My Little Korea

I would like to apologize for the late posting due to my telephone being out of order. It took the authorities six long days before they decided to come and check on my phone whilst it only took less than five minutes to throw away a faulty cable box and replace it with a new one.


Then for some reason or other I could not get connected to the internet, something wrong with my internet provider and another three more days gone down the drain.


One day without the internet is like hell, what more 9 days? I was at wit’s end trying to find things to do to pass away the time. Luckily I had saved a lot of things hurriedly on my computer, but had no time to really organize my files, so I used the spare time I had, reorganizing my filing system and it looks better now.





Today, I would like to tell you about the inauguration of the Saranghaeyo Korea Club organized by the KTO branch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 22nd  May 2010.


The objective of the club is to gather all individuals/groups that share a strong interest in all things Korean, to act as volunteer ambassadors to promote Korea in Malaysia. This year is a special year because it marks the 50^th anniversary of the friendship ties between Malaysia and Korea.





For a mere subscription fee of RM20/- one gets a goodie bag consisting of a T-shirt, a cap, a membership card (which is priceless, considering the amount of discounts we can get with it), a KTO calendar, an IRIS mouse-pad and an ‘etude’ cosmetic starter kit, good value for the money I should say. Much more benefits are in store for all who have joined this club, me included of course. In fact I was one of the first few to sign up long before the inauguration date, had to, as I’m passionate about Korea and all things Korean. Moreover I am also a member of the Bae Yong Joon Malaysian Fan Club so I must show my support for this club too.


Let’s see, what are some of the activities planned for the club and also the benefits of joining this club? There are plans for:-
i. a Hallyu Festival once or twice a year
ii. Korea promotion activities such as organizing supporter’s own events or participating in any Korea related events
iii. Joint charity events like blood donations, visiting orphanages/old folks home etc.
iv. Members can promote Korea by publishing and writing articles/blogs related to Korea and via the social network (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Forum)


And finally since Korea qualified for the coming 2010 World Cup competition there will be a World Cup street cheering to be held in cooperation with the Korean Residents in Malaysia Club. In fact the Korean Residents in Malaysia Club has extended an invitation to the Saranghaeyo Korea Club members to join them at their premises to watch the matches LIVE on TV. Not only that, we would also be getting Korean supporter T-shirts as well. I didn’t know that there are about 30,000 Koreans staying in Kuala Lumpur alone. Now that we have a Saranghaeyo Korea Club in Malaysia, shouldn’t someone in Korea start a Saranghaeyo Malaysia Club over there?  I’m sure there must be supporters of Malaysia in Korea too. Just a thought!


And now for the benefits for being Saranghaeyo Korea Club members like:-
i. Being provided with membership cards,
ii. Hosting special events for Korea Supporters (Hallyu festival and other events)
iii. Prior invitations to KTO/Korean embassy's events, TBC and any other events like the

• Korean Music & Dance @ Istana Budaya, 7th May 2010 
• R16,B-boy competition @ Berjaya Timesquare, 17th April 2010 
• Nanta, Korea nonverbal music performance, to be held on 23^rd & 24^th July  2010.  

iv. Best members, leader and team will be rewarded with a trip to Korea.
v. Prior entries to attend Korea Plaza Events (-Cooking Classes, Korea Language Classes, K-pop singing classes/free of charge)
vi. Special discount at Korean restaurant, Korean hair shops, Korean brand products, Korea Tour Package.
So what do you think? Great isn’t it?


   

 

 

Plaza Korea is situated on the ground floor of the Hap Seng Tower in Jalan P. Ramlee, one of the busiest streets in Kuala Lumpur. The surrounding area is beautiful, it’s very quiet although there are many restaurants in the vicinity.





In front of the Korea Plaza is a spacious open area where activities and gatherings can be held.





