Sun Jiao in Suwon Fortress

As a foreigner, I spent my time after working in VANK to visit some places like Gyeongbokgung Palace, Namsangol Hanok Village, North Village, Hwaseong Fortress. I like entering into the history through these old architectures. When I walk along these traditional houses, I felt Korea has a perfect match in history and modern.

In January 1962, Korean government promoted” Law on the protection of cultural property”, it has been revised many times afterwards. And it changed to better and better version. In 1998, the government in Korea applied the policy to establish a cultural nation.  Hunminjeongum, Joseonwangjosilok (The annals of the Joseon Dynasty), Seungjeongwon Ilgi, and Jikjisymcheyojeol are four  Korean  history  records  in the list as World Heritage. South Korea makes the determination of the treasures of the chronological order, with the digital sequence number.

Sun Jiao in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace

Every time I visit the tourist interests, I often get the copies of these places in Korean version, Chinese version and English version. It is convenient for me to understand the history of these places and have a nice visit. I can feel that they show respect to traditional culture. Traditional clothes being reserved and some concepts inheriting from old times are often seen in modern Korea.

Gate Guards in Gyeongbokgung Palace

In Korean social life, their relation with families, the attitude to the old and the young can all trace back to the tradition. Most important, Korean people have the strong desire to protect the historical cultural relics and remain. It can be often seen that on weekends, teachers bring students to the museum to teach them the history of Korea. This will do great help to young students to form the awareness of the importance of the protection of cultural sites.

Korean has cultural industry to express their tradition to the world, like the famous Korean Drama Dae Jang Geum, as a way to show to the world how ancient people live and give audience a nice experience.

All of the historical sites have been preserved for future generations. These buildings, stone pagodas and lanterns, and other pieces of sculpture are known as National Treasures and are numbered. Seven sites have been selected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Korean treasures included in the World Heritage List are Bulguksa Temple and nearby Seokguram Grotto; Haeinsa Temple’s Changgyongp’ango (depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks); Jongmyo Shrine; Changdeokkung Palace Complex; Hwaseong Fortress; Kochang, Hwasun and Kanghwa Dolmen Sites; and Gyeongju Historic Areas. 

Korea is a country with long history, I really hope that more and more people  in the world can know more about this country  through the reserved heritages and make the Asian culture to the world!

By Sun Jiao,
An intern from China

After taking the boat to Ulleungdo, I could see the blue-sky sea from the uphill of Ulleungdo, shearwaters fly high easily, boats going outbound… This majestic scenery took my breath away, and I felt that this was the most beautiful scene I’d ever seen! How amazing and surprising the place was! This made me fall in love with the island instantly, and I couldn’t get out of my sight from the pretty sea and mountains. While overlooking the village, I felt that it was a quiet and peaceful Arcadia without any noise like a city, and gave a non-bothering and mild atmosphere.

 When we walked on the cliff way to the Dokdo Museum, there were surrounded stores selling Ulleungdo’s special products. In my eyes, there were antique woodenwares, colorful handmade handkerchiefs, and local fresh farm produce. In the museum, there were a lot of detailed exhibitions and paintings for Dokdo. When I saw Chinese words and books, this gave me a familiar feeling. It presented a lot of historical meanings that ancients drew maps; for Dokdo, Korean are more patriotic than one after another. Their patriotic hearts and nation spirits made everyone admire and feel amazed. Everyone had discussions with passion for the night sessions, but it was difficult for me because sessions were in Korean, so I only saw my teammates talking about our topics – Korean History. From their face, I could see that they were eager to come up with solutions to clarify foreigners’ misunderstandings of Korean History: not only by textbooks, but also by online games; out of imagination, we got the booby prize… This made us swear to avenge in the performance tomorrow.

 The second day was the most wonderful and astonishing day: Landing in Dokdo was the highlight in the camp! Dokdo has been a dispute island between Korea and Japan, and this made me associate with Senkaku Islands in thinking, which also have been dispute islands among Taiwan, Japan, and China. When we took off the boat, there were a lot of soldiers holding South Korean nation flags beside the ferry to assert the sovereignty of Dokdo. Korean’s coherence was surprising to me.

