Apartment story.

No, not the Konglishy name of a new furniture store. Inspired by a thread on Dave's, I thought I'd share this little story.

Apparently the housing market in my old county was tight, because they didn't procure an apartment for me until the day before I moved in. The county, of course, waited until the last minute and couldn't find one through the usual channels, so somebody at the Office of Education called in a favor to a friend, who let me stay above his bookstore rent-free. It had three rooms---three times the number as my officetel in Bundang---although the bathroom was atrocious, had no windows and no fan, and the mold was so bad that you could make an indentation in the tiles by pushing in on them. A fair number along one of the walls had fallen off. Anyway, I guess that was a good enough arrangement for a while, but a few days after Christmas---about a year ago today, actually---my coteacher got a call at 9:30 am that said I had to be packed and ready to move at 2:00 pm. The county had to show documentation to the province of how much they were paying for my accomodations. Since my county wasn't paying anything---and pocketing that money, I assume---the arrangement couldn't last, and thus I had to move into a different place in a hurry. A common occurrence, apparently.

That was one of the many frustrations of small-town life. They knew they were importing a foreigner, yet they didn't make the appropriate arrangements, and knowing the rules they didn't seek to correct the situation for the four months prior to my last-minute move. When I got to my new place a few blocks away after a few hours of moving there was no hot water, gas, or heat, so I spent the night in the male teachers' rest house connected to the school. In days gone by a male teacher would spend the night to guard the school, but nowadays it is used for drinking and resting. It was comfortable enough, but still . . . That, plus the fact that they delayed the opening of my contracted school---an English Town---by 16 months and counting, made me think that the disorganization and halfassedness of a rural area outweighed the positive aspects of a quiet, secluded year as one of the few foreigners to pass through that part of the country.


A previous tenant had drawn faces on the exposed plaster in the bathroom. An interesting decoration at first, until the surrounding tiles later fell off.


Well after moving in I found that the light in the bedroom of my old place would turn red if I pulled the string. I did not give any massages, though, and felt quite lonely.

Sisters of Charity

No disrespect intended, but when this first popped up on their website I thought they were worshipping an electrical box.

Foreigners were scarce in Gangjin county, and I was thrilled to meet a fellow American there last year, a nun, working at a girls’ high school. Turns out the school was affiliated with the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill (사랑의씨튼수녀회) and Seton Hill University, located an hour or two east of Pittsburgh.

Volunteers were first invited to the Jeonnam area in 1960, and in 1962 St. Joseph’s Girls’ High School opened in Gangjin.

Google didn’t bring up too much on the Sisters of Charity in Gwangju or Jeollanam-do, although I did come across two interesting pieces. One is a Seoul Times interview with Pittsburgh native Sister Jane Ann Cherubin, who first came to Korea with the Sisters in 1976. I also came across a collection of poems (in .pdf form) “physically and visually impaired children attending schools run by the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill in Gwangju and Chungju,” translated by Brother Anthony of Taize.

According to this page the Sisters of Charity operate a few community centers in Gwangju, about which I couldn’t find much. Koreabeat does translate an article about the “Blue Eyed Guardian Angel,” Patrick O’Neal, a 75-year-old Irish priest who has been in Korea since 1957. An excerpt:

He came to Korea in 1957. The Priest from Ireland came to Korea the year following his ordanination as a priest assigned to the Saint Columbanus Church. Starting his post as the head priest at Gwangju Cathedral in 1969 he realised the condition of the mentally handicapped people housed in the Mudeung Rehabilitation Centre with unfavorable facilities and made a new resolution. He was especially sad about the death of a mentally handicapped young girl in 1979. “As soon as the girl with the name Yoa died from acute pneumonia instead of the funeral expenses the hospital demanded the body for dissection.”

Accordingly the Priest rejected this in one line “as she lived she couldn’t receive humane treatment and even though she has died you can’t do this.” Despite this after she was buried in the Yangsan Church Cemetary he said to the grave “Are you going to forgive me? Are you going to forgive society? For a long time he impressed on himself the words “I disregarded you” and repented through tears. The priest still tidies up Yoa’s grave with his own hands.

