than suggestions as to which indoor attractions to visit during the rainy season. Not much point recommending that I check out XYZ museum when I can't even board a bus or subway train to get there, is there?

I'd also hate for you to have to do this. If the speculation published by The Korea Times turns out to be true, you'd have to rethink your marketing strategy of selling Korea's temperate seasonal beauty. If indeed the climate in your country is becoming sub-tropical, I'd suggest you promote the maple and spring seasons with a greater sense of urgency.


Sincerely,
ajumma


Click here for Korean Travel on Twitter

source:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/32319/rains-mudslides-submerge-south-korean-capital-kill-36
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/07/117_91824.html
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/09/07/2009090700328.html

To Eat or Not To Eat Shin Ramyun?

First, the Ministry of Health says "Don't" and then, a few days later, it says it's OK to consume Shin  Ramyun ( or Shin Ramen ) instant noodles because tests on these products have apparently shown there aren't excessive levels of plasticiser ie. di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-isononyl phthalate (DINP).




Those who are addicted to this stuff do bear in mind there are two sources for the Shin Ramen packet noodles which are sold in Malaysia - those directly imported from Korea which are more pricey and sold in Lotte marts and supermarkets  and the cheaper versions from China which one can find in wet markets and night markets. I'd like to think the Korean products are better and safer but I've nothing to back this wishful thinking.

I wonder if samples of the product from both countries were tested. Goodness knows how many packets I've already consumed and how much contaminants are in my system but do I care? Sounds terribly irresponsible of me but as I type this, I'm feeling peckish and longing for a bowl of spicy, chewy Korean ramyun. Oh dear - can somebody tell me if my favourite Nongshim is safe to eat?

Sources:
http://my.news.yahoo.com/msia-urges-consumers-avoid-korean-noodles-053003793.html
http://www.intellasia.net/news/articles/health/111328248_printer.shtml
http://mylife.online-4u.com/?p=541

Do Koreans Have A Soft Spot For Nella Fantasia?

Let me add to the virality of this already viral video clip from Korea's Got Talent but also go off on a tangent.
Warning: Lotsa name-dropping ahead but no, that's not my real focus here either.



Ok- it's about Choi Sung-bong and how he's Korea's own Susan Boyle or Paul Potts...yadah, yadah...) and not about Nella Fantasia but this is the second time I've heard this music ( well, I wasn't aware of the music when it was featured as Gabriel's Oboe in the movie, "The Mission" ) as well as the second time I've been made aware of it by a Korean TV production.



It was featured in a memorable scene from Beethoven's Virus in which the orchestra really connects with Orchestra-Killer Maestro Kang  for the first time. Now Nella Fantasia may be the song that could catapult Mr Choi into a fate similar to Susan Boyle's. BTW, those into spotting Hallyu stars, see if you can spot Seo Taiji's ex i.e. Ms Lee Ji-ah and Mr Jang Geun-seok in the second video clip. Also, it was a pleasant surprise as well to see the wife of Mr Sol Kyung-gu ie. Song Yoon-ah of Hotelier and On Air fame in the judge's seat for the Korea's Got Talent show.

So now, I'm throwing this question into cyberspace - why does this composition seem to resonate with Koreans? ( same goes for Pachabel's Canon in D ) Is it the lovely melody by Encio Morricone or the lyrics ( if the Korean version is anything like the English one below?

In my imagination I see a fair world,
Everyone lives in peace and in honesty there.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like the clouds that fly,

Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.
In my imagination I see a bright world,
Even the night is less dark there.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like clouds that fly.

In my imagination there exists a warm wind,
That breathes on the cities, like a friend.
I dream of souls that are always free,
Like clouds that fly,
Full of humanity in the depths of the soul.


sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RKOL4O9Cy8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nella_Fantasia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BewknNW2b8Y#at=129

New Life For Old Pipes

What a nice idea. The neighbours could even cultivate together their own herb garden. Next time you need some fresh basil or rosemary, just pop outside to pluck what you need.

