Discovering Gyeongsangbuk-do – Gyeongju-si Part 5

Today I shall be finishing up whatever there’s left of Gyeongju to explore. OMG it has taken me 5 posts just to talk about Gyeongju, it’s the record, so far the most I’ve done on one destination is three. Sorry if I got carried away but there’s so much to discover about Geongju.
Before going any further, I’ve got to remind you about something exciting, that’s going to happen in Gyeongju next year.



By the way did you know that Gyeongju won the bid to host the World Taekwondo Championships in 2011, that’s next year? It was decided at the WTF Council meeting held in Cairo, Egypt on November 29, 2009.

The World Taekwondo Championships are an eight-day biennial event in which about 10,000 players and staff from 150 countries participate. It appears that Korea would draw a huge number of Taekwondo enthusiasts from around the world as the country of origin of the martial arts.

This marks the 2nd time that the World Taekwondo Championships will be held in Korea since 2001. It is expected that Gyeongju, a historical and cultural city, from which Taekwondo originated would improve the international reputation of the championships. Through this prestigious international event, Gyeongju would make a big step forward to become one of the world leaders in international sports.

So that should be excuse enough for you, taekwondo enthusiasts, to visit Gyeongju next year.

How about visiting some famous old houses and a seowon next?


Wolamjae (General Kim Ho’s house)

General Kim Ho was born in Sikhye-dong, not far from Wolamjae in 1534 (the year of the horse). Kim Ho was courageous and had a special talent for memorizing every phrase that he read after his teacher. Without formal education in the arts, he was able to master archery.

In 1570, during the reign of King Seonjo, he passed the national exam for eligibility for one of the highest government positions but he refused to take the position in order to fulfill his noble cause instead. After the Imjin War broke out, Dongraebu was taken over by Japanese forces on April 14. On April 18, the forces invaded Yangsan, Eonyang on the 20th, Gyeongju on the 21st , Ulsan on the 23rd, and Milyang on the 27th. At that time, Kim Ho raised an army with his three sons and his close friends, Choi Sin Rin and Jeong Geuk Hu, in the cause of loyalty. After successfully defeating the Japanese forces, Kim Ho was appointed “Busan Cheomsa” and ordered by the nation to interrupt the logistic supports of the Japanese forces and block their route between the inland and the ocean.

General Ho was shot and killed by the enemy during battle. His loyalty and his acclaim are well described in the books “Donggyeongji” and “Yeojiseungram.” Eight years after his death, the King acknowledged the abilities of Kim Ho’s three sons and awarded them with government positions.




Dongnakdang, Treasure No.413, located about 700 m away from Oksan Seowon, is the old house of Hwejae Yi Eon Jeok, a scholar of the doctrines of Chu Tzu.
Dongnakdang is now the name of this entire house, though it originally applied only to the sarangchae (mens' quarters) and the entire building area itself is called ‘Dongnakdang Ilgwak.’

The house was built in 1516 by Yi Eonjeok after he retired from official service at the age of 40. The place is closed and hidden. The structure seems to reflect the emotional status of Hwejae at the time who wanted to be secluded from the world. The overall height of the house was lower than the average at that time.
 

The house is particularly notable for the beautiful Gyejeong (Brook Pavilion) overlooking a stream on the east side of the house. Other important parts of the home include the sadang (ancestral shrine) located at the rear of the property, and an  old Jogakja tree brought to this location from China approximately 470 years ago.

While the tree is beautiful, only the bottom portion and two branches are now living. The tree is said to have been planted by Hwejae Yi Eon Jeok after he was given the seed by a friend who visited China in 1532.
The house stands just a few hundred meters north of Oksan Seowon, which is itself dedicated to Yi Eonjeok
 

Don’t know about you but I just love visiting ‘seowans’. Oksan Seowon was completed in 1572 in honor of Yi Eonjeok, a great Korean Neo-Confucian philosopher who stressed the primacy of material force over principle. It was established by his disciples on a site a few hundred meters to the south of Dongnakdang, the house where Yi Eonjeok lived during the later part of his life.

The academy is located on an auspicious site with mountains on three sides and a stream flowing near the main entrance. Interestingly, this is the same stream that runs past the Gyejeong pavilion at Dongnakdang house, which Yi Eonjeok used as a site for contemplation and self-reflection
 


 
   

The building layout is typical of most academies. The shrine to Yi Eonjeok sits at the highest point of the site, surrounded by an earthen wall connected to the outer wall. South of the shrine is a quadrangle of buildings, consisting of two dormitories to the east and west, a lecture hall to the north, and a study hall to the south.

Oksan Seowon is also famous for preserving an intact copy of the Samguksagi, a history of early Korea, listed as a national treasure.


Another seowan to be found in Gyeongju, which is dedicated to the Silla-era general Kim Yusin, the Seoak Seowon, is only a few hundred meters east of King Muyeol's tomb.



Suojae is the house of travel writer Lee Jae Ho, who rebuilt five old historically valuable houses in Gyeongju. He moved to Gyeongju in 1994 to promote the valuable natural surroundings and the cultural and human histories of Gyeongju to the world. He restored traditional Korean houses copying those in Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province, Masan, and Kimjae in North Jeolla Province, all of which are unique and are of significant value.
Suojae was named by Jeong Yak Hyeon, the eldest brother of Da-san Jeong Yak Yong. Suojae denotes that among all those things that bond with a person, the most important thing is the person himself/herself.



