Winter Field

Banwolseong 반월성 in Gyeoungju 경주, the 1000-year old capital of Shilla Kingdom, used to be a fortress and palace whose ruins can be visited. The name, Banwol-Seong comes from its outline which was shaped like a crescent moon. Banwol means half moon and Seong fortress.

A tower of stone blocks is located to the north of Banwolseong. Even if the purpose of the tower built in the 7th century still remains disputable, many historians agree that it was a kind of observatory. Cheomseongdae 첨성대 was built in the reign of Queen Seonduk 선덕. A rapeseed field is located between Banwolseong and the tower.

It was very cold last sunday. Cold wind blows across the rapeseed field. The vivid yellow of the rapeseed flowers could not be seen. The lush green leaves remind frequent visitors that the rapeseed flowers were in full bloom in the field last spring instead.

See the Sky

If you are attached to thinking,

you fall under discrimination.

If you are attached to not thinking,

you fall into darkness.

Do you want to know what the Buddha really taught?

See a bird flying in the sky.

What is Buddha?
It is raining.

What is mind?
Open the umbrella.

What is enlightenment?
Can I share your umbrella?

Autumn River

The two rivers, 낙동강 Nakdong-gang and 금호강 Gumho-gang meet near Hwawon resort. The smaller river, Gumho enters Nakdong, the longest river in the southern peninsular. From the pavilion on the top of the resort, people enjoy the surrounding landscape, including the mouth of Gumho river. The right side river from the pavilion is Gumho. 신천 Shinchun, the urban stream in Daegu is a branch stream of Gumho River.

Looking west across the river and bridge, you can see Dasan village in the background of mountains. When you cross the bridge, you can turn on the right at the end of the bridge, and follow the river bank road unpaved, which ends near Nogok-ri. The river bank was built to prevent floodwater from flowing out into the surrounding land in rainy season. So there is nearly no traffic and it is also not easy to meet someone walking there. That road offers a peaceful and silent atmosphere filled with field and river views. While walking there, you can see some farms on the leftside of the bank and smell oxen dung used primarily as a fertilizer. In fall, dragon fly, locust and unnamed insects come into sight. Autumn has come again.

Autumn View

노곡리 Nogok-ri is an obscure village to the west of Dasan, which is located across Nakdong river from Hwawon resort, western Daegu. Nogok got its name from the place with plenty of fertile rice field. Before the bridge linking Hwawon resort and Dasan about 20 years ago was built, the villagers, mostly farmers, used to cross the river by ferry for a long time. The new bridge has changed the villagers' lifestyle a lot in the past years. New residents from city came to live in this village surrounded by the fresh air and natural environment. About 150 households lived in the village in the past. Now about 120 households remain. Most young people have left the village to study or get jobs in the big cities, as in the other Korean rural villages. So old men remain in the village and cultivate the soil.

A big zelkova tree over 460 years old stands alone on the top of the front hill of the village and a small chapel is nearby. There are some benches around the tree. Behind the hill, Nogok-ri village is crammed into the narrow space between two hills. The top of the hill offers a quit and peaceful landscape of the rice field. There was a primary school at the foot of the hill, but the number of pupils had been continuously decreased, so the primary school was finally closed last spring.

Autumn is the best season in Korea. The rice fields turn yellow. It is getting close to harvest in Nogok-ri.