They have a collection of Hanbok for visitors who would like to take pictures of themselves dressed in one as a souvenir. To prepare for a trip to Korea one can always come in to get tourism brochures to read before going there. One can also learn Hangeul, Korean Cooking and K-Pop Singing at the Korea Plaza and it’s all for free. Aren’t we all lucky? The Korean Language classes are always in heavy demand and finally after more than 6 months of waiting, I shall be starting classes next week. Wish me luck!





So on the launching day of the Saranghaeyo Korea Club, a group of us from the Bae Yong Joon fan club had arrived earlier than the scheduled time because we wanted to have lunch at one of the restaurants above the Korea Plaza. We had timed it so that by the time we finished our lunch it would be perfect timing for the event. Because we had already sent in our applications via email, all we had to do was to collect our T-shirts, caps and membership cards. As there was plenty of time, we went around taking photographs of each other.



There was a long queue for those who were just filling up their applications. There was a turnout of about two hundred or more people and by the end of the day over four hundred applications had been received in all, including those sent by email and in earlier promotions.





When the registration was all done, we then adjourned to the auditorium where we had an oath taking ceremony before we became members of the Saranghaeyo Korea Club. We also had the Managing Director of the KTO Kuala Lumpur office, Mr. Kim Keehun, and two other guest speakers, from the Korean Embassy and the Korean Residents in Malaysia Club making their speeches.





The highlight of the afternoon were the performances by the first and second runner up winners of the Korean Wave Contest 2010 held recently. The guests and members were treated to a sampling of the Korean Rice Cake (Tteok) after which group photographs were taken. It was a perfect ending to a Saturday afternoon well spent.




Special thanks and appreciation to the following
Photos © courtesy:
Korea Plaza

Winner Takes All

Yes, Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) has done it again. It has been named the Best Airport Worldwide for the fifth consecutive year. And with this award it has become the first ever airport to win this top award for five consecutive years in a row.

The Geneva-based Airports Council International (ACI) based its ranking on the survey given out to 250,000 passengers who ranked the airports in 34 different categories, which include cleanliness of facilities, security inspections, transportation services, waiting times and visa and customs services.

Here’s another first, to add another feather to the Korean cap. South Korean mountain climber, Oh Eun-sun, became the first woman to conquer the world's 14 highest peaks. She climbed Annapurna, the tenth highest peak in the world and the final mountain she needed to break  the record, on April 27^th.

President Lee Myung-bak invited her recently to the presidential office, to congratulate her on her great achievement, and added that her accomplishment had raised the global status of the Korean nation. 

In the entertainment sector, we have singer and actor Rain who has been nominated for the Biggest Badass Star award at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, which will be held in the U.S. on June 6. Rain, who was nominated for his performance in the Hollywood action flick “Ninja Assassin,” joins other nominees like Angelina Jolie, Channing Tatum, Sam Washington and Chris Fine in the category.

The MTV Movie Awards nominates stars in 12 categories, with the winners being selected by netizen votes. Voting continues through June fifth on the awards’ Web site(movieawards.mtv.com). The film “The Hangover” has garnered six nominations, the most in any movie, followed by “Avatar” and the second installment of the Twilight series “New Moon,” both of which have been nominated in five categories. For the results of this award, we have to wait until June 6 but I won’t be surprised if Rain wins.

Well, looks like Korea will be happily welcoming home their ladies badminton team who will be bringing home the much coveted Uber Cup with them. Congratulations Korea, you’ve done it again!

Korea has stopped China from claiming their seventh consecutive Uber Cup title and in doing so created one of the biggest upsets in women’s badminton history.

Korea won with a 3-1 victory that saw China's world #1 Wang Yihan sensationally lose in straight sets to Korea’s Bae Seung Hee, ranked #16. Bae managed to out-class her Chinese opponent with her wonderful strategy. The Uber Cup debutante had done her homework well, analyzing Wang's game play on video before the match. She said she realized pushing the ball long would be her best chance of winning.