Gangjin's temples, part 2: Nammireuksa

Update, February 19, 2008:

I finally made a trip out to the temple yesterday. The site is fairly large, and is definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. I copied some of my original write-up and paired it with a small profile on Omcheonsa, another temple in Gangjin that I'll be blogging about shortly, for the upcoming issue of Gwangju News.


Nammireuksa is out in the middle of nowhere. Here's the street leading up to it (facing the other way). There is a small village next to the temple, but I didn't wander through it.

Buses do go toward Nammireuksa from the terminal in Gangjin-eup. They are bound for some of the tiny villages in eastern Gangjin county and will drop you off at an intersection 700 meters away from the temple. The site is kind of split into two sections: there's the half with the huge statue and the two large pagodas, and then there's the half with the various prayer halls. After you pass the elephant statues at the gate, walk down the path and bear right to visit the various halls. There are hundreds of small stone deities along the way, and another few hundred elsewhere around the site. Practicially everything on the grounds is brand new, which gives it a kind of tacky look, as if they went out to one of the stone masons you'll see out in the country and just bought one of everything. The stupa and statues are shiny and white, and the paint on the halls is colorful and vibrant. Inside the halls the decorations are a bit gaudy compared to what you typically find in Korean temples. There are tons of gilded dieties, and the main hall (대웅전) has a fairly large (gilded) reclining Buddha, a (gilded) multi-headed deity, and a (gilded) mural along one wall. There are also protuding dragon heads along the ceiling. So it does look a bit . . . much, and defies the Western stereotype we have of the unassuming, self-sacrificing Buddhist. As if any temple that builds a 36-meter-high Buddha would be confused with austere. But, hey, foreigners who visit temples in Asia aren't really looking for austere, and it should be said that at least the stuff at Nammireuksa is sort of unique, and doesn't resemble every other temple in the country.


The area leading up to the statue.

I'm not just saying this to cover my inadequacies, but I don't think it's a site that photographs well. The placement of the trees, buildings, stupa, and statues means it's hard to get a decent shot. Trying to photograph an entire building or statue, for example, meant backing up into some immovable object or other.

The area between the two halves of the site was filled with crumbling bulidings, boulders, building materials, and . . . trash. It was very strange. The statue is huge, as 36-meter-high statues are wont to be, and is lined along the bottom with prayer wheels and reliefs. There are statues popping up all over the place, and there are mantras (I'm assuming) carved alongside the stairs. There are two giant pagodas in front of the statue.

They pipe Buddhist music into the gates and halls, but other than that I didn't see or hear any evidence of inhabitation until I was just about to leave. One of the residents chatted with me a little and gave me two free calendars. As I was leaving I did see another interesting site: two caged turkeys.



Original post:

I'm in the process of profiling some of Gangjin's notable people and places. Earlier entries were on "Gangjin: Its People and Their Places" and "Gangjin's temples, part 1: Baekryeonsa, Okcheonsa, Yongmunsa."


Seated Buddha at Nammireuksa, April 2007 (stolen from here).


One of the more interesting places is Nammireuksa (남미륵사, 南彌勒寺, map) in Gundong-myeon. It has what is among the largest sitting-Buddha statues in the world. At 36 meters high and weighing 670 kilograms, the statue is the largest Buddha in Korea. It is 3 meters taller than Beopjusa’s standing Buddha, and 6 meters taller than the figure of Jesus standing over Rio de Janeiro, though roughly half the size of the Leshan Buddha in China, and a mere toddler next to the 152-meter-high bronze Maitreya planned for Kushinagar, India. You’ll see Nammireuksa’s statue from the highway on your left if you head from Gangjin to points east, like Jangheung, Boseong, Suncheon, and Yeosu.


Brass Seated Buddha (stolen from here).

As the statue was finished in 2006, Nammireuksa is still off the beaten path. Few foreigners know about it, even fewer have been there, and it doesn’t even have an encyclopedia entry on Naver. The temple's head priest has high hopes for it, though, saying that the statue will make the temple one of the region's representative tourist spots, and will revitalize the area and its people. Others have told me, though, that people sneer at the expensive (10 billion won) and gaudy donation magnet.

The statue depicts Amitabha (아미타), "the principal buddha in the Pure Land sect, a branch of Buddhism practiced mainly in East Asia," according to Wikipedia.



(Stolen from here.)

Photos of the statue’s construction are available here, and there are a bunch of photo albums available through a Naver search, including this and this.

