Tuesday are great days for exploration, as I don't have a class I have to go to until 3:30 PM. With Fibi in town, Vroni wanted to make sure he saw some pig heads, so Fibi, Vroni, Bettina (Vroni's roommate, also from Austria), and I followed our Lonely Planet guidebooks on an "Inwangsan Shamanist Hillside Walk." We came upon the Buddhist temples at the foot of
Inwangsan (a small mountain north of the city), where the buildings hung on the side of the cliff and paths wound between buildings and under trees.
Seonbawi (Zen rocks) impressed us all with its solemnity. A steep flight of stairs led up to a small alter at the foot of these strange-looking rocks. Birds, silent and solemn, stared down at the handful of people praying at the foot of the impressive rocks. Click on the picture to make it larger - you can see how many holes and twists there are in the rocks. Lonely Planet describes them as "a Salvador Dali painting," and I'm inclined to agree! I love a religion where people have to hike up a mountain to a peaceful area surrounded by nature. What a lovely way to pray!
Our path then wound its way up
Inwangsan, past some Shamanist alters and shrines. Shamanists believe that the dead still need food and drink, so they leave offerings of rice, cakes, fruit, and meat (sometimes a pig's head!) along with candles and incense sticks. Tuesday mornings must not be a popular time for Shamanists, however, because we saw only two (praying) people and no ceremonies underway. Nevertheless, there was no denying the sacredness of the area. We found ourselves whispering and walking with care so as to not disturb the atmosphere.
A natural spring along the way gave me an opportunity to fill up on water while we continued hiking up
Inwangsan. The view from the top, then, was absolutely incredibly. Namsan Park, Gyeongbokgung, and Changdeokgung were all easily visible. With the restored fortress wall behind us, the city before us, and a sacred forest surrounding us, we felt a peace and beauty that defied our presence in one of the world's largest cities.
Across the street from Dongnimmun Station (where we exited Line 3 for the Inwangsan Hill), is Seodaemun Prison, where 40,000 freedom fighters were held and tortured during the Japanese colonial rule from 1910-1945. At least 400 Koreans were killed, many of them students, and the prison was a sobering place to visit. As far as the museum and restoration goes, however, I was impressed. You are able to walk inside solitary confinement cells as well as the execution room. Many signs have only minimal English labeling, but, with the large number of pictures, no more real explanation is really needed. If you ever visit, be sure to stop at the information building on your way in - they had a great English brochure that gave us plenty of information about the prison and its history.
Tuesday are great days for exploration, as I don't have a class I have to go to until 3:30 PM. With Fibi in town, Vroni wanted to make sure he saw some pig heads, so Fibi, Vroni, Bettina (Vroni's roommate, also from Austria), and I followed our Lonely Planet guidebooks on an "Inwangsan Shamanist Hillside Walk." We came upon the Buddhist temples at the foot of Inwangsan (a small mountain north of the city), where the buildings hung on the side of the cliff and paths wound between buildings and under trees. 
Seonbawi (Zen rocks) impressed us all with its solemnity. A steep flight of stairs led up to a small alter at the foot of these strange-looking rocks. Birds, silent and solemn, stared down at the handful of people praying at the foot of the impressive rocks. Click on the picture to make it larger - you can see how many holes and twists there are in the rocks. Lonely Planet describes them as "a Salvador Dali painting," and I'm inclined to agree! I love a religion where people have to hike up a mountain to a peaceful area surrounded by nature. What a lovely way to pray!
Our path then wound its way up Inwangsan, past some Shamanist alters and shrines. Shamanists believe that the dead still need food and drink, so they leave offerings of rice, cakes, fruit, and meat (sometimes a pig's head!) along with candles and incense sticks. Tuesday mornings must not be a popular time for Shamanists, however, because we saw only two (praying) people and no ceremonies underway. Nevertheless, there was no denying the sacredness of the area. We found ourselves whispering and walking with care so as to not disturb the atmosphere. 
A natural spring along the way gave me an opportunity to fill up on water while we continued hiking up Inwangsan. The view from the top, then, was absolutely incredibly. Namsan Park, Gyeongbokgung, and Changdeokgung were all easily visible. With the restored fortress wall behind us, the city before us, and a sacred forest surrounding us, we felt a peace and beauty that defied our presence in one of the world's largest cities.
Across the street from Dongnimmun Station (where we exited Line 3 for the Inwangsan Hill), is Seodaemun Prison, where 40,000 freedom fighters were held and tortured during the Japanese colonial rule from 1910-1945. At least 400 Koreans were killed, many of them students, and the prison was a sobering place to visit. As far as the museum and restoration goes, however, I was impressed. You are able to walk inside solitary confinement cells as well as the execution room. Many signs have only minimal English labeling, but, with the large number of pictures, no more real explanation is really needed. If you ever visit, be sure to stop at the information building on your way in - they had a great English brochure that gave us plenty of information about the prison and its history.
You should write tour guide books!
ReplyDelete