Dokdo has the scene that Ulleungdo doesn’t have. The comfortable and breezing wind brought the strong sunshine and high temp away, and there were no scorching hot and unwell feelings. The sound that surf beat rocks was extremely loud and clear. Walking on the steep stairs along the island and looking around Dokdo’s beauty and scene, I kept pressing the camera shutter, wanted to keep the beauty of Dokdo in my eyes forever to avoid forgetting the impressive moments. When landing the top of Dokdo, it seemed that I saw the world’s beauty. Dokdo was so splendid that I almost forgot to breathe. Although it was beautiful, it seemed to give me a lonely feeling. Hope she won’t forget that Korean love her.

“It’s really a rare chance to go to Dokdo. Although he/she is Korean, it doesn’t mean that he/she has the same chance to go to the island as us. So it reveals that it’s truly lucky to go to Dokdo!” This sentence made me deeply feel that it was lucky and happy that I could go to Dokdo by this chance!

In the afternoon, we went back to the dorm to prepare for the night performance. Although I couldn’t join the Korean discussion, I felt that it was interesting and unforgettable to have many interactions with my lovely teammates. It made a lot of recommendations that I only said two Chinese sentences that made everyone confused! I felt a sense of achievement! And we succeeded in getting our glory back for yesterday’s defeat! That night all of us stayed in one room to eat, drink, and chat with each other, and played “Bunny Bunny” and Korean “Paper, Scissors, Stone”! It was really a great time to get along with everyone that I didn’t want to leave here!

On the third day – the last day – we took the small bus to go sightseeing in Ulleungdo. The pretty scenery took my breath away again! The power of the nature mortised the cliff palisades and gorgeous curve of the sea, the cool sea wind blew to my face and skin, and the golden sunshine made me narrow my eyes. No matter from which angles, I always think that her face is splendid and majestic. Thank the nature for its greatest and unpredictable power to make everyone view the beauty of Ulleungdo.

Our friendship was stronger and everyone treated me very well for the last hours to get along with my teammates. Although they couldn’t talk with me very fluently, they were willing to interact with me. I like their smiles and cute behaviors. Besides, there were some members from other groups eager to chat with me in Chinese, and this made me feel so touching and happy. As an intern in VANK, I’m extremely happy to meet everyone here! Both Ulleungdo and Dokdo – the small islands – contain a lot of historical relics of the evidences and developments that human beings lived there in ancient years. When we came back to Pohang, it was time to leave everyone. All of us left our contact ways on the Internet to each other, and we all hoped that we could keep the friendship forever. I love the beautiful scenery, the islands, and people that welcome me the most!

By Li Jia Qin from Taiwan,
An international intern of VANK

  
 After arriving at Pohang Ferry terminal and eating a hearty breakfast, we took our seats on the boat to Ulleungdo. Those who were easily seasick took medicine and prepared for the 3 hour journey ahead. We had arrived! Ulleungdo was more beautiful than I had thought. The island was covered in greenery and the water was extremely clear and clean.
 

Strolling around the area I noticed that most of the buildings and houses were in need of repair. It was obvious that families living on Ulleungdo had resided here for many generations. Almost all of the businesses were locally owned and pride in their lifestyle was evident. Citizens of Ulleungdo also seemed to heavily support Korea’s ownership of Dokdo. Signs of support were everywhere, even written on public walls.

 
Our first stop after lunch was the Dokdo museum which was located near the ferry port. This museum presented the history and current situation of Dokdo to visitors, and firmly disputed claims made by the Japanese government in regards to the ownership of Dokdo. We were provided a tour guide who thoroughly discussed these issues while answering our questions. All of the displays in the museum were written in Korean and English, which was useful for us non-native Korean speakers. After visiting the museum and speaking with many citizens of Ulleungdo, I began to strongly question my position on the ownership of Dokdo.  

Connected to the museum was a cable car which shared views of the surrounding area. From the top of the mountain, on clear days Dokdo is visible from the viewing deck. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy the day we went to spot the island.

As the evening drew near we ate dinner and eventually made our way back to the hotel. The hotel provided a conference area where we listened to presentations from VANK employees and discussed important issues. My team’s topic was focused around the novel “So Far from the Bamboo Grove” written by Yoko Kawashima Watkins. We discussed the book’s claims and historical references which should support these claim, then presented our opinions to the larger group. Other topics discussed included: China’s Northeast Project, Japan’s Maritime Proliferation Policies, Overseas Promotion of Dokdo, Promotion of Korean Culture, Promotion of Korean History, and Promotion of Issues Related to Korea.

