Samunjin River Dock

Samunjin Naruteo 사문진 나루터 in western Daegu used to be a famous river dock at the Nakdong Riverside along with its attached Jumak 주막 referring to the old tavern. The Nakdong river has been the major traffic route since Shilla dynasty(57~935). Trade with Japan was booming along this route as well. Samun in Samunjin means Buddhist monks, Jin a dock. A story passed down through generations tells that there were many Buddhist temples around here. The monks were likely to cross the river by ferry, it can be easily understood why this place got the name. The above photo shows the scenery of Nakdong river in front of Samunjin about 50 years ago.

The photo taken at the Han riverside in Seoul by an American, William F. Sands(1874~1946) in 1896 shows the typical scene of river dock at that time. In March 1900, Richard H. Sidebotham(1874~1908), an American missionary got off the ferry at Samujin. The ferry he got off loaded a piano being brought from America, which is historically the first piano to be introduced into Korea. Porters were joined to carry the piano from here to the American's residence in downtown. Locals having seen it first in their life were curious about what that strange thing is like. Then they named it a ghost box 귀신통 because some weird and unusual sounds came from it.

The photo taken by an American missionary depicts the scene of porters carrying the piano. The network of railroad and automobile has been built up since Korea began to be modernized, and many river docks including Samunjin were closed. During the colonial period, Japanese built an amusement park at the site of the hill overlooking Samunjin and the nearby area. 

This scene is the overview of Hwawon amusement park and Samunjin river dock during the colonial period. Hwawon 화원 is the name of the town nearby. A couple of decades after independence from Japan, this park had been one of the most visited destinations by people living in Daegu. However, the number of visitors has been decreased since people owned their private cars. Seemed like its flourishing period remained as an old story.

A new bridge linking Hwawon park and Dasan 다산, a remote village across the river was built in 1993, which has changed Dasan villagers' lifestyle a lot in the past years.

Last year, Dalseong county managing this area finally decided to renovate and restore Samunjin and Jumak in an efforts to attract local people and tourists again. A year later, Samunjin river dock and Jumak were reopened in summer. Jumak consists of some thatched-roof cottages. Some flat wooden benches are put into the front yard. People have fun drinking rice wine and tasting traditional dishes cooked instantly. A ferry and a small cruiser are operated on regular. Once again  Samunjin river dock and Jumak start being packed with people. It is hard to find empty seats at Jumak on weekends.

 

Autumn has also come to Samunjin and Jumak. When autumn, the best season of the year is deepening, on weekends people prefer to going out to feel the typical autumn scenery and cool weather. Last Sunday afternoon, it rained suddenly several times, while the sun shone. The weather was so fickle. The yellow gingko leaves were falling on the wet road in front of Jumak gate. Photos were taken outside Jumak. A rainbow hung in the sky over southern Hwawon after the rainfall stopped.

Old Trail

Before public transport services were operated in the modern times, travelling on foot was the only way available for the ordinary people. Koreans usually wore simple shoes called Jipsin 짚신 made of rice straw.

The shoes are not enough strong to cover the walking distance, so travelers prepared extra pairs depending on the distance of the journey. Sometimes they go together with livestock as native goat, rabbit, chicken and cattle for sale.

 

Hiking along the trails on the mountains becomes sports for health these days. But in the past, walking along the mountain trails was just one of the important parts of ordinary life itself. They needed to exchange their own products with others away from their villages, so that walking across the river, fields and mountains were natural and inevitable. 

They walked and hiked along the shortest paths and trails between areas. They used the carriers named Jige 지게 made of wood and rice straw to carry daily necessaries to sell or buy in the local markets. To save time, it seems they tried to find the shortest and gentle paths. The past roads for walking travelers in the fields don't nearly remain any longer, but some trails on the mountains used by them still partly remain.

Long Awaited Winter

Winter has come back to the nearby mountains. Even a few leaves remaining on the trees are ready to drop when the chill wind blows across the ridges. Winter is the best season for hikers and trekkers in Korea.  They are happy to walk along the path on the ridge again, feeling cold one year since last year.

When the scorching heat wave hit the country last summer, it felt like those sticky summer nights will last forever! Global warming has already affected our environment in a lot of ways. Summer becomes the toughest season of the year in Korea. Personally, winter is preferable, because one can walk nearly any time of day without sweating.

Anyway, it certainly feels like winter has arrived again!!! Enjoy the moment now, nobody will get this moment back.

Snow Covered Scenery

Once again, I return to the blogspot for a long time. The autumn had passed and the winter has already come. We had snow a couple of times this year, they say this winter feels colder than before. The snow also fell on the railway and the rice field harvested during last autumn. The photo was taken somewhere around Gyeongju 경주, the ancient capital of Shilla dynasty.

This single track railway from Gyeongju to Busan 부산 was built in 1935 by Japanese during the colonial period. I walked along the railway track. Cold winds blow across the fields, touching my face. A few minutes later, I heard the horns far away and then the train was approaching from behind. I stepped aside for a while to see the train passing. The train journey is well worth considering for its winter scenery in Korea.