Wang, crowned world player of the year on Sunday, was uncharacteristically indecisive at the net and on four occasions let the shuttle fly over her head, expecting it to go long only to see it land inside. She made crucial mistakes over and over and her defense was simply lacking. So Bae’s strategy was really working.

Bae kept her cool to pip Wang 23-21 in a tense first set before pressuring her opponent into a series of errors to seal the game with a 21-11 win at the Kuala Lumpur Putra Stadium.

In this post on Korean winners I must not forget to include the Korean skating queen, Kim Yu-na though the news maybe a bit stale by now. What’s important is that she’s a winner too!

With the gold medal win by an Asian woman in the Olympic figure skating competition, a power shift in the sport dominated by Europe and North America, has now been shifted to Asia. All eyes are on Korea now, all because of Kim Yu-na and the Korean team at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics where they were placed fifth, winning 14 medals out of which were 6 golds.

Kim Yu-na could play a key role in the chase for yet another top Olympic prize - the bid to host the 2018 Winter Games in Korea. From what I hear, Pyeongchang in the Gangwong province is making its third consecutive bid after narrow defeats in the votes for the 2010 and 2014 Games.  Other bidders are Munich and Annecy, France.

But we shall have to wait until June, when the International Olympic Committee officially approves the list of finalist candidates. The actual voting will be carried out by the International Olympic Committee in July 2011, in Durban, South Africa. So, good luck Korea, I hope you’ll be 3^rd time lucky!

You know, all this Korean winning streak has formed a question in my mind, “Is there nothing that the Koreans cannot do?” I may not have the answer to this but I do know one thing. What is the key to success for the Koreans? From what I can see the Koreans’ strength lies in their dedication and motivation in everything they do! They aspire to be the best and they do it not for personal glory but more so for national pride. I think the rest of us can learn a thing or two from the Koreans. I love Korea!

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

YONHAP

http://www.badzine.info/index.php/features/photos.html

http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_Dm_detail.htm?No=72584

The Merry Month of May!

The Republic of Korea seems to be celebrating a lot of happy occasions in May. It started off with Children’ Day which was a holiday, on May 5, followed by Parents Day yesterday, May 8, with two more to follow, Teachers Day on May 15 and Buddha’s Birthday on May 21.

Today, May 9, is Mother’s Day in other parts of the world. So to all Mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day. May you spend a happy and blessed day with your loved ones today. And as usual, the florists, the gift shops and restaurants owners will be laughing all the way to the bank.

한국의 여러분 모두에게 축하 학부모날!

Actually I should have wished the mums and dads of Korea ‘happy parents day’ yesterday because they have done away with Mother’s Day and Father’s day and come out with a new Parents Day as a combination of the two. This was done to make the fathers feel that they are not alienated. Parents Day is meant to commemorate the combined efforts of the parents in bringing up their children. Though it is not a national holiday like Children’s Day, Parent's Day is still deemed as one of the special days in South Korea's yearly calendar. On this day many museums and parks are open for free.

It is the day when children express gratitude to their parents through gifts and other tokens of love. Parents are the epitome of love and affection. It’s roses for Valentine’s Day and what do you think is the flower associated with Parents Day in the ROK? Parents' Day is celebrated there by giving a red carnation, and then followed by presents. On this day, children spend time with their parents, doing things which their parents love to do. These are the traditional and the conventional form of paying gratitude to their parents.

Although the basic idea of designating a special day for parents was inspired from overseas, filial piety has long been an inseparable part of traditional Korean society.

The Lotus Lantern Festival on Buddha’s Birthday falls on 21^st May but many events/activities will begin a week earlier than that day and at different temples. Here is the program lined up in case you are interested.

       

You can see an exhibition of traditional lanterns from May 14 until May 23 at the Bongeunsa Temple.

Want to learn how to make paper lanterns? Here’s how:-

That was easy wasn’t it and it looks beautiful too.