Our first day of travel was packed full of enlightening experiences and  the next day would be even more exciting. We were going to Dokdo! With a large breakfast in our bellies we headed towards the Dokdo ferry terminal. The ferry to Dokdo had to be specially chartered and could only travel when the weather was nice. Luckily that day the weather was perfect! The trip took about 2 ½ hours until we sighted  the two small rocks which form the island of Dokdo: Dongdo “동도” and Suhdo “서도”( east island and west island). Currently, two Korean citizens reside on Suhdo, therefore we were unable to travel there. Instead we made our way to the shore of Dongdo.

We took many pictures and were greeted by many friendly police officers who were stationed on the island.  Although Dokdo was isolated, something about the island felt warm and welcoming. I could only then truly understand why Koreans tried so hard to protect this precious island. It was not just out of pride for their country, but because they cared about taking care of Dokdo and protecting their home.

 
 After an hour of taking pictures and thanking the officers for their service so far from land, we boarded the boat back to Ulleungdo. Finishing our second day at the hotel we continued discussing the previous night’s topics by performing short skits.  We were then given post-its and asked to write down our future hope and dreams for the world, then placed them on a large map in the front of the room. It became clear to me at that instant, just how important each person in the room was. Those 80 people would one day play an important role in changing in the world, and I was proud to be part of that dream.  

The third day was comprised of an exciting bus tour around Ulleungdo. We visited many scenic places and more importantly tasted Ulleungdo’s famous pumpkin taffy “호박엿”! After a proper farewell to Ulleungdo we boarded a boat and enjoyed a nap during the ride back to Pohang.

After three full days of travel, excitement and enlightenment, it was time to go home. Through lectures, activities, and travel I can truly say this camp was one of the most insightful and interesting experiences I have ever had. If given the chance I would love travel to Ulleungdo and Dokdo again and highly recommend these destinations. I must thank VANK for giving me this opportunity. It is an experience I will never forget!

By Kyndra Love from USA,
An international intern of VANK

It takes about 20 ~ 30 minutes from the museum to this Daereungwon Tomb Complex (Cheonmachong Tomb). Actually this is rear gate of this complex. There are many gates where you can go inside of the complex. Take any gates where you may find. In this complex, there are many tombs of Queens and Kings of Silla Kingdom.

You will be surprised little bit when you go inside this door. You may think that you are in a park while you walk along the roads. My Dutch friend liked this place the most because of beautiful and calm walking roads in the complex. There are many old and beautiful trees along the road. Trees generate clean and fresh air.

While you are walking the road, you may find these hills. They are tombs of queens and kings. Imagine that you are royal people in Silla Kingdom. It will gives you more inspiration to being in there.

One of them is open to visitors. You can go inside of it and see what it looks like. That one is Cheonmachong tomb. This tomb is considered as the tomb of King Jijeung, 22nd king of Silla Kingdom. It named after Cheonmado, the painting of a heavenly horse which was discovered inside of it. The painting was very precious and important artifact of Silla Kingdom. It was the first artifact which has painting on it. If you go inside of this tomb, you will see replicas of relics which were discovered from this tomb.

Don’t forget to seat on benches around this pond. It will gives you calm and peaceful moments. Forget every complicated things around your life. Enjoy the moment when you are in.

Two early birds(Me and my Dutch friend) was getting hungry little bit after walking many hours. So we went to this bread bakery near Daereungwon Tomb Complex. Hwangnambbang bread is one of regional specialty of Gyeongju city. This bakery was handed down for 3rd generations now. The bread is circle-shaped small one which is stuffed with sweet red bean paste. It is very sweet and soft. You can find many shops where sell this bread. But I went to this shop where the bread was created and sold at the first place. Many people lined up to buy breads at there. Be patience to taste delicious breads!

After two early birds ate about 10 breads, we went to Cheomseongdae Observatory. It is the oldest astronomical observatory in East Asia. It was built during the reign of Queen Seondeok(632~647) according to the record of the Samgukyusa book. It is bottle-shaped tower made of square granite stones stands on the square stone base. It is believed that Silla people observed moves of stars and moon. They observed to calculate the days and let the people know changes of seasons.