Other points of interest at the temple are prayer wheels, pagodas, stone elephants, and springtime flowers.


Pagodas in front of the large seated Buddha (stolen from here).


Elephant statues at the gate (stolen from here).

It is, according to Naver, a little over 11 kilometers away from Gangjin-eup, the main town in the county, and a taxi there will cost a little over 8,000 won. The telephone number, should you need it, is 061-433-6460.

Gangjin's temples, part 1: Baekryeonsa, Okryeonsa, Yongmunsa

I'm in the process of profiling some of Gangjin's notable people and places. The first entry on this topic is "Gangjin: Its people and its places," on three of the county's most notable residents. For the sake of readability, I have decided to break up the huge entry on Gangjin's temples into several smaller sections. Part 1 will profile the three temples on Mandeoksan mountain: Baekryeonsa, Okryeonsa, and Yongmunsa.

Mandeoksan (만덕산), or Mt. Mandeok (산 means mountain), is located in Gangjin county's Doam-myeon, just west of Gangjin Bay, and rises 408 meters. A bunch of Gangjin's most well-known assets are located here, including Baekryeonsa temple, Dasan Chodang (다산초당, Dasan's house of exile), and Dasan's Relic Exhibition Hall.


Baekryeonsa, overlooking Gangjin Bay.

Baekryeonsa (백련사, 白蓮寺) is arguably the most "famous"---in the Korean sense of every square inch of the country being famous for something---temple in the Gangjin. But in my humble opinion it's not the most interesting, is quite small and is certainly nothing you've never seen at any other temple in South Korea. What is nice, though, is the series of trails that criss-cross Mandeoksan and connect the three temples to Dasan Chodang. The trail from Baekryeonsa to Dasan Chodang is roughly 0.8 kilometers long, is wide and pleasant with a gentle slope in most places, and has stairs built into the hill in steeper places. The pavillion at Dasan Chodang, called 천일각, offers nice views of Gangjin Bay and the uninhabited Juk-do island.


Map of Mandeoksan (click for a readable version)


Chunilgak Pavillion at Dasan Chodang, just over a half-kilometer from Baekryeonsa.

Once known as Mandeoksa, after the mountain, Baekryeonsa means "White Lotus Temple," and you'll see the name spelled Baegnyeonsa, Baekyeonsa, Paengryonsa, and other similar variations. According to the official website, the temple originally dates to 747 and was founded by the priest Chinpyo (진표), though Naver gives the date 839. Regardless, the structures on the site have been rebuilt many times. The main hall (대웅전), for instance, is said to have been rebuilt in the 18th century.

Dr. Kim Byung-kuk, a native of Gangjin, has written on the relationship between Dasan and Gangjin, and in this passage he writes, maybe a little overenthusiastically,

"Collecting abundant young tea leaves, in early spring, he indulged in drinking tea, the redolent fragrance of which has been identified with the lofty ideals of his thought."

In his collection of articles on Gangjin, which I talked about at the end of my earlier post on Gangjin, Kim mentions that some have suggested a relationship between Dasan's time near temples in Gangjin and his attitudes toward Buddhism. On page 13 of the particular journal I have, Kim writes:

Buddhism had an important place in the thought and historical reflections of Ta-san. There are many references to and expositions of Buddhist doctrine in his voluminous works. Ta-san compiled, among other volumes, "Manduk-sa Ji" (History of Manduk Temple), "Taehung-sa Ji" (History of Taehung Temple) [in Haenam county], and "Taedong Sonkyo Ko" (A Study of Eastern Zen Buddhism). The "History of Manduk Temple" recorded important events related to Buddhism in the latter period of the Koryo Dynasty with emphasis on the Paekryon (White Lotus) movement, a popular Buddhist reform movement initiated in 1236. The "History of Taehung Temple" described the development of Korean Buddhism in the latter period of the Yi Dynasty after the demise of Saint Sur-san who played a leading role in the popular resistance movement during the Hideyoshi invasion (1592 - 1599). The "A Study of Eastern Zen Buddhism" was a systematic compilation of the highlights of the development of Buddhism from the Three Kingdoms till the Silla Kingdom. However, Ta-san did not leave behind any systematic treatise on his personal view of Buddhism. it is therefore intriguing to contemplate Ta-san's views of Buddhism and his understanding of the history of Korean Buddhism.

