Discovering history and healing in Gyeongnam
Dduhsi itnuhn kose kiri itda (In a place where there is will, there is a road).— Korean Proverb
With their gadgets that shift at breakneck speed, quick cosmetic fixes, an explosive Kpop culture powered by a fissure of swift, hypnotic tunes, trend-shifting street wear, rapid-paced TV dramas, and fast-food offerings, we Filipinos think we know our Korean neighbors in an instant.
A trip to South Korea’s southeastern region of Gyeongnam lets us fully understand where the “Great East” finds itself in the rest of the world. You must pace yourself, sit back, breathe, taste, and slowly take it all in because not everything about South Korea is a fast-paced, dizzying blur.
“Most Filipinos may associate the whole Korean experience with Seoul or Jeju Island, because these are the more popular tourist spots to visit,” shares Kim Dong Seol, COO of the Philippines’ largest travel supplier for South Korea, Rakso Travel. “So, we decided to focus instead on the other provinces of South Korea, where tourists can experience the historical culture and the traditional ways of the Koreans,” Dong Seol adds. So, inviting Philippine STAR and 10 of its most-valued travel agents, Rakso Travel gave us a South Korean story that was surely one for the books.
THE DAWN OF DONGYA
We arrived in neon-lit Busan, a pretty relaxed sight despite being South Korea’s second busiest city. At Gimhae Airport, we were warmly welcomed by Yeon Seo Sung and Pil Song Jun of the Gyeongnam Tourism office, who served as our courteous hosts for the rest of the three-day trip.
Alighting with us from the relatively full Philippine Airlines flight were a handful of elderly Filipinos, veterans of the 1950s Korean War, who were just as well received by their invitees with welcoming banners and polite handshakes. That alone assured me of how South Koreans appreciate their Filipino friends. More than our efficient and inexpensive English-speaking courses and our pristine white beaches, we, after all, share a remarkable history as world allies.
On that affirming note, we set forth to Gyeongnam’s central county of Jinju. It was a little dark in the night, and a bit late to take in the sights when we arrived at the Asia Lakeside Hotel. But upon waking at my first Gyeongnam daybreak, I quickly realized why South Korea is touted as the “Land of the Morning Calm.” Overlooking its pine-lined hills on a nippy day at one of autumn’s first breaks, the great stillness of the Jinju Lake revealed its refreshing reception.
To implore the heavens for safe travels ahead, we first made our pilgrimage to Jinju’s Munsan Catholic Church. The cathedral is relatively simple and sparse compared to our many baroque churches, but what it may lack in religious flourish it makes up for in spiritual significance. The Munsan Catholic Church started as a chapel founded by French missionary Fr. Mario Julien. In 1905, it served as the base for Catholicism in Gyeongnam province until Korea’s liberation from Japan at the end of World War II, when other churches were built in the area.
Still, the whitewashed neo-gothic church stands as a testament to Korea’s deeply ingrained religious tolerance, where 30 percent of its general population is Christian. Here, Korean parish priest Fr. Kang Faviano serves his local parishioners.
Jinju county is also home to the Jinjuseong Fortress, the site of one of Korea’s bloodiest battles against the invading Japanese. Bordered by the banks of the vast Namgang and Cheongcheon rivers and built atop one of Jinju’s many rolling knolls, the stonewalled Jinjuseong Fortress seemed impenetrable, displaying ancient Korea’s military might and engineering. Under its general, Kim Si-min in 1592, the plans of 20,000 invading Japanese soldiers were foiled with the torrents of cannons and arrows of only 3,800 Korean men. Despite his death after three days of standing guard, General Kim Si-min managed to put Jinju in one of the golden chapters of Korean history, and the Jinjuseong Fortress as its indomitable landmark. “It was kind of interesting.
You get to have a sense of history of the place, and you get to see that there is a commonality of countries in protecting themselves against outside forces,” shared Davao’s Good Fortune Travel owner Arnold King, who was impressed by the 1,760-meter stone fortification, hailed by CNN Go as one of the 50 Best Tourist Attractions in Korea.
From Jinju, we went on to the farm-lined gorges of Hadong. Among shrubs teeming with persimmon and pears and mom-andpop shops selling folksy souvenirs, we made our march to Choi Champandaek, overlooking the valley of Pyeongsa-ri, where traditional farmhouses made from straw and clay, called hanok, still stand.
The House of Choi Champan, as the village is called, became the setting for one of Korea’s most famous epics, Toji (The
Land), written a total of 25 years by author Park Gyeong-ri. The epic tells in masterful detail how the once frugal Korean farm life shifted under 48 years of Japanese imperial rule. Here, the stately Daecheong Maru or wooden-floored hall offers a sweeping view of the rice fields below which could sure stir plenty of literary inspirations, such that the Choi Champandaek hosts the Toji Literature Festival every fall.