Caption from KBS World: The Korea Land and Housing Corporation on Monday held a ceremony in Seoul to mark the completion of a project on remodeling worn-out living spaces into eco-friendly areas. (Yonhap News)

source:
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo.htm?No=16527

Cultural Art Performance by Jang-seung Eouri Art Troupe, Part 2

There were two main reasons why I wanted to attend this concert  presented by the Jang-Seung Eouri Art Troupe. First, I was hoping to hear again the Dharma drums which I had witnessed at various temples in Korea before. If you've read my earlier posting, you already know how satisfied I was on that score.

The second reason was the Salpuri dance. Korea is well-known for its exuberant and energetic dances by troupes of graceful ladies in jewel-hued hanboks. Salpuri, however, is a solo act by a single female in plain white hanbok and it's slow and restrained. But when I first saw it performed at the Chongdong Theatre, I was riveted. It was such a haunting and moving experience that  I now look forward to any chance of seeing it 'live'. It's been claimed that the dance has shamanistic roots although others maintain that the name of the dance alone is its only link to shamanistic rites as the literal meaning of "salpuri" is to wash away evil spirits.

Another person sees the dance as embodying the essence of Han, meaning  "sorrow, bitterness or unsatisfied desire", a characteristic of Korean art and culture. Click here for this writer's pretty vivid description of the dance. Better still, watch the videoclip below.




So was I satisfied with Ms Jung Kyeong's performance? I'm no dance critic and the concert organisers didn't have the benefit of all the top-notch facilities of the Chongdong Theatre so let's just say she did a fairly decent job but it wasn't as mesmerising as the first time I saw it on a cold autumn evening in Seoul. What I'd really like to do is to go to some remote Buddhist temple in Korea on a full moon night and watch this danced in the open courtyard in the partial darkness.  I want the shivers to run down my back not simply from the low temperatures of the fall season but to recreate a scene I saw in that enigmatic Buddhist movie entitled "Why Has Bodhidharma Left For The East?" by Bae Yong -kyun.

Here are some additional notes on salpuri from a source indicated below:

"Usually a mudang(shaman) presided over the process. Shamanism is a long-held tradition which emerged around the Three Kingdoms era. Salp'uri was the climax of shaman rituals. Its representative by-product is the unique salp'uri rhythmic cycle that has been adapted in other performing arts. Salp'uri is prevalent in the Honam region, the southwestern part of Korea, in the form of ssitkimgut, the soul cleansing shaman rite. This is regarded as the archetype of the present Salp'urich'um which uses a white silk scarf as a key prop. The salp'urich'um dance has been polished over the centuries to add artistic value, and so it is hard today to trace it back to a mere exorcism rite. It was performed in shaman rites accompanied by the rhythms of shinawi (featuring an extensively improvised ensemble with wind and percussion instruments) to attract the interest of spectators. As it was refined into an artistic artform, salp'uri's name changed to ipch'um, chukhungch'um, or sugonch'um.

Although it derived from shaman rites, salp'uri does not carry out any religious function. The dancer, attuning herself to the sorrowful shinawi music, portrays sadness and anxiety in her every step. During this process, the dancer's movement reveals striking energy and movement as she performs in a trance- like state. The salp'uri's rhythmic normal font cycle starts out with slow-paced shinawi rhythms and gradually builds up speed which conveys the dancer's excitement."

Incidentally, I came across this brief abstract entitled "Dynamics of brain electric field during recall of Salpuri dance performance" by Park JR, Yagyu T, Saito N, Kinoshita T, Hirai T.  See below. Have to check with a neurologist what the jargon means but it does sound as intriguing as the dance itself.

Abstract
The brain wave activity of a professional Salpuri dancer was observed while the subject recalled her performance of the Salpuri dance when sitting in a chair with closed eyes. As she recalled the feeling of the ecstatic trance state induced by the dance, an increase in alpha brain activity was observed together with marked frontal midline theta activity. Compared to a resting state, the dynamics of the electrical activity in the brain showed an increase in the global field power integral and a decrease in generalized frequency and spatial complexity.