Chemseongdae is famous for its beauty at night. So we went to restaurant near this and went back to there. It looked totally different compared to daytime. Isn’t this beautiful and mysterious at night? I imagined that I was an observer during the Silla Kingdom. I might visit this Cheomseongdae in every night to see stars.

After we spent a lot of time in front of Cheomseongdae, we walked road and went to Anapji Pond. It is artificial pond which was built during the reign of King Munmu in 674. Silla people created beautiful pond and it became one of popular travel spots at night. Many people visit there especially at night. We wanted to spend more time to look at this beautiful pond and buildings, couldn’t help ourseleves to return back to Seoul. While we were heading to the main gate, we looked back again and again to memorize the scene. I sometimes recall the moment and think about scene. You will be a person who do the same thing as me after you visit there.

Two early birds’ trip ended up at very late night in Seoul station. It was unforgettable day for two of us. We will remember that day forever and I hope that you also be a person who share beautiful memories. One day was bit short to travel Gyeongju but enough to make joyful moments.

By Hyeonsuk Lim,
Staff writer

KTX connects all regions in Korea within 2 or 3 hours today. I and my Dutch friend took that advantage in sunshine day. We took one day trip to Gyeongju city, a millennium capital city of Silla Kingdom(57 BC – AD 935) in Gyeongsangbukdo province. Silla kingdom is one of the few kingdoms in world history which lasted for more than one thousand years. Silla was transformed from the weakest power of the Korean Peninsula to a powerful prospering kingdom which at last would unite the peninsula. A thousand years of Silla’s system have continued to greatly inspire and challenge modern Koreans.

Due to this historical background Gyeongju has many places-to-go for travelers from other regions and countries. Any Koreans would agree that Gyeongju is one of popular travel destinations in Korea. Many Koreans visit Gyeongju for school trips or family trips. My Dutch friend wanted to visit Gyeongju for this good reason. She was very curious why this old city is popular among domestic and international travelers. Do you get interested also? The trip summary will help you to the answer to this question.

Normally you need to travel Gyeongju for at least 3 days if you look around this city. If you are lack of time, don’t worry. One day trip is possible because of KTX. Here’s the time table of one day trip to Gyeongju. Save this for your next trip to Gyeongju!

You should be early bird to take this one day trip!

6:00 Meet up at the Seoul station and have fast breakfast
6:30 ~ 8:43 Take KTX from Seoul to Singyeongju
9:00 ~ Singyeongju Station to Bulguksa Temple by bus
10:00 ~ 12:00 Looking around Bulguksa Temple
12:00 Lunch at Samgyetang Restaurant
1:45 ~4:00 Visiting the National Museum of Gyeongju
4:30~5:30  Visiting tombs of Silla Kings and Queens
5:30~6:00 Lined up for the Hwangnam bread
6:00~7:00 Cheomseongdae Observatory
7:00~7:30 Dinner
7:30 ~ 8:00 Cheomseongdae Observatory again
8:00~9:00 Anapji Pond
21:58 ~ 00:07 Singyeongju to Seoul

When we arrive in Singyeongju station, I was quite surprised that it’s only 8:40. I can tell you that you will feel same thing also. In this staion, there’s information booth where you can get maps and brochures of Gyeongju city. And you may ask bus time to the person in information desk.  Don’t forget to stop by there and get any information which you need before you leave the station.

You will be easily to find bus stop and taxi stand on your right when you come out of the station. You can pay bus fee by your T-money card or credit card in Gyeongju also. This 700 bus is very popular among travelers. 700 bus stops not only the center of city but also popular travel destinations. I took this bus to visit Bulguksa Temple which is our first destination.

When you get off the bus, you will find yourself in big parking lot. The entrance of Bulguksa temple in on your left. Walk across the road and follow other people. You may find this road where many vendors sell souveniors and snacks. If you get hungry already, try some snacks   For fruit lovers, I recommend wild berries. They are very sweet and little bit sour.