   

On May 15, between 7.00 – 9.00pm. the street in front of Jogyesa Temple in Insadong will come to life with exciting stage performances and a colorful parade of performers to celebrate the eve of the festival(Yeondeungnori.)

Experience firsthand multiethnic culture and festivities by joining in the Buddhist Street Festival, on May 16 from noon till 7.00pm in the street in front of Jogyesa Temple.

There is a performance stage where different kinds of performances like the Korean Folk Music and Dance, Traditional Buddhist Dances, Foreigners Traditional Dancing Show and the Techno Dance and Singing Contest for teenagers will be held.

There’s a different section for the Lantern Making. Here one can learn to make an 8-sided lantern and pray for ones wishes, in addition to many other cultural experiences. After one has made a lantern one can bring it along to participate in the Grand Lantern Parade on the evening of May 16.

There are many booths where one can learn to play traditional games, make lanterns, and make Buddhist rosaries and rubbings of Buddhist Sutras. Other activities include face painting and the tasting of Buddhist temple food.

So if you happen to be in Korea during this period, don’t miss the opportunity to take part in the festivities, it’s so much fun.

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

http://www.korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=46485

http://www.llf.or.kr/eng/eotl.asp

http://www.llf.or.kr/eng/bsf.asp

 

The Magic of Fairyland

Yesterday, May 5 2010, marked the 88^th anniversary of Children’s Day celebrations in Korea. And so I thought I’d take you to a few places that the younger children in your family might want to visit, where they can really enjoy themselves. Fairy tales never cease to enchant little children all over the world including those staying in Korea.

The Children’s Museum at the National Folk Museum of Korea is having an on-going exhibition "Bon Voyage To the Fairy Tale Forest," lasting till September 30. As you enter this exhibition center, it feels as if you have stepped into the world of fairytales literally. Remember the gingerbread house of Hansel and Gretel? Well, it’s right there in the enchanted forest room, so go and take a look. The house of the seven dwarfs, the magic mirror and Cinderella are all housed in the room of nice fairies, whereas In the adventure room is the castle of the Sleeping Beauty and where the musical instruments are kept. All these exhibition rooms are linked to an outdoor playground. It takes almost an hour to see the whole exhibition and entry is limited to 30 people on the hour.



                               
There is also a chance to see the original paintings used as illustrations in picture books. The 3rd Exhibition Hall at Insa Art Center features fairy tale illustrations by Hong Yeong-woo, 71, from May 5 to 10. Given that Hong is Korean-Japanese and has lived almost all his life in Japan, he shows a surprising depth in expressing the world of Korean fairytales. The scenes of mask dance, of children playing jegi-chagi (kicking shuttlecock) or dokkebi (Korean goblins) sneaking into a hut have well captured the humor shared in Korean stories.
“He has really worked hard to capture the typical Korean gestures in his works,” said Yoon Gu-byeong, the president of Bori Book, which publishes Hong’s picture books from Japan. “This is because he learnt how precious the language and words of his mother country are while growing up in Japan.”



The Neverland Picture Book Museum, in Heyri Art Valley, Paju City, Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province is having an “Alice in Picture Book Land,” exhibition where there are 39 fairytale illustrations, 13 related dolls and over 5,000 fairytale and picture books displayed. The exhibition will be open until June 30. 
Here the works of fairytale illustrators from both home and abroad are featured, including those of Brian Wildsmith, Mariacarla Taroni and Gwenola Carrere.
It’s 4,000 won for adults, 3,000 won for children and open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Not open on Mondays.)