“This is my favorite stop. It gives you an insight into how Koreans lived in the past,” enthused Servemore Travel Services’ Angelita Que. Should you fancy channeling your inner ancient Korean peasant, a hanok here can be rented for $40 per night.
But if it’s a soulful respite that one is after, our next stop, the Ssanggyesa Temple, built around 725 AD, should offer a leisurely climb to personal enlightenment. Among gushing springs and maple trees, Ssangyesa Temple, located on the sacred Jirisan Mountain, is home to noteworthy Buddhist relics and rituals such as the twin engraved rocks by eminent Korean magistrate Choi Chiwon, the jingamseonsa-daegongtabbi, one of the oldest Korean Buddhist epigraphs, the Ssanggyesa Ma-aebul, or the image of Buddha carved out of hollowed rock, and is also the birthplace of Korean beompae or traditional Buddhist music of eight tones and rhythms, carried over by the monk Jingam from China in the mid-7th century, alongside tea seedlings planted at the temple’s perimeters, which is now the town’s chief agricultural yield.
The temple was burnt down during the Japanese Imjinwaeran invasion of the 1590s, was later rebuilt, and has since been a constant attraction for Buddhist pilgrims.
The nearby Kensington Hotel Hadong, the mountain resort that attracts droves of weekending families, business travelers, and religious tourists, became our night’s retreat.
THE HEIGHTS OF DONGBANG
The next part of our journey took us to the northwestern county of Hamyang, whose craggy ranges offer the most conducive breeding ground for Korea’s prized wild ginseng or sansam. Ginseng is considered a potent liver tonic, has properties that can curb diabetes, alleviate stress and exhaustion, as well as strengthen immunity and blood circulation.
The search for wild ginseng, however, can be stressful as simmani or ginseng foragers may take forever finding a single plant hidden deep in damp beds of mountain moss. A root of wild ginseng, which takes years to grow a single rhizoid, can fetch up to 100 million won. For this, Hamyang hosts the annual Wild Ginseng Festival in the latter part of July in Sangrim Park.
Sangrim Park, lined with tranquil lotus ponds and apple trees, is known as “the forest of a thousand years.” The 21-hectare artificial forest was built during the reign of Queen Jinseong in the latter part of the 9th century to protect Hamyang county from the constant flooding of nearby Wicheon River.
By naturally fortifying the riverbanks by planting trees, the Sangrim Park managed to protect the area from eminent natural disasters even after 1,200 years, which also gave the town a lush, sprawling woodland home to 120 species of trees that amazingly displays the changing colors of fall. “The trees are of the perfect color and the weather is perfect. I enjoyed walking its trail and just taking in the view. It’s very relaxing,” remarked Davao’s Frontier Travel & Tours’ John Tan Eng Yao.
After a hearty lunch of galbi or Korean barbecue, with the optional shot of soju or distilled rice liquor, we headed eastward for Hapcheon. Amid the sweeping views of the Gayasan Mountain, the World Heritage Site of Haeinsa Temple awaited. The sailing ship-shaped compound of Haeinsa, built in 802 AD, is one of the “Three Jewel Temples of Korea.” But it is most notable for its historic housing of the Tripitaka Koreana, the whole body of Buddhist scriptures carved in 81,350 individual wooden printing blocks. The temple managed to naturally preserve these centuries-old blocks since 1398 that UNESCO deemed it exceptional, because no other historical structure dedicated itself to the preservation of such a large body of artifacts.
The black-roofed temples of the Haeinsa once almost faced ruin when, at the height of the Korean War, some 1,000 North Korean soldiers took refuge in the mountainous town. Here, they staged guerrilla attacks against peacekeeping troops that the UN Forces were left with no other choice but to order the bombing of Hapcheon. Kim Young Hwan, then the Air Force command-
South Korea’s southeastern region lets us fully understand where the ‘Great East’ finds itself in the rest of the world. Pace yourself, sit back, breathe, taste, and slowly take it all in because not everything about South Korea is a fast-paced, dizzying blur.
er, couldn’t bear the thought of losing the Tripitaka Koreana that he broke the command, thereby saving the town’s invaluable legacy. For this, he was honored with the Haeinsa Gongdeokbi monument, found in the impeccably landscaped temple grounds.
After witnessing one of the world’s most breathtaking monuments, we needed invigoration, so we trailed the summits of Sancheong county where the Dongui Bogam Museum, Korea’s largest repository of the earliest literature on oriental medicine, is situated. Among its well-curated display of dioramas and preserved herbs are the ancient medical manuals drafted by royal physician Heo Jun as early as 1597. Heo Jun became Korea’s father of medicine, and his compilation of East Asian curative wisdom is known to be as the most comprehensive in the history of oriental medicine.
