Of course it was also a good opportunity to shoot! However, the schedule was so hectic with so many activities so there was little time to compose and take pictures. Koreans value time and are so fast in moving so we were always in a hurry to keep up with them. You would always hear them say "pali pali" meaning hurry up, faster, faster!! So sometimes there really was no time to tweak the camera's settings before taking another shot! Whew!
So here I am sharing some of the shots I had managed to take.
We visited the Hahoe Mask Museum. Hahoe Mask Museum is located in Andong Hahoe Village, which is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Important Folklore Material No. 122. Hahoe Village is a representative traditional Korean folk town and is the home of the Hahoe Mask (National Treasure No. 121) and the Byeolsin Gut Mask Dance (Important Forklore Material No.69). The museum not only displays Hahoe masks, but also other traditional masks from all over the world.
The present uses of these masks are as miniature masks for tourist souvenirs, or on cell-phones where they hang as good-luck talismans.
By the 12th century, the masks became part of elaborate dances and dramas.
Mask performances were held in the village for the tourists. When we were there, they performed something about a feast in their village where they had to butcher a bull (there was no english translation so I had to let our korean companions explain).
They sounded gongs and other instruments, wore their masks and danced around pleasing the spectators.
Hahoe Village is home to descendants of the Ryu clan of Pungsan and is well-known for its traditional houses. Birthplace of renowned scholars of the Joseon Period such as Gyeomam Ryu Un-ryong and Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong, the village became even more famous after Queen Elizabeth of England visited on April 21, 1999.
Hahoe Village (translating to “Village Enveloped by Water”) gets its name from Nakdong River, which flows around the town’s perimeter. The village is located at the foothills of Hwasan Mountain, an offshoot of Taebaek Mountain that rises up to the east.
was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List under the category of “Historic Villages in Korea”
on July 31, 2010.
The center of the village is populated by large tile-roofed houses belonging to the Ryu clan, adding their own unique charm to the surrounding thatched roofs.
Kimchi jars!
Where cabbage, cucumber, raddish and other vegetables are stored for fermentation.
Up to now some families still live in these houses and continue the traditional korean way of living.
It was a good experience to visit this village as it has really preserved the structures, culture and way of life of the koreans.
We also visited Keimyung University in Daegu. It is known as one of the 10 `most beautiful campuses' in South Korea.
It is a Christian university founded in March 1954.Keimyung University (KMU) was founded by Reverend Edward Adams, an American missionary of the Northern Presbyterian Church of the United States, and by Reverends Choi Jaehwa and Kang Ingu, two local Presbyterian Church leaders.
The founding principle guiding their concerted efforts was to provide Koreans with higher education firmly anchored in Christianity. The opening of the university also reflected the perceived need for higher education as a vehicle with which to reconstruct the war-ravaged nation and a means of perpetuating the time-honored spirit of the Korean people. http://www.kmu.ac.kr
It is probably a great place to study - a wide campus, surrounded with trees, fresh air and state of the art facilities, what more can you ask for.
Every night, we were treated with different cultural performances. Different song and dance numbers were presented from different countries. I personally enjoyed the colorful Korean dances and their precise movements.
Here are some shots during the night performances. I only used my kitlens, still no funds for a telephoto. So these were cropped .
The Korean Fan Dance is one of the most popular and well-known movement pieces from Asia. The bright pink fans and dresses combined with graceful movement have thrilled audiences all over the world.
The origins of Korean fan dancing are a combination of politics and religion. The court of the Cho-Sen dynasty was the basis for the intricate costuming and very precise movements. However, the movements themselves evoke natural phenomena, from the color and fringes of the peony-colored fans, to the many formations that recall blooming trees, flowers, and natural waves. This choreography and costuming are closely related to the shamanic religious tradition of the Korean spiritual beliefs.