The “Sweet Factory,” opened by Lotte Confectionary on the second floor of its building in Yangpyeong-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul offers visitors a chance to see firsthand the process of making an array of sweets ranging from gum to biscuits, chocolates, candies, and even ice cream. It’s the nation’s first children’s experience museum dedicated to sweets. Here children can play with the big displays of cookies and candies where they get to learn something from them. For example if a child puts a fake food ingredient inside the fake food factory the machine will display a virtual image of how that ingredient is mixed, concentrated and formed to become chocolates or other kinds of snacks. 
Sweet Factory combines education and fun. Children can learn about different sweets in rooms devoted to each respective snack. The tunnel to the ice cream room is cool and clean, the chewing gum room teaches the importance of good dental care and the chocolate room lets kids have the chance to grind cocoa beans into powder.
Admission is free but requires prior reservation. Just like the Children’s Museum entry is limited to 30 people per hour.



Calling all jazz fans, the Seoul Jazz Festival 2010 will be held on two days at two different venues:-
May 11 at the Grand Theatre of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts,
May 14 at the Olympic Hall, Olympic Park
The Seoul Jazz Festival is a young annual event that first started in 2007, where jazz-lovers can come to see some of the biggest names in the genre. The festival will have a two night, non-consecutive run. The first night on the 11th is called “Lyrical and Romantic Night”, featuring Wouter Hamel and Korean act Sweet Sorrow. The second night on the 14th is called “Stylish Jazz Night” and will feature Matt Bianco and D’Sound. This will be two must-see performances… especially for jazz enthusiasts!         
Tickets: 55,000 to 88,000 won.



Lastly, I’m sure that many of you die-hard fans of Lee Joon-ki (from the hit film "The King and the Clown") must have heard that he has reported for his mandatory military service a few days ago on May 3. Lee, who is 28 years old, starts his  training period in the South Chungcheong province for 5 weeks before he receives his assignment. Lee Jun-ki fans will have to look forward to February of 2012 which is when he is set to be discharged. So we won’t be seeing a lot of him until then.
Special thanks and appreciation to the following
Photos and articles © courtesy: 
Neverland Picture Book Museum Website
Lotte Confectionery's Sweet Factory
Bori Book Co
http://www.kidsnfm.go.kr/eng/index.jsp
http://korea.net/news.do?mode=detail&guid=46406

Bits and Pieces, Here and There.

It’s been a long time since I read the Korean newspapers so today thought I’d look around for the hottest and juiciest gossip around town to tell you about.

Do you like weddings? I do! Seven years after working together in the drama, Winter Sonata, top actors Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo reunited for the animation version of the drama where both of them lent their voices to the 26-part animation version of "Winter Sonata" produced for television.

A live action wedding scene between them was shot in mid-March this year at a filming site near the Sun Cruise Resort in Gangneung City, Gangwon province, which was to be used as an added bonus to the airing of the anime series, as the closing episode, sometime at the end of April.

So the past few days there was much activity on the internet with fans posting their video clips of this wedding. It was lovely, if only it was for real, they make such a lovely couple! I wonder, if they ever thought of pairing up for real?

Hottest news in the Korea Herald is Jang Dong-gun’s wedding. So, we do have our real movie star wedding after all.

Korea’s so-called “Hollywood” couple  Jang Dong-gun and Koh So-young, officially tied the knot on Sunday, May 2, 2010. The bridal couple graced the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, together with 500 invited guests.

The ceremony reportedly cost about 1 billion won ($900,000), one of the most costly weddings by any Korean celebrity. The bride wore an Oscar de la Renta wedding dress worth about $15,000, while Jang had on a Tom Ford tuxedo. Their wedding rings were from Chopard, the luxury jewelry brand.

Jang and Koh share a lot in common, both are 38 and made their debut in the entertainment industry in 1992. Both also share a big fortune: Jang’s annual income alone is reportedly worth about 10 billion won, while his wife has made real-estate investments worth more than 10 billion. Her properties include the “Koh So-young Building” in the swanky neighborhood of Cheongdam-dong in southern Seoul. Koh’s home in the Seoul area of Nonhyeon-dong, where her parents live, is believed to be worth 4 billion won.
The value of property owned by Jang is also impressive. Observers estimate his real-estate holdings to be about 8 billion won. Their combined wealth, observers speculate, is worth at least 40 billion won. Industry experts predict their wealth to multiply following their marriage, with expectations of joint endorsements. Some have even cited the possibility that their fortune will surpass even that of some Korean business tycoons.