If you walk along the road for about 10 ~15 minutes, you will be able to the main gate of the temple. Can you guess what are hanging on the sky? They are lanterns! It was Buddha’s birthday when I went to temple. In Korea, we celebrate not only Buddha’s birthday but also Christmas. Before Buddha’s birthday, people write down their wishes on the paper and hang that paper at the bottom of lantern. They believe that their wishes will come true by doing this. At night, every lanterns light up and they are very beautiful. Visit any temples when the Buddha’s birthday comes in Korea and you will see colorful lanterns.

If you walk for 3~5 minutes, you will find another gate. This gate is called Cheonwangmun(Deva King Gate). There are four Kings inside of this gate. It is believed that these four kings kick ghosts and evil things out and they keep the temple. That’s why people bow to them . Stay inside of this gate for few minutes, you will see people bow to them when they enter this gate.

If you walk for a while, you will finally see this building in front of you. This Baegungyo bridge is very famous for its architectural beauty. The Bulguksa Temple is famous for its bridges and buildings which constructed scientifically in 8th century. It is internationally recognized masterpiece of Buddhist arts. In 1995, the temple and Seokguram Grotto were inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List.  This temple keeps the national asserts including Buddhist monuments and images, and the unique Buddhist temple buildings.

This is Seokgatap Pagoda which is famous for its beauty and place where very important documentary heritage was discovered. In 1966, one paper art was discovered inside of this pagoda. That was mugujeonggwangdaedarani script which the oldest printed paper in the world. Accoring to research result of this paper, it was printed before 751. Bulguksa temple was constructed in 751. It means that Silla people put the paper before 751 to keep this pagoda and temple from evil. At that time, people believed that Buddhist script has power to prevent disasters and diseases. That’s why they print Buddhist script on this paper and kept that inside of the pagoda.

When you look around the temple, you will find small and unarranged pagodas. Can you guess why people made them? People put stones like this while they wishes the best luck and happiness. It is believed that your wishes will come true if this pagoda doesn’t collapse. Why not put a stone on any pagoda and make a wish for yourself and your beloved people? 

For lunch, my Dutch friend wanted to have Samgyetang, chicken soup. She likes to have this dish when she is tired or needs strength to her body. Although it’s not regional specialty of Gyeongju, try this dish if you are bit tired from your trip.

After we enjoyed our lunch, we went to the Gyeongju National Museum where you can find beautiful relics from tombs and historical places in Gyeongju. When you look around the museum, you will be able to understand more about relics, Buddhim in Korea and Silla Kingdom. The museum is famous for big bell and golden crowns of queens and kings of Silla. Don’t forget to look at them. This museum has Saturday Museum Tour for English speakers in every Saturdays. If you visit there in other days, borrow Audio Guide. Audio Guide is available in English, Chinese and Japanese. For more information about museum, visit their website at http://gyeongju.museum.go.kr.

To be continued in second article at http://bit.ly/Mq5pdf

By Hyeonsuk Lim,
Staff writer

You may know very famous masterpiece of Vincent Van Gogh. I saw this artwork when I visited New York city. When I found this, I couldn’t move my body. I was standing like a statue and would not walk. When I close my eyes, I saw stars and night scene like I saw that painting yesterday. It was once-in-a-lifetime moment to me.

Few days ago, I experienced same moment again in Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul. It was an evening in May 20. I went to Gyeongbokgung Palace, main royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) with my American friend. The palace was opened till 10 pm. It was special entrance period for only 4 days from May 17 to 20.

Before I buy an entrance ticket, it was still late afternoon. Many people gathered and were standing in a line to buy tickets. I was surprised of numbers of people.

I walk into Heungnyemun Gate to watch special performance which was scheduled at 8pm. After I was passing by Geunjeongjeon Hall, I reached the stage. Geunjeongjeon Hall is the place where the King greeted envoys from other countries and had official meetings with governmental officers. I once again was surprised by the numbers of waiting people in front of stage. I and my friends found small place to seat.

The special performance was composed of traditional or royal music orchestra. Everything, instruments, music and dances, in the performance were new and unique to me. I felt like I just did time travel and am in the palace of Joseon Dynasty. If you visit palaces in Seoul, check the schedules of performance from the website of palaces.