On the next page, Kim gives some background on Manduk-sa (a different spelling of Mandeoksa):

Manduk-sa is located some 12km south of the town [today's Gangjin-eup] on the hill looking down on picturesque Kangjin Bay. The temple was originally built in the Shilla period. It was reconstructed first in the Koryo period and gain during the reign of King Sejong (1418-1450) and lastly during the reign of King Hyojong (1649-1659). Manduk-sa has produced eight holy preceptors and was one of the two pillars of theoretical Buddhist learning in the south during the latter part of the Yi Dynasty. A forest consisting of some 1,500 camellia trees surrounding the compound of Manduk-sa is unique and may not exist anywhere else in the world. Tea plants grow on the forest floor.

Beside the temple is a grove of camellia trees, which Kim mentions above, and a few small stupas. According to a placard on site, the "Camelia Forest of Baengnyeonsa Temple" contains several thousand trees and was designated as Korea's Natural Monument no. 151 in 1962. One of the stupas inside the forest dates to the 14th century and has been Local Tangible Cultural Property no. 223 (전남유형문화재 제233호) since November 20, 1999. Because there are no markings on the stupa, it is unknown whose belongings are inside. Other cultural properties on site include the main hall, Local Tangible Cultural Property no. 136, and a stele erroneously labeled as National Treasure no. 1396 (it is not a national treasure, and the number of treasures does not exceed 307 anyway). According to a placard nearby, it is actually "Treasure no. 507," which isn't any more helpful. It does say, though, that the turtle-shaped base on the stele reportedly came from a 13th-century stele at the temple.


"Bell-shaped stupa of Baengnyeonsa," Jeollanam-do Tangible Cultural Property no. 223

A second temple, Okryeonsa (옥련사, 玉蓮寺), is located two kilometers northeast of the mountain's peak, and roughly three-and-a-half kilometers from Baekryeonsa. Not that you would, but don't get this one confused with the more notable Okryeonsa in Euiseong county, Gyeongsangbuk-do. About the only thing worth mentioning about this rather small temple is the 77-cm-high wooden seated Buddha statue (목조석가여래좌상) in the main hall, which, according to the Gangjin county site, came from Jangsusa temple in Gangjin's Daegu-myeon in 1951. Also from the Gangjin county website,

In May, 1991, clothing was introduced by the Gangjin Culture Office and students of Gangjin local history.

It continues in a less amusing manner:

In this Buddha style, several characteristics are shown, such as downward tilt of his head, lifted eyes, unseparated hair, and the physical appearance of the head, etc. The material of the Buddhist clothing is thick silk and the trail of clothing is down to the elbow. From these details, we are able to recognize that this style is from late Koryo to late Chosun dynasty. Also, it indicates that this is Sakyamuni Tathagata as Sakyamuni is written on the wrist of left hand.

In 1995 it was designated as Local Tangible Cultural Property no. 188. It's also worth pointing out that the Japanese invaded in 1592 and not, as the website tells us, in 1952.


Picture of the Wooden Seated Buddha at Okryeonsa, stolen from here.

There is a third temple on Mandeoksan, called Yongmunsa (용문사), located 5.3 kilometers south of the mountain's peak, 깃대봉. I haven't found much information about this temple, although I've included a photograph below, which looks east over the temple and toward Gangjin Bay. The complete photo album is available here.


Photograph of Yongmunsa, stolen from here.

Buses run to Dasan Chodang about once an hour from the brand new bus terminal in Gangjin. You can tell the bus driver to drop you off at Baekryeonsa, although the bus stop is roughly a mile away from the temple. After getting off at Dasan Chodang, you will have to walk for about fifteen to twenty minutes, but as long as you stay on the road, walk toward the mountain, and follow the signs, you can't miss it. Double-check the pick-up times at the bus terminal before you leave. Both times I've been in that area I had a hard time getting back. I recommend also writing down the number of one of the call taxi companies across from the bus station, just in case. You can call yourself or somebody at one of the tourist sites can arrange it for you.