Know what, our newlyweds have gone on their honeymoon in Bali, accompanied by their managers? Can you imagine that?

21^st May happens to be Buddha’s Birthday this year, where various kinds of celebrations will be held. At Jogye Temple in central Seoul, little children can have a taste of the life of Buddhist monks for 22 days before Buddha’s Birthday. The picture of the boys in their robes with head shaven looks so cute that I couldn’t resist copying it to my blog, courtesy of Kim Seong-ryong from joongangdaily.

Have you ever seen such unique shaped tree trunks like those in the picture? Nestled in the Jogyesan Mountain in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, inside the Songgwangsa Temple grounds, stand the 800-year-old aromatic trees, dubbed as the Double Aromatic trees. The trees, (Juniperus Chinensis Limme), have been designated Natural Monument #88.

They stand side by side and the branches twine and they are about 13 meters high. According to legend, they grew from walking sticks of National Preceptor Bojoguksa(1158-1210) and Damdangguksa who brought them from China and stuck them in the ground here.

Damdang was a prince of Goryeo who became a disciple of Bojo. The figure of these trees look as if one is bowing down to the other, (showing the relationship between a teacher and his disciple so to speak.)
Many people visit this place because of a legend which says that anybody who touches these trees will go to heaven.

Discovering Gyeongsangbuk do – Chilgok-gun Part 2

The Nakdong River has played an important role throughout Korean History. The river basin has been a favored dwelling place for as long as people have inhabited the Korean Peninsular. Through the Silla, Goryeo and Joseon periods the river continued to serve as a major transportation corridor in the Gyueongsang region.

Waegwan’s name literally means “Japanese dwelling” and may indicate that the town was a common stopping point for Japanese salt traders during the Joseon Dynasty.

In the summer of 1939 Korean and Japanese students from the Daegu Normal School were sent to Waegwan to do forced labor on the Gyeongbu Line railroad tracks. A demonstration, known as the Waegwan incident took place on July 26 in which Korean students protested against preferential treatment being given to Japanese students. In consequence seven of the students were expelled.

During the Korean War it gained prominence as a barrier to movement. The bridge over the Nakdong River at Waegwan was blown up on August 3 1950 to prevent North Korean forces from advancing to Daegu. A large number of Korean refugees were killed in the explosion. The Americans believed that the refugees were North Korean soldiers in disguise. Although some of the North Korean forces did cross the Nakdong River in places, for the most part the river still marks their furthest advance.

Monuments to the UN and South Korean forces now stand on the low mountain overlooking the northeastern section of the city, which is locally known as “Apsan” or Hill 303.

In the 1990s the halves of the bridge were reconnected to serve as a pedestrian crossing between the two halves of Waegwan.

Waegwan War Memorial in Jungji-ri, Seokjeok-eup, was constructed in 1978 to commemorate the victory of the Nakdong river battle together with the U.N. forces in the Korean War. It exhibits clothing and firearms used at the time.

The Dabu-dong War Memorial in Dabu-ri, Gasan-myeon, was built to commemorate the victory of the "Dabudong Battle' which provided an opportunity to march into North Korea during the Korean war. In the building that reassembles a tank, there are exhibited all kinds of firearms and seizures during the war.

 

The Mt. Yuhak Area in Seonggok-ri, Seokjeok-eup, stands 839m high and is known as the mountain of cranes. It used to be the battle field of Dabudong during the Korean war. Today the crane rocks are popular among mountaineers as a rock-climbing training site.

On the cliff of Mt. Dogosan are the engravings of 4 images of Buddha in red and blue known as the Noseok-dong Buddhist Image. They are presumed to have been done in the early period of unified Silla.