The following is the excerpt from Jeong Yak Yong’s ‘Yeo Yu Dang Jeon Seo.’ (The original title is ‘Suojaegi.’)

You cannot find anything more worth preserving and maintaining than your mind. No one can steal my feet, so I don’t have to worry about losing my feet. No one can run off with my house, so I don’t have to worry about losing my house. Who can steal the trees in my yard?

One day, Jeong Yak Yong saw his eldest brother Jeong Yak Hyun sitting in his house ‘Suojae’ and realized that his brother had never lost his identity and always tried to maintain his composure. That showed him why his brother had named the house ‘Suojae.’ Jeong Yak Yong and his elder brother Jeong Yak Jeon later moved to their eldest brother’s house, explaining they wanted to learn from their eldest brother in ‘Suojae.’

Touched by Jeong Yak Yong’s story, Lee Jae Ho also named his house ‘Suojae’ in an attempt to maintain composure.

His front yard is thick with a variety of trees such as cherry, peach, pear, and thorny ash. Bamboo and pine trees are found in the backyard.

Behind the house, there is a pine forest and about 100m away from the house is the Royal Tomb of King Hyogong. Viewing the sunset from the house is another joy of visiting the house.
In the evening, have drinks with friends or family members in the Ondol bang (room) and listen to the sound of a ‘Daegeum’ (a large transverse bamboo flute).
   Silla Cultural Festival

A significant portion of Gyeongju's tourist traffic is due to the city's successful promotion of itself as a site for various festivals, conferences, and competitions.



Every year since 1962 a Silla Cultural Festival has been held in October to celebrate and honour the dynasty's history and culture. It is one of the major festivals of Korea. It features athletic events, folk games, music, dance, literary contests and Buddhist religious ceremonies.

These festivals are held with the aim of stimulating appreciation for the spirit of the Silla people by reviving its thousand-year culture and to help create a better culture for modern times by remembering the artistic wisdom and national courage of the Silla. The festivals also revive the thousand- year Silla’s Buddhist spirit.




The Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Marathon, conducted under the fantastic canopy of cherry trees in full bloom, is organized by the Athletic Association of Gyeongju, with the aim of enhancing the physical fitness of its citizens. It is held every spring coinciding with the blossoming of the cherry trees.

Held under the fantastic blossoms of cherry trees, the Gyeongju Cherry Marathon is the only festival in Korea in which about 100 foreigners  participate amidst the millennial city of the Silla Kingdom. 

Traditional Alcohol and Rice Cake Festival

Don’t miss this festival if you are in Gyeongju around mid-April, it is a great chance to sample a great variety of the best of the traditional alcohols and rice cakes.

Yes, the opportunity to taste the products abound, but do take it easy on the wine! You’ll get to see how tteoks (rice cakes) are made and will even get the chance to try making some yourself.

Partly a cultural festival and partly a food festival, this event is also a great opportunity to get a feel through the various exhibitions of the importance that rice cakes play in the life of Koreans. For example, you’ll get to see that rice cakes are an essential element in the various traditional rituals performed to celebrate the important stages in one’s life such as the 100th day of a baby, the passage to adulthood, etc.

There are few Korean rites in which tteok is not present in one form or another. Considering this and the impressive variety of tteoks, it’s safe to say that there is an undeniable love affair between the Korean people and tteok.

At the festival, there will be food especially tteok, and liquor sampling of course, as well as the promotion of  the different brands of liquor produced in Gyeongju such as the Gyodong Beopju, Gyeongju Beopju, Sillaju, Hwanggeumju, Gyeongju Makgeolli (raw rice wine) etc. And like in most of the festivals there will be stage performances as well as competitions.

I think last year they had some publicity activities related to the epic TV drama series, “Queen Seondeok”  like the re-enactment of a dinner party scene in the palace with Queen Seondeok. There was even a Miss Gyeongbuk Pageant.




And now for the final curtain to my post, the filming location of the drama “Queen Seondeok.” Yes it was filmed on location in Geongju. Did you know it?

 

The set of Queen Seondeok is the first ever set to be built in Gyeongju district for a drama.


 It was constructed on a permanent site at the Silla Millennium Park by using construction materials for traditional Korean houses, such as traditional tiles, material lumber and stones,  meant for a permanent structure so that tourists can continue to visit it even after the completion of the shooting of the drama.

With the completion of this set, a new tourist attraction has been added to Gyeongju’s already long list of tourist attractions which will further help boost tourism in Gyeongju. It is only befitting that the story of the 1st female King of Shilla be filmed in Gyeongju, the thousand year old ancient capital of Shilla.

King Jinpyeong did not have any sons to name as a successor to his throne. Thus he named his eldest daughter, Princess Deokman, to be his successor. This drama is about her life story and how she finally managed to gain the position of King, the first female king in the history of Korea, after a long and bitter struggle. If you have a chance do watch this drama, you can learn a bit of the history of Korea.

And so ends our extended visit to Gyeongju. See you around.


Special thanks and appreciation to the following:
Photos and articles © courtesy

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/,
http://www.korea-museum.go.kr/,
http://www.gyeongju.go.kr/english/,
http://korea.net/
http://www.lifeinkorea.com/
http://jikimi.cha.go.kr/english
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
http://www.bing.com/,