The two have combined to create Buchaechum, which is the correct name for the dance. Originating on the peninsula, it has become one of the great ambassadorial art forms for Koreans around the world because the movement and color are stunning and captivating no matter what culture you are from. http://dance.lovetoknow.com/korean-fan-dance
The 3 week stay in Korea would not be complete without visiting Seoul, its capital. The different palaces were in Seoul and I really wanted to enter one of them to get a feel of what I saw in historic koreanovelas.
Gyeongbokgung (Palace), built in the 4th year of King Taejo’s reign (1395), is where the Joseon Dynasty originated. It is the oldest and central palace of Joseon. It is for this reason that Gyeongbokgung is considered the most beautiful and biggest of the 5 palaces in Seoul, and praised as demonstrating the very height of architectural technology from the medieval period of Northeast Asia.
Parts of the palace were burnt down during “Imjin Waeran”, the Japanese invasion of Korea (1592-1598). Since 1610 Changdeokgung played the role of jeonggung instead, until Heungseon Daewongun (father of King Gojong) restored Gyeongbokgung in 1865. Although the palace was seriously damaged once again, under Japanese Colonial rule, the current Korean government is continuing its predecessors’ efforts to restore it to its original glory.
Like any other palace, guards were present at the entrance - guards who stood still, barely moved and were wide awake. Though I saw one who closed his eyes and rocked to and fro.. poor him!
The entrance ticket to the palace costs 3000 won, around 115 pesos. Good enough for a day's tour inside. An English-speaking Korean guide will walk you through the structures and refresh you with their history.
This is Geunjeongjeon or what they call the Throne hall. This where the King gave national declarations, met with foreign envoys during the Joseon Dynasty.
The middle pathway was where the King walked. This was slightly elevated compared to the pathways where his guards and officials walked - on the right and left.
The pavilion was constructed on an artificial island of a lake named Hyangwonji and a bridge named Chwihyanggyoconnects it to the palace grounds. The name Hyangwonjeong loosely translates as "Pavilion of Far-Reaching Fragrance," while Chwihyanggyo translates as "Bridge Intoxicated with Fragrance."
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| Intricate patterns and design found in the ceilings of the structures in the palace |
Some out and about shots..just around Seoul and other cities
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| They so love cosmetics! |
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| Bike Parking |
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| Subway |
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| Riding in Tandem |
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| Waiting for the go |
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| A walk in the park |
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| Subway Couple |
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| Keep right |
Bulgogi is one of Korea's most popular beef dishes that is made from thinly sliced sirloin or another prime cut of beef (rib eye). It is usually marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, garlic, onions, ginger, and sugar for two to four hours to enhance the flavor and its tenderization. Bulgogi is traditionally grilled but broiling or pan-cooking is common as well. Served with chilly soup, small potatoes (sweet), kimchi and yakult as refreshment.
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| Sundae |
How I wish this was ice cream as its name implies! But it is read as (soon-de) It is made generally by boiling or steaming cow or pig's intestines that are stuffed with various ingredients. The most common type of sundae is made of pig's intestines stuffed with cellophane noodles barley and pork blood, although some variants also contain perilla leaves, glutinous rice, kimchi and sprouts.
Some supermarket scenes:
Bungeoppang (lit. “crucian carp cake/bread”) is the Korean name of a pastry
Bungeoppangs are made using an appliance similar to a waffle iron. The butter is poured into a fish-shaped mold, red bean paste is added, then more batter to encase the red bean paste. The mold is then closed, and roasted. In Korean, "bungeo(붕어)" means Carassius, a kind of fish, and "ppang(빵)" means bread
Bungeoppang is sold as a snack by open-air food vendors throughout Korea during winter. There are also bungeoppang-shaped waffles filled with ice cream and pat (sweetened and boiled red beans). These waffles are usually mass produced and sold by retailers, not by open-air food vendors.
Fresh greens at Shinsegae Supermarket in Busan.
Korean cuisine is always accompanied with vegetables, a healthy way of living indeed.
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