Korea   Interested in some more details about Korea? Check out my Bookshelf for some travel books!   Korean folk village is located near the city called "Suwon". It is supposed to be one of the beautiful cities in Korea. Nowadays it is well developed, but it still retains the mountains full of trees and the smell of the old. I had not been to the folk village in ages...literally not since I was six or seven. I remembered almost nothing of this place other than few activites we did...the food and certain sounds. These wooden posts are male and female...they protect. Koreans believed in local gods...and was a very superstitious lot.   Man and Women wooden posts   This is where people used to grind the rice, barley or other grains to make bread-like things...especially the rice cakes.   Grainery   Old korean houses   There were very little number of people when we were at the folk village. Since we hardly saw people, it was almost like I was re-living the past...walking amongst the houses on the small streets. There were cicadas everywhere, cook breeze, the shadow from the trees...   This is a traditional Korean folk dancing. Lots of playing of the gongs and drums while the men twirled the ribbon atop their head.   Samulnori   Silk cloth maker   From the silk worms and other materials, women of old had to thread their own cloth. This is an actual demonstration of one such weaving machine.   I've always been fascinated by the oriental medicine so I dragged my companion to the old pharmacy. In the backyard, I found these rows of goodies...an actual ginseng farm. Who would have thought!   Ginseng farm   Old pharmacy   The typical pharmacy of old would have these bags of labeled medicine hanging from the ceiling. Even from far away, one can smell that special fragrance eminating from the boiling herbs. I can still recall this small of my childhood with fondness.   Old pharmacy   Perhaps many might not believe, herbal medicine is based on several thousand years of practice and recording. It is hard to understand why people mistrust it so. It is overall better for one's body. Who's to mistrust several thousand years of practice while modern medicine has been only around for few hundred years?   I think this was a cherry tree, but it could be something else. I might have taken few and eaten them if it had not been so unripened.   Cherry tree?   The rope performer   Only very few, perhaps only two people are able to perform this trick. This man is one of the living treasures of Korea. He performs on the rope all different types of tricks. It starts with simple walking from one end to the other.   Then he cracks jokes on the other hand then the tricks become progressively harder. He jumps and sits on the rope, even kicks and turns. Needless to say my heart was sommersaulting with his body.   The rope performer   Traditional wedding ceremony   One can watch the traditional nobleman's wedding ceremony here. Here are three traditional shoes to be worn by the bride and her two helpers.   Traditionally, (not in this ceremony since it is too hot and uncomfortable to do so) the bride wears about seven layers of skirts, not to mention all else she has on her. She is also not supposed to look up from her hidden position. It is absolutely necessary for her to have helpers since she is required to go down and bow as well as participate in the ceremony without looking up.   Traditional wedding ceremony   Traditional wedding ceremony   Normally, a table laden with food and other assortments are laid in between bride and groom. They bow and partake in drinks. The ceremony leader reads certain passages...all the while, these two people might not even have ever set eyes on each other. Sometimes we are told that during the ceremony, they surreptuously check out one another.   Another one of the living treasures. This is one who makes paper using certain type of plant. It is told such hand made paper can last thousands of years. It is sad that there is no other to learn his trade. So many living treasures are now quite old and with no one else to carry on their skills. Are such traditions to be disappeared forever from Korea?   Traditional paper maker   The end of wedding ceremony   At the end of wedding ceremony, groom rides donkey or horse and the bride rides her little carriage to bride's house. The couple are to stay there for a month or so then the real marriage at groom's house begins afterwards.   This contraption uses water power to grind the grain. It was a fascinating device. When the water fills the wooden scoop, it is lowered then the end of the scoop hits the stone slab with grain with large thump. Water is emptied then cycle begins again.   Water millinery   Chang Gyung Gung   One of the palaces in Seoul. This is Where much of administrations happened. It is very relaxing to simply walk the grounds of this palace. In the middle of bustling city of Seoul, these lone sanctuary of old stands...somehow you hear none of the noises and see only the trees and surreal background of the tall modern buildings...   Overlooking the entire palace grounds. One could walk hours here. I could very well imagine all the cocubines, the queen, the noblemen, even the king who might have walked these paths.   Chang Gyung Gung   Wild flower at Chang Gyung Gung   This is one of the very few left over wild flowers at the palace. There had been a large number of wild flowers during the spring, but by the time I was there, the season had passed already.   This is temple somewhat close to our house...literally on the very top of a very tall mountain. I think it takes at least 40 min to walk down from this place, so I can't imagine walking up this incline. Nowadays, one can ride a car up, but I can't even imagine how people would have managed to go up during the time of unpaved roads and no cars. This is apparently a very special Buddha, the importance of which escapes me at the moment.   Jewang Buddha at Do Ryun sa   Do Ryun sa   This temple is another very rich one. There is a very special Buddha made by cutting rock embedded on the mountain itself. You will find many people kneeling in prayer in front of this structure.   The temples, like the catherals are a very peaceful place. Perhaps this is the reason why people go to cathedrals and temples. They find people here where they would normally not find anywhere else.   Do Ryun sa   Do Ryun sa, Bell and Drum   Every day around 6 or 7 depending on the time of the sunset, the famous and wealthy temples play the drum (But Go) and rings the Bell. We sat to listen to one such ceremony. It is strangely affecting sound...something about it seeps into your soul.   [Home] [Books] [Dancing] [Writing] [Store] [Films] [Travels] [Music] [Art] [Contact] [Cafe Yahoo Group] [THINGS!]