Click here for the link to Chongdong Theatre. You may or may not see a salpuri performance there now but a good show is usually to be expected there.

LondonKoreanLinks has an interesting article on dance. I learn from its posting that male dancers may also perform the salpuri! Hmm... pardon my bias, but I doubt the effect would be as haunting.



sources:
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/perform/salpuri.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12509202
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubRo6V4aUc8
http://www.koreafilm.org/feature/100_83.asp

Cultural Performance By Jang-Seung Eouri Art Troupe - Part 1

While Mother Nature was throwing a a pretty intimidating temper tantrum last Sunday afternoon, the audience who attended a cultural performance presented by the Jang-Seung Eouri Art Troupe were treated to a quite an interesting time. This fund-raiser,  organised by BGF ( Buddhist Gem Fellowship)
in collaboration with Sam Poh Thong and held at the MAS Academy auditorium in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia was quite well-attended though the attendees were presumably members of various Buddhist groups in the country. It would've been even more heart-warming if  the audience had been more diverse but I guess the young Hallyu fans were saving their money for another SuJu or 2 AM (  or is it 2 PM ?) concert.

The event started off  a bit too sedately though not surprisingly but it soon warmed up and got the audience tapping their feet, clapping their hands and even asking for an encore from the musicians.  The MCs, a  Malaysian and a Korean, were nowhere to be seen at the beginning which was a little surprising but they did offer interesting snippets of information about the backdrop for the first one-third of the concert.  What did raise my eyebrows was the  Taenghwa  (탱화, San.: Thangka i.e. a painting of Buddha images or stories from the Sutras on silk or hemp cloth.) which formed the backdrop for the first section of the concert. This one though, which is a replica of an original masterpiece featured the Goddess of Mercy.


 Part 1 Making An Offering To Buddha

• Bopgo - Dharma  Drum  Dance performed by the Venerable Seong Ju

 Memo to Self - Remember NOT to have ANY expectations! This particular Bopgo was a far cry from the intense drumming I had heard on previous visits to the temples in Korea. Philistine that I am, I couldn't help wishing the Ven. Seong Ju had kept to convention instead of giving us her artistic interpretation of the daily ritual intended to "awaken all sentient beings and open their minds to participate in the Dharma or Buddhist Law so that they may be delivered from suffering".

So, mian-hamnida to Ven. Seong Ju but I was really disappointed with the slow -moving opening item which barely contained much contact with the drum. The latter wasn't as huge as anticipated either, so that was another disappointment. I felt let-down particularly because I was hoping my companion could hear what I had heard and fallen in love with before. Looks like I'll have to drag her to a temple to Korea myself one of these days just so she can hear for herself what I've been raving about.

Click here then for some idea of what I'm missing.

• Bara JakBeop - Bara ( Cymbals) Dance

No idea how close this dance item is to the original choreography but according to one website, "monks perform this dance...to purify the place by defeating evils". The dance aims to make people have "righteous minds" so I suppose one would really need to be educated in an appreciation of Buddhist performance arts to really appreciate what's going on.There are supposed to be 84 rhythms but I forgot to listen out for these. Either the music didn't sound that varied in its rhythmic patterns to my uneducated ears or maybe I was nodding off because I didn't have enough sleep the night before.

Two ladies presented this item and we could applaud their ability to maintain their balance despite all the turning round and round which they had to do. Still, one couldn't help wishing they had been moving in unison a little more closely and this is where I suppose I had underestimated the efforts and endless practises to achieve the clockwork precision of Girls' Generation dances. ( Horrors - am I drawing parallels between the sacred and the profane??? ) Plus I would've liked the ajummas to bang their cymbals with more conviction. The rather lady-like sounds they produced would NOT have been very effective in scaring any demon away. Still, I'm glad for the chance to see this dance because it wouldn't be something one comes across easily, unless one happened to be at some temple during a Buddhist celebration, I figure.