Did you know that there is an English village in a protected mountain setting in Yeonhwa-ri, Jicheon-myeon, Chilgok-gun, some thirty minutes away from Daegu.

In 2006 The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado (UCCS) and Yeungjin College (YJ), Daegu, South Korea, a prominent national university in South Korea, joined forces to construct a world-class English language learning campus. The English Village offers a full immersion curriculum for children to adults, complete with various miniature versions of everything from an airport to a bank to a police station where students can interact and utilize English in real-world situations and scenarios - to train students of all ages in the usage of the English language in an experiential learning environment so to speak.

The Acacia Honey Bee Festival is held every May in Chilgok. The area around Sindongjae(Hill), Chilgok-gun is the largest habitat of acacia.

The acacia trees growing in this region, around the Sindong Pass are 30~40 years old and are distributed throughout the 1,500ha of land taking about 5% of the total forest in the region. Currently, there are about 470 beekeeping households who produce 150tons of honey a year with a profit of 18 million won

The Acacia Bee Honey Festival is an ecological and economical festival and is recognized as a true regional cultural festival which the villagers and urban dwellers in the vicinity can enjoy. It is the most natural theme festival where you can experience the ecology of the Sindong Pass, - the flowers, the trees, the wind and the acacia bee honey.

There are contests and events, such as the bee beard event, Bee Bee Karaoke, sweet scent music festival, film festival, tasting of food made with honey, acacia science exhibition, bee-sting acupuncture and photography contest.

The main programs of the Open Chilgok Long-term Learning Festival include the following programs held at different venues in Chilgok with the aim of establishing a sound local community through education.

• Cultural Performance with local citizens: Madangnorii, Family Music Festival
• Exhibition Center arranged by a life-long learning organization: ceramics, natural dying, crafts
• Learning Team Performance Hall: Samulnori, Sports Dance, Belly Dance
• Life-long learning experience booth: Experiencing tradition, Art Healing, Experience with beads, Hand-Acupuncture
• For local women groups: Participation of Woori Agriculture Products Promotion Center, charity bazaar

Every October there is a Children’s Festival where the children and students of middle and high schools in Chilgok can show off their talents by participating and in the sharing of new experiences in different surroundings. They believe that “Children are the future of Chilgok”.

Not to be outdone is the Silveriness Song Festival, also in October, where the senior citizens, aged 60 and above, from Chilgok, can perform on stage and show off their talents.

The Gasan Hak Village Festival is a gathering fair for the urban and rural farming industry. This opens at the eco-friendly Hak village in Gasan-myeon, Chilkgok-gun.

A variety of events are prepared every year, some of which include sporting events, a Hapkido performance (an art of self-defense), tug-of-war, rural experiencing events (apple picking, catching grasshoppers, making scarecrow s) and singing competitions.

The Gasan Apple Flower Festival opens on October 7th every year and the festival offers the sampling of vegetable Bibimbap, made from natural ingredients from Gasan Hak village. The festival also provides events that family members can participate in together such as making ceramics, apple peeling and digging up herbs.

The Fortress Village Nature-Friendly Vegetable Festival is held in eco-friendly Sanseong village located in the Gasan Fortress. The event promotes the sampling of natural vegetables and provides an opportunity to visit and experience an eco-friendly cropping location.

Chilgok is well-known for its master craftsmen. If you are looking for art pieces, then Chilgok is the place to buy them.

The Drum or Janggue is made of skillful and exquisite craftsmanship. This crafts shop, Gookak Yurlim Technical Art is known for its overseas customers from the numerous orders that are coming in from countries worldwide.

Sungoh Carpentry has been appointed as a special product zone shop specializing in fishing and agrarian villages by the government. They are specialized in making esthetical and detailed wooden cases using the Paulownia tree and the western red cedar.