If you go toward that area, especially if you have a car, I recommend stopping at 들꽃이야기 (Wild Flower Story), a nice little tea house in front of the relic exhibition hall. There is a garden with maple trees, totem poles, and of course wild flowers surrounding the small house. The interior is decorated with items made at the workshop attached to the house, and some of the woodcarvings cost upwards of two million won ($2,000). They are decorated with animals, plants, or Korean proverbs, and are made by a craftsman whose name completely escapes me. The tea house is accessible by the same driveway that reaches the exhibition hall. You can see photo galleries here and here. Should you need it, the phone number is (061) 432-9080.

In the near future I will write a little about Nammireuksa (남미륵사) and Omcheonsa (옴천사), the two most interesting temples in Gangjin, and Muwisa, which is also arguably the most "famous" temple in the county.

Gangjin's new bus terminal!

I apologize for being late in bringing you the latest news from Gangjin county. On November 22 the new bus terminal finally opened after 7 months and 2.3 billion won. I'm very eager to see it, though unfortunately that means actually going to Gangjin.



Story here from Naver and here from the Gangjin newspaper, 강진신문.

Gangjin: Its people and their places.

I'm in the process of writing profiles on some of Jeollanam-do's places and things. I've decided to break up the entry on Gangjin county into a few smaller posts. This one deals with three of Gangjin's most famous residents and the places associated with them. Next I will write a little about the notable temples in the area. Please see the end of the post for information about one of the secondary souces I've used here.

Gangjin is one of Jeollanam-do's 17 counties, and is about an 80-minute bus ride south of Gwangju. A few noteworthy people have passed through Gangjin over the centuries, giving the area a little more character than would normally be granted an otherwise plain county. Granted, Gangjin is "famous" for celadon pottery (청자)---actually, legimiately known for it, so the quotation marks aren't really necessary---but I'm not very interested in pottery. Biographies are more interesting, in my opinion, and the most famous person to have Gangjin mentioned in his is Jeong Yak-yong (정약용, 1762-1836), penname Dasan, a notable writer and philosopher during the Joseon Dynasty. A Neo-Confucianist and pioneer of the Silhak school, Dasan was exiled to Gangjin for nearly 18 years, from 1801 to 1818, and some of the places associated with his stay have become regional tourist sites. Another notable writer is Kim Yun-sik (김윤식, penname 영랑, 1903-1950), born in Gangjin, and known for writing poetry in his native Jeolla dialect. A third luminary is the Dutch explorer Hendrick Hamel (1630-1692), who was shipwrecked off of Jeju island and, with his surviving crew, was taken into custody and eventually imprisoned in Jeollanam-do. Hamel would spend nearly 7 years in Byeongyeong-myeon, Gangjin county, before eventually escaping to Japan. More about all three men can be found below.

Also, according to one site, President Roh Moo-hyun's grandfather was from Gangjin. I really have no idea how reliable that is--accurate information on Korea written by Koreans is very hard to come by--but such an upbringing might lend some credence to the charge of "North Korean lackey" sometimes thrown at Roh. A guy once told me that baseball player Lee Seung-yeop's father lives in Seongjeon-myeon, but I sort of doubted that until I ran a google search just now and I guess it's true.

Evidentally the Royal Asiatic Society has tours that sometimes come through the southern part of the country. They are doing a "Land of Exile Tour" through Gangjin on November 17 and 18, with (it looks like) trips to Dasan Chodang, Kim Yun-sik's birthplace, and some of the celadon kilns.

There are a few different sites associated with Dasan, the most notable being Dasan Chodang (다산초당), where he lived in exile for 12 years (some sources say 10 or 11, though). He reportedly composed over 500 works during his time there. Dasan Chodang is set on the foothills of Mandeoksan, a 409-meter-high mountain in Doam-myeon. On site are two houses (one for Dasan, one for his followers), a cottage, a pond, and an observatory called Chun Il Gak (천일각) that overlooks Gangjin Bay. There is also a rock a few meters west of (behind) Seoam (서암), his followers' cottage, on which two Chinese characters are written. Of his time in Doam-myeon, Dr. Kim Byung-kuk, a native of Gangjin, has written:

"Collecting abundant young tea leaves, in early spring, he indulged in drinking tea, the redolent fragrance of which has been identified with the lofty ideals of his thought" (6)

According to placards at the site, the structures were rebuilt in 1975-6 by the county.