Here are some notes on two  dances  from another source:

"The ‘ Barachum’ (바라춤, Cymbals Dance) is a temple dance which, through clasping our fists and unclasping them, represents our vow to live in harmony, and to accept the teachings of the Buddha and to promulgate them. (Its origin goes back to the time of the ‘Bara’.)

The purpose of the ‘Nabichum’ (나비춤, Butterfly Dance) is to gather together all gods in the whole. It also calls all sentient beings that have not come back to life in order that they may repent of all sins and bad karma, and create good karma. Therefore, the moves and steps of the Barachum (바라춤, Cymbals Dance) and Nabichum (나비춤, Butterfly Dance) are solemn and strict, and are done with clear and unattached mind. Therefore, these movements symbolize the true meaning of ‘Seon’ (J : Zen). For example, the basic movements of the Dances are to take steps tracing the Chinese character (‘丁’, K: Jeong, 정). The main movements are; to turn around in circles signifying integrity and harmony, to clasp and unclasp the hands signifying love and compassion, and to fold and unfold the body symbolizing taking refuge."

To be continued....

sources:
http://www.bovis.tv/index.php?id=14,36,0,0,1,0
http://eng.koreatemple.net/culture/default.asp?cat_id=10&page=3



Guess Whom This Memorial Service Is For

Take a good look at the offerings particularly in the foreground and guess whom these people are honouring.

Click here for the answer. I wonder if Korea's the only place in the world where such a scene can be found.

source:
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/477167.html

Pretty Big Bibimbap And A Sneak Peek Into Social Welfare, K-style

This photo from the Hankyoreh caught my eye and the accompanying text ( see below) to the shot of a giant bibimbap got me  wondering about this particular welfare group. Turns out it's a Christian organisation which runs a soup kitchen amongst other projects but I found two things particularly interesting. First, the name "Da-il" is supposed to mean the "Pursuit of unity within diversity" which sounds a lot like the Indonesian national  motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika which is ancient Javanese for "Unity in Diversity".  Hmmm...was the pastor inspired by the Indonesians? 

Next and more intriguing is the Da-il website itself ; if you click on the list of people serving the foundation on the left side bar, you'd find a list that sounds pretty comprehensive in its organisation - from advisors to  a board of directors to  auditors, and even  public relations ambassadors comprising people from the media and entertainment scene. I don't know whether to be impressed or intimidated.

Write-up from the Hankyoreh:
"Pastor Choi Il-do, chairman of the Dail Welfare Foundation, center, and other donors hold giant utensils to mix boiled rice and other ingredients in a large bowl to make bibimbap, mixed rice and vegetables, for 500 people at the “365 Relay of Scooping and Sharing Rice” event held in front of their campaign headquarters in Seoul’s Dongdaemun District, May 2. The event was put on to commemorate the rice-scooping pastor serving a total of five million bowls of free meals to the homeless and those living in poor neighborhoods since its start in 1988. The Dail community usually serves free meals to 1,200 people a day, which costs two million Won ($1,866). Thus far, around 200,000 volunteers have helped serve the meals. (Yonhap News)

source:

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/476096.html

http://eng.dail.org/goto.asp?sub_no=1_1

Spring's Almost Over?

This photo by Tak Ki-hyoung was taken on the 22nd of April after heavy showers and strong gusts caused the cherry blossoms to fall from the trees around the National Assembly building in Yeouido. Jackson Pollock could draw inspiration from the pretty picture they make on the ground.

What I'd like to know is where the photographer was standing to take this great shot.  Perched on a tree or does he have access to a high floor on some official building nearby?

Check out this article on where to catch the last sights of this all-too-fleeting season in Korea this year.

sources:
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/05/05/2011050500411.html

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_entertainment/474508.html