This led UNESCO to consider the 25-volume Dongui Bogam, which translates to “Mirror of Eastern Medicine,” as part of its Memory of the World Program in 2009. The museum’s second floor is dedicated to the modern experience of traditional oriental medicine, where a family clinic and a medicinal herb garden give visitors a dose of natural, yet no less potent, prescription.
Outside, at the blooming lawns of the Dongui Bogam Village, we made our way past patches of chrysanthemums, peonies, dahlias, and daisies towards majestic temple grounds where the Dongeui-yaksunkwan restaurant is situated. Here, the governor of Sancheong, Heo Ki-do, treated us to a healthful yaksun dinner, which means “eating food as medicine.” So, after a banquet of fresh wild ginseng, fermented soybeans in sesame leaf, acorn jelly, ginseng-cured pork, and a refreshing cup of
omijacha or the “tea of five tastes,” we were considerably cured of most aches and pains, particularly of the hunger that came with all the climbing and exploring.
We called it a restful night among the cozy accommodations of the nearby HUROM Institute of Human Resource Development, where South Korea’s leading technologies for health, diet, and wellness are constantly developed.
THE BRIDGES OF DAEDONG
We rose with the morning mist, early for our trip to the eastern county of Gimhae, which was roughly two hours from Sancheong. Gimhae is said to be the land of the Geumgwan Gaya Dynasty, one of Korea’s earliest yet more advanced civilizations founded in 1st century BC near the banks of the Nakdong River.
It was here that King Suro unified what were once nine warring villages into the nation of Garakguk, and developed blacksmithing that ushered Korea’s Iron Age, and pottery, which made the kingdom a prolific center of prehistoric international trade. But for modern-day Korean culture, what is most captivating about the dynasty is the legendary love story between the Korean monarch Suro and his supposed Indian wife Queen Heo Hwang-ok, a rich resource for Korean drama plotlines.
This became the inspiration for Gimhae’s popular tourist attraction, the Gimhae Gaya Theme Park, which depicts, with actual relics and exacting replicas, the long-forgotten kingdom of the southeastern province. Found at the foot of Mt. Shino, the Gaya Theme Park offers a stroll through Gaya villages, where kids can experience firsthand the old civilization’s way of life, as well as daily performances about the royal love story dubbed “Miracle Love.” But the main attraction of the theme park, particularly for visiting foreign tourists, is the Gaya Museum, which describes in detail, as well as in authentic display, the treasures of ancient Korea’s gilded age.
And after a brief understanding of Korea’s lengthy, olden history, we made our way back to the bustling, complex city of Busan, South Korea’s largest port city and home to the fifth busiest seaport in the world.
The Nurimaru or World Summit House in Busan’s Dongbaekseom Island hosted the 17th APEC Ministerial Meeting, where world leaders pushed for the Busan Roadmap for freer Asia-Pacific trade and enhanced human security. This was also the ripe time when South Korea, through Busan City, showcased its bright spot in the rest of the world as a manufacturing hub for ships, automobiles, and innovative devices, as well as an international trading hub through the Busan-Jinhei Free Economic Zone. And the Nurimaru House became the most ample monument, with its architecture done in the customary Korean jeongja pavilion-style, expressed in modernist steel and glass.
Placed in a prime spot that overlooks the vast Haeundae Beach and the commanding view of the Gwangan Bridge, any visitor here, be it the world leaders of 2005 or the present hordes of tourists from around the globe, can’t overlook South Korea’s growing economic presence. “The APEC House leaves an impression of strength and character which somehow affirms Korea’s position as one of the fastest developing countries in the world,” remarked Jet’s Go Travel Services’ Eileen Vergara.
They say that in any journey, there will always be two roads: the one which you left off and the one where you’re going. Through Korea’s historic twists and turns from defeat to victory, darkness to enlightenment, invasion to independence, economic insularity to international trade, the paths may never learn to cross again, but it doesn’t mean that the ways are ever forgotten. Such was what I discovered on my trip to South Korea’s Gyeongnam province: that the roads are long so we may look back and learn, sometimes it is arduous, but as long as you keep your eyes clear on the horizon, nothing stops the sheer will to carry on.
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Philippine Airlines flies to and from Busan daily. And for more information on Gyeongnam tour packages, as well as other exciting South Korean travel destinations, you can check out www. raksotravel.com or visit Rakso Travel at 3/F Rico Bldg., 112 Aguirre St., Legaspi Village, Makati.