Chun Il Gak pavillion and Gangjin Bay, at Dasan Chodang.

There are trails that crisscross the mountain and that connect Dasan Chodang to Baekryeonsa (백련사) temple, formerly known as Mandeoksa (만덕사). It has been suggested that a monk living at Baeknyeonsa influenced Dasan's writings on Buddhism during his exile. Other nearby attractions include the Camellia Forest of Baeknyeonsa, Dasan's Relics Exhibition Center, and Okryeonsa temple. There is also a really cute tea house in front of the relics center named 꽃이야기. Buses go to the temple and to Dasan Chodang fairly regularly from the terminal in Gangjin-eup, but both times I've been to Doam-myeon I've had a hell of a time getting back. I recommend jotting down numbers of call taxis before you go (you can find two taxi stands outside the terminal), and if you can't get a bus back, call a cab or have somebody at the temple or Dasan Chodang call for you. Oh, and I ought to mention that hiking from Dasan Chodang to Baekryeonsa (and back) is a fairly leisurely time, but hiking to the top of Mandeoksan from that linking trail is a bit steep and challenging. If you want to hike to the top of Mandeoksan, start from the path just next to the bathrooms at Baekryeonsa. Much easier.

(Top) Gangjin Bay as seen from Baekryeonsa. (Bottom) Map of hiking trails on Mandeoksan.

Back in Gangjin-eup there are two other sites linked to Dasan. One is Goseongsa (고성사) temple, on the west side of Boeunsan (보은산) mountain. Dasan came to Gangjin in 1801, set up his study Boeunsanbang 보은산방) at Goseongsa in 1805, and stayed there for roughly two years (6). He befriended a monk here named Haejang, ten years his junior, and composed ten poems in his honor. Dr. Kim writes, in the overzealous manner that characterizes his pamphlet,

"the intellectual companioship of Ta-san and Hae-jang is one of the most warmhearted comradeship (sic) recorded in history and symbolizes the meeting of Catholicism, Confucianism, and Buddhism" (6).

Goseongsa is a pleasant little temple, one of two large ones on Boeunsan. There are two ways to get there. One is to hike: trails begin behind the police station and behind the apartment complex located to the south (right) of Yeongrang Saenga (mentioned below). It should take roughly 25-30 minutes to get there, and the way to Goseongsa will be marked as you move up Boeunsan. A second option is to arrive by car. That may be the more convenient option if you plan to visit other sites in Gangjin during your stay. Street signs will point the way to Goseongsa.

The other Dasan-related site in Gangjin is located about two blocks from my old place, and was built in the spring of 2007. It is known as Seoeuije (서의제) and was Dasan's home and study for roughly his first 4 years. Dr. Kim has a few sentences on a "Sayijae," and there are some similarities between it and what I know of Seoeuije, so I will assume they are one and the same. According to Dr. Kim:

In the winter of 1801, [he] arrived at Kangjin but the people in the street tried their utmost to distance themselves from him as if he was a carrier of an epidemic disease Only an old lady inkeeper was kindhearted enough to accommodate him with a room. Ta-san named his room as "Sayi-jae" which meant "the room in which four righteous manners should be performed," namely "thought" should be clear, "countenance" should be dignified, "speech" should be deliberate, and "motion" should be measured. These four yardsticks were self-imposed in order to
discipline him strictly (5).

It's a pleasant enough park today--a couple of buildings, a pavillion, and a little pond--though it's a little harder to find. If exiting Yeongryang Saenga (mentioned below), turn left onto the road and walk for roughly 5 minutes. You'll pass the police station on your left, and about a block away you'll come to a four-way intersection and see 동서빌라, a tudor-ish building to your right. Make a left at the four-way intersection (or make a right to visit my old place) and make a right at the next alley a few meters away. Seoeuije is a few buildings down the hill on your left.

A pond and buildings at Seoeuije.