Soon, moon and stars came up on black night sky. And I saw utmost beautiful night scene like I saw from the Van gogh’s Starry Night. I was standing in front of Gyeonghoeru Pavilion without any movement. Cool breeze tickled my face. Even though there were many people around me, I felt like I was alone at there. That night will be in my mind like starry night painting of Van Gogh. Forever…

Hyeonsuk Lim,
Staff writer

Did you know?

Buy one ticket and visit 4 palaces and Jongmyo for a month! All you need to do is asking for 통합관람권(Tonghabgwanramgwon) at ticket booth of 4 palaces including Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo. If the clerk doesn’t understand your Korean pronunciation, explain about the tickets.

Nami Island

Petite France

Chuncheon Dakgalbi street, Soyang Lake and more….

Have you been to these places? Or do you want to visit them? They are all popular travel spots near Seoul. Many Koreans and foreigners visit these sites to see the filming locations from famous Korean dramas and movies. If you plan to visit these places in the near future, don’t forget to book your ITX tickets there. You can go to these places by subway, but you will save much more time if you take the ITX train.

The ITX train is a high-speed train similar to the KTX, Korea Train eXpress. ITX runs over 180 km/h from Yongsan to Chuncheon.

ITX has some new features compared to KTX. ITX is a bi-level or double-decker rail car. This train is quite similar to ones in European countries these days. But it’s the first time to operate a bilevel train in Korea. Many Koreans book the second floor of this train to experience a new train car since its first operation on Feb 28, 2012.  

The official name is ITX Cheongchun. Koreans think that this name is brilliant because of the meaning of the name. The word Cheongchun was created from the destination station, Chuncheon and departure station, Cheongnyangni. It means the youth.

When you arrive in Yongsan or Cheongnyangni, you can find the exit for ITX ticket holders. Please follow the ITX signs and you will be able to find the ITX train.

Normally ITX has 6 or 7 train cars, please make sure that you get on your reserved car and find the seat on your ticket. When you take the ITX train, you will see these seats. The seat is similar to what you see on the KTX. Soon, you will notice that the seat on the ITX has more space than the KTX if you have taken the KTX before.

One good thing about taking the ITX is that you can bring your bicycle with you! If you like bicycle riding, bring your bike with you and enjoy riding it in Gapyeong or other cities. 

If you book a second floor seat, you will need to climb these steps to the second floor.
The ITX has second floor seats in cars 4 and 5 only. Please check your car number.
Watch your step when you go upstairs, especially when you are with children. 

If you go up, you will see the second floor seats. The seats are same as ones on the first floor. 

To book your ITX train tickets, use Korail smart phone application or visit Korail website at http://korail.com 

How to book your ITX train ticket on Korail website.

1. Visit Korail website and click ‘Book Online’

2. Choose departure and destination stations. You can choose Yongsan or Cheongnyangni for departure station. Don’t forget to choose ‘ITX-Cheongchun’ in train section.

* Destination stations by your final destination:
Cheongpyeong- Petite France,The Garden of Morning Calm
Gapyeong -  Nami Island, Jara Island
Chuncheon – Chuncheon Dakgalbi Street, central area of Chuncheon city, Soyang Lake

3. Check the Departure and Arrival time and click ‘Select’ button. Click Fare button if you want to check the fare for your trip.

Staff writer,
Hyeon Lim

If you like mountain climbing, Korean mountains will be wonderful challenges. Most mountains are not too high, easy to climb, and there are many cultural & historical places in the mountains such as Buddhist temples, sites of Three Kingdom period. As Korea has four distinct seasons, each season has very different attractions to see.

Seollal and Chuseok are the two biggest holidays in Korea. Koreans celebrate Seollal which is Lunar New Year? Day than New Year? Day (January 1st). Most Koreans go to their hometowns to see their family in Seollal and Chuseok. This is why a bunch of cars are stuck in traffic on every highway just like a parking lot especially during those holidays. Here are major holidays in Korea. When you plan to visit Korea, check the holidays first!

Transportations available in Korea are airplane, train, bus (long distance express bus, intercity bus, city bus), ferry boat, subway, taxi, and car rental. Because of many people on the go, booking tickets in advance is highly recommended for weekend travel, especially train tickets. It will also be wise to not plan to travel too far during Seollal(Lunar New Year Day) and Chuseok(Thanksgiving Day), for most Koreans will be on the roads or the railway going to visit their hometowns.