The Chongrok Carpentry not only makes Danchong or Buddhist images but they are specialized in repairing cultural properties. The traditional techniques and coloration of carpentry is splendid.

This is the traditional tableware made by Haksan Ceramic, that is inscribed with the10 longevity symbols including the turtle and the herb of eternal youth. They are said to be able to preserve the freshness of the food for a longer period of time.

   

    

          

    

What are the special products of Chilgok? Rice tops the list with 8 different varieties, Geumjong Rice, Green Pine Needle Rice, Dasong Rice, Hak Village Natural Rice, Gasan Fortress Rice, Seokchong Rice. Acacia Rice and Hanbaek Loess Rice

 

 

 

For agricultural products (Fruits) there are honey melons, apples, grapes, strawberries and Gisan pears, (vegetables) Natural Water Celery, Guemnam Cucumbers and Cherry Tomatoes.

 

 

Chilgok is famous for its flowers too, especially the Chilgok Lilies (which are exported to Japan), chrysanthemums and tulips.

Now let’s see what Chilgok has to offer amongst its livestock goods? Top of the list is honey of course.

 Ahn Sang-gyu Honey is aged in a beehive in a natural way to preserve its nutrients and taste. The moisture is removed naturally by movements of the bees and winds.

 Mt.Hwanghaksan Tobong Honey on the other hand is gathered from 300 types of flowers during March and September around the Mt.Hwanghaksan area.

Solran are eggs produced from the chickens that are fed with pine needle feeds. It has rich colored egg yolk with high content of calcium, iron and vitamins as compared to regular eggs.

To end today’s post I’m going to introduce you to a man, a great artist, a son of the soil. Jaewon Jung was born in 1956, in a small village, called Songjeong, (which means resting place among pine trees) in Chilgok County. He’s a highly qualified person having studied Korean language education at Kyungpook National University and earned a master's degree in Korean literature at KNU, majoring in contemporary Korean poems. He worked as a planner in the publishing department at KNU, taught the Korean language at Sinmyeong High School in Daegu, served as CEO of the Korea Educational Institute in Daegu and currently is the President of Naratmal Publishing Company and is one of the Sottae artists. His Korean Smile (Archetypical Doodles) was published in 1997 by the Naratmal Publishing Company.

Yes, he saw water lilies and lotus flowers in the lakes, while he was growing up and read about them in lots of poems and essays, but  he did not  truly learn to appreciate their true beauty  until he planted and grew 'Tina", a tropical water lily, in a stoneware pot in 2004. Ever since then he has been growing lotuses and water lilies. In 2005, he happened to come across the website of Victoria-Adventure and was fascinated by the beauty of the various water lilies in it.

Hoping that many more Koreans will grow lotuses and water lilies and enjoy the beauty of them, he planted about 100 varieties in vessels in his roof garden in 2006. He has been distributing them to others and running a lotus-lovers society on the web. All this while he has drawn pictures of lotuses and water lilies. He has high aspirations as he thinks that his collection will be larger in size and number than those of Claude Monet in the future.

Being the creative person he is, he likes to create  something new, he is always searching for new species of water lilies. He is not selfish, he wants to beautify his surroundings even more so that he can share all that with others.  He owns a mountain of 500,000 square meters (124 acres) near his residence in Daegu, where he plans to turn it into an art park with an art gallery and an arboretum, so that people can appreciate art crafts and pictures in the beautiful space, all under one roof. In the art park he will make reservoirs by draining water from the creeks, and plant flowers and trees systematically. Here is a man of dreams and visions. I wish him all the best and may his efforts be crowned with success. Who knows, perhaps one day I might be lucky enough to step into his art park because I too love to plant lotuses and water lilies.

And with this we bid farewell to our trip to Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

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

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7471110

http://wapedia.mobi/en/University_of_Colorado_at_Colorado_Springs

http://english.chilgok.go.kr

http://english.tour2korea.com