It's also worth mentioning the second major temple on Boeunsan, known as Geumgoksa. I hiked here from my old apartment, some 5.5 kilometers, although I probably wouldn't do it again. Geumgoksa, which translates to "Golden Valley Temple" is a slightly larger site than Goseongsa, and is known for a couple of things. There is a 3-story stone pagoda, five meters tall, designated a regional cultural property. The temple has an interesting opening, flanked on both sides by huge stone cliffs, and the rockiness of the hills around this valley is one big reason why I wouldn't hike to this temple again. Buses run periodically to and from the temple---people at the restaurants in front of it can help you there---but I recommend driving, in the springtime at least. The road that begins at the Gangjin Sports Complex and runs past Geumgoksa is lined with cherry trees and is a very scenic drive when the flowers are in bloom. This road ultimately leads to Byeongyeong-myeon, site of another notable Gangjin resident, Hendrick Hamel.

On the road to Byeongyeong, springtime.

Hamel was shipwrecked off of Jeju in the 17th century and held in Gangjin for some 7 years (his crew also spent time in Yeosu, Suncheon, Namwon, and Namhansanseong in Seongnam). From 1656 to 1663 he was held at 병영성지, known in English as Byeongyeong Sacred Site (evidentally), former army barracks that today are about a kilometer long and are just about the only thing worth seeing in that part of the county. Hamel and his men, though, have left an interesting legacy. You really ought to check out this site, which suggests that the Dutch mariners taught the locals irrigation techniques and how to make a certain type of wooden sandals. They also may have contributed to the genepool:

It is also possible that some men met local women and through marriage or 0therwise fathered children, whose descendants still live here. The Dutch were given the Korean name Nam. There are several roots for the clan of Nam in Korea, but one originates from around Byeongyeong. And it is from this region, that many people named Nam have typical features like a large body and facial characteristics that may well be from the foreigners in the 17th century. When professor Kim Tae Jin of the Chonnam University in Gwangju did research on this subject, he encountered resistance and a lack of cooperation from the people, as it is regarded as shameful to have mixed blood and not to be of pure Korean breed. Maybe the grand grandparents of these nice old ladies could tell more! Long time ago, before the Korean war, a tall man from Byeongyeong with western facial features called Nam, moved to the north and became a general in the army. It is said that when the North Korean army raided this area, the village of Byeongyeong was spared on special orders from general Nam.

There has been a fair bit of diplomatic friendship between Korea and Holland on account of Hamel's residence here. And, according to the above-mentioned site, there have been plans to redevelop the wall and the village for the past few years (at least), although neither he nor I have found any signs of progress yet.

The final site is located about 400 meters from the bus terminal, and I'd consider it to be the best-known attraction in Gangjin-eup. Yeongrang's birthplace (영랑생가) consists of three buildings, an assortment of different trees and shrubs, and stones on which some of his more famous poems have been carved. Yeongryang was the penname of Gangjin-born poet Kim Yun-sik (김윤식), a man most active in the 1930s and 1940s, and most acclaimed for writing in the Jeolla dialect. When I last visited his birthplace the loudspeakers were playing recorded versions of some of his poems. His best known poem is "Till Peonies Bloom," and a nearby motel is named the 모란모텔, perhaps as an odd tribute.

Snow falling at Yeongrang's birthplace.

There is another home of a notable artist a short walk away. 금서당 is located on the hill behind Yeongrang's birthplace, and as you exit 영랑생가 you will see an arrow leading you left, up the hill. I do not know much about this site, and I don't know if anybody is living there now--I would guess so, though--but there is a placard in front of the house that will help those proficient in Korean. I do know that it was the birthplace of artist Kim Youngryeol (aka Wang Hyang, 1923 - ), and that there are a few comical totem poles at the yard's edge.

금서당

There are a few other things worth seeing in Gangjin, but for the sake of readability I will save them for another entry. I do want to mention, though, that the Gangjin Celadon Museum is a fairly popular attraction, as is the harbor at tiny Maryang-myeon. The scenic little village of a few hundred people is one of my favorite spots in the entire county.

A little note about "Dr. Kim" and the page numbers in this entry. Last year I was given a little photocopied pamphlet containing, in English, ten little chapters on Gangjin's notable people and places. It was written in 1994 by Kim Byong-kuk, Ph. D., and is entitled Kangjin and its Cultural Legacies (Anthology). On the photocopied cover it says Seoul Institute of International Economics, but I have no other publication information, nor do I know if there are other chapters beyond the tenth. If anyone is interested in seeing it, send me a private message on Dave's ESL Cafe or Galbijim, and I can snail mail you a copy.

Gangjin-eup, as seen from atop Boeunsan.