   Vol.08,
No.01 (May/June 2000)
[Fellow Essay]
"Better
to See Something Once Than Hear About It Hundred
Times"
Juurai Bayanjargal (Department of
Korean Studies, Mongolian National University;
bayana@hanmail.net)
........................................................................................................................
Everywhere
we went there were many things to see and memories to
make, such that the whole trip remains in my mind
as a rich and rewarding cultural experience. I marveled
at how right is the saying: It is better to see
something once than hear about it hundred times.
There is an old
Korean saying: It is better to see something once than
hear about it hundred times. While studying at Yonsei
University'sKorean Language Institute under a Korea
Foundation fellowship, I visited the Honam region in
southwest Korea on a field trip May 18-20. I was truly
excited that my first trip in Korea was to include a
visit to Gwangju. Gwangju. It was a name
I had heard so often in the course of my studies in
Korean history and the Korean language, and as such
it was a place I had always wanted to visit.
We departed on May 18 at 8 o?lock in the morning.
The bus zipped along at an average speed of 100km, and
with short breaks at expressway rest stops on the way
we arrived at Songgwang-sa Temple at around 1 p.m. I
was so delighted as we looked around the temple.
I took it as a good omen that the first stop on our
itinerary was a Buddhist temple. I guess this was because
I am a Buddhist myself. Buddhist temples in Korea are
in general similar to those in Mongolia, but there are
some very clear differences. The first thing that struck
me was the robes worn by the monks, which are very different
to those worn by Buddhist monks in Mongolia. Another
difference was location and scale: Korean temples are
usually located in beautiful and secluded mountain areas
and are built on a vast scale. At Songgwang-sa Temple,
I used a traditional style Korean toilet for the first
time. Our next stop was a traditional
village in Nakanupsong. While there, I felt great calm,
and a sense of elation seemed to wash over me. Having
escaped the noise and bustle of Seoul, I felt mentally
and physically relaxed, and the built-up stress of daily
life just disappeared from me. In this area we
were able to see traces of Mahan, one of the three ancient
Han states; P?ji Fortress, from the Paekche Kingdom;
an old village in Nakankun, from the Koryo Dynasty;
fortresses and administrative offices from the Choson
Dynasty; guest houses; a monument to General Im Kyong-op;
and old marketplaces and thatched roof houses. Much
time has passed and much has changed, but these people
have preserved their traditional lifestyle for others
to see?omething truly to be envied. I
tried to imagine what life was like for Koreans in the
past. Before I knew it I was mumbling to myself: ?es,
I can imagine Koreans of old living in these thatched
roof houses, enjoying their lives to the fullest. Then
I noticed a pretty little girl helping her parents in
the front yard of one of the thatched roof houses. She
seemed to be in about second grade of elementary school,
but looked mature for her age, and for a moment she
reminded me of my little sister at home. I took
a picture of her so I could remember her modest and
industrious appearance. It was around
6:10 p.m. when we arrived in Gwangju, the home of democracy
and the city of art, where we were to stay overnight.
I had heard thatGKwangju was famous for its food and
was a city redolent in the tradition of song and dance.
It is also said that Gwangju is what it is because of
the presence of nearby Mt. Mudeungsan. This is the site
of the victory of the righteous army during the seven
years of the Hideyoshi invasions in the late 16th century
and the birthplace of such distinguished historical
figures as Generals Gwon Yul, Kim Tong-nyong, and Go
Gyong -myong. Gwangju has a long history of being
at the forefront of fighting for the salvation of the
nation, be it the reform of the year Gabo (1894), the
March First Movement, the Gwangju Student Movement,
or the May 18 Gwangju Civil Uprising. I had learned
in class that Gwangju, befitting its reputation as a
city of culture and refinement since ancient times,
is where the magnificent art of Gasa (lyric poetry)
is kept alive.
The next morning
we rose at 6 a.m. and after breakfast headed for the
treasure of Jeollanamdo province, the village of
Boseong. That day I saw a camellia for the first time
and found it very beautiful. We listened to songs performed
especially for us by pansori (traditional narrative
song) singers, and then moved on to tea fields where
we picked tea leaves. The tea fields were beautiful,
spread out before us like a brilliant green carpet.
We were able to watch the process of making green tea
and taste it for ourselves. For lunch that day we ate
a Boseong specialty -green tea rice cake soup. During
the meal we were treated to song and dance by a local
woman with a soft and humble look, while the soup was
so delicious that most of us had second helpings. Like
the beautiful green tea fields, the people of Boseong
were broad-minded and friendly.
Though sad to leave,
we went to our next destination, an onggi (traditional
crockery) village. I had seen many onggi while living
in Seoul, and it was fascinating to watch the manufacturing
process. Onggi, which embody the spirit and wisdom of
long-ago Koreans, have survived and developed through
a long period of history, with those who carry on the
tradition today being worthy of much respect. Producing
onggi is not as simple as I had imagined. Until I saw
it for myself, I did not realize what hard work, expertise,
and skill were needed in making them. When
we returned to our lodgings, we were to see a special
concert performed by the Jeollanamdo Provincial Classical
Music Orchestra. The only song I recognized was Jindo
Arirang, but I found myself humming along to the rest
of the music anyway. The performance was wonderful,
and we all rose for a standing ovation. It was interesting
to see that among the instruments were some that were
quite similar to those we have in Mongolia.
On the final day of our trip we visited Mt. Jirisan
National Park, where the scenery is as beautiful as
a postcard. It was cold as we climbed to the top, but
I felt that the chill wind had washed my body clean,
and I felt astonishingly light and relaxed. When we
came down from the mountain, we moved on to Namwon,
?he city of love, where the mayor himself came out to
greet us. The friendliness of the people here reminded
me of the friendliness of my own people back home. We
were told the beautiful love story of Sung Chunhyang
and Lee Mongryong, and there in the home of pansori
we enjoyed a special performance of pansori and samulnori(percussion
music). After listening to the beautiful sounds of pansori
for two days in a row, I began to take a special interest
in it, which is one of the things I have gained from
this trip. For me, as a student of Korean
culture and history, the trip was a great experience.
Everywhere we went there were many things to see and
memories to make, such that the whole trip remains in
my mind as a rich and rewarding cultural experience.
When learning about Korean culture, our teacher had
explained about thatched roof houses, and to some degree
I was able to imagine what they looked like. But when
I saw one for myself, I marveled at how right is the
saying: It is better to see something once than hear
about it hundred times. Thank you to Lee Ji-eun and
Jee Chang-sun, of the Korea Foundation, who accompanied
us throughout the trip, to our guide and driver, Lee Jun-tak, who made our journey safe and pleasant,
and to everyone else who helped make this trip such
a great success. |