Drag Your Bike

Bicycling on weekends becomes recently another pleasure in life for the avid cyclists. Going up or down the new cycling path along the river makes us feel like that we are on an adventure. Most parts of the path are flat and accessible to all bike riders, but it has some very steep section near Hapcheon weir 합천보, which starts at the entrance of Musimsa 무심사 temple. Musim means mind free and Sa a Buddhist temple. This section covering a distance of about 3km has been famous for its steep trail among two wheelers since the path was opened.

The road goes up zigzag over a mountain behind the temple, and down on the other side. The path near the top of the mountain offers a beautiful view of river, village, and fields. The road can be so dangerous for those going down, so several warning notices along the path say "Danger", "Slow", or "Drag your bike".

Cross-Country Riverside Cycling Trail

Korean avid cyclists are so happy to celebrate the completion of the cross-country riverside cycling trails along 4 major rivers across South Korea. 1757 km (1092 Miles) is the total length of the cycling trail network, which has been created by 4 major rivers restoration project.

This riverside cycling trail can be seen around Daegu 대구 city partly surrounded by the Nakdong river 낙동강. To the west of Daegu located Gangjeong-bo 강정보, which is the largest in size among 16 weirs of the four rivers; Bo means weir. Dalseong-bo 달성보 is to the south, and Chilgog-bo 칠곡보 to the north. Every weir is connected to each other by the trail, which is well paved either inside or on the riverbanks.

The environmentalists have always argued that 4 major rivers restoration project including this riverside cycling trail unintentionally destroys the nature of the rivers, not restoring or conserving it. The government, however, consistently insists that the project has aimed to restore and conserve the rivers eco-friendly. Anyway, the project was finally completed last month. Time will settle the argument.

I have ever ridden a bike several times to 3 weirs as Gangjeong, Dalseong and Chilgog. The path is mostly smooth with only a few ascents or descents. The fresh and cool wind always blows across the river, touching my face. One spot between Dalseong and Chilgog is still under construction, so the cyclists have to take a detour. Restrooms and benches with shade are found occasionally along the two-wheeler trail. You can make a pit stop in the control office attached to each weir, and cv stores are opened for visitors in some weir control offices.

Back to the Past

Hahoe village 하회마을 near Andong 안동 city is one of the most visited touristic places in the middle eastern part of the peninsula, which is famous for its traditional and historical value. Hahoe means spinning river. In fact, the Nakodong river turns around the village in a horseshoe shape. The photo above was taken from atop the height named Buyongdae 부용대 at the other side of the river, located to the north of the village.

With the rapid industrialization and westernization in South Korea, the old and traditional cultural heritage has not been valuable so much as the economic development, so that it has been sometimes ignored and forgotten. But some villages as Hahoe have been fortunately remained untouched by development and modernization, Hahoe is one of the unique and interesting places in which history, culture and tradition have been conserved well in South Korea. It is worth a visit. This village has been designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site in 2010.

Blue by Bigbang

Bigbang 빅뱅, one of the most popular bands in K-pop, has come back with this song. It sounds so familiar when I first listened to "Blue". In the 80'th, this kind of Ballad music was popular with the youth in South Korea. Some singers playing guitars used to express their oppressed emotion through songs in the desperate political situation. The military dictatorship was totally gone though, the middle-aged Koreans still have the memory of the painful past with those songs.

Time has passed, new Korean generation is introducing the world unique and characteristic music, which is called Kpop, short for Korean pop. The age of IT together with Utube, Facebook, Twitter and the other social network services has given the chance of spreading new trend of Korean popular music, Kpop, which has fascinated young enthusiasts around the world. Kpop is a major aspect of Hallyu 한류 or Korean wave that has affected the world since the 1990s'. Kpop is estimated to create the new culture of popular music by the worldwide fans. Bigbang is one of the most beloved Kpop bands.

Sea Village

Odori 오도리, is the name of a typical coastal village in northern Pohang 포항, a port city on the east coast of the Korean peninsula. Like the other local seaside villages along the east coast, Odori has a small wharf and beach, with some villagers usually owning fishing boats for their livelihood and others cultivating the nearby land for farming. It always offers a peaceful atmosphere of a Korean seaside village, except in the summer when this village, like the others, is busy with holidaymakers.

River & City

About one year has passed since being lastly posted in 2010. Same work, same story. Meanwhile, nothing has been changed.  Anyway, people say autumn has come. The weather is clearly divided by four distinct seasons in Korea. Many Koreans love the typical autumn weather so that they go out and feel it actively on the mountains as well as fields.

A couple of weeks ago, the first time this autumn, I hiked up Mt. Ap 앞산, a mountain along the southern Daegu 대구 and rode a bicycle to a newly built weir on the Nakdong river 나동강, named Gangjeong-Goryeong Bo 강정고령보 in the western Daegu, linking Dasan 다산 village in Goryeong 고령 county with Gangjeong 강정 village in Daegu city. 

The above photo describes the western side of Daegu, a view from the ridge of Mt. Ap. On the upper side of the photo, Nakdong river looks blurry and the weir can be seen on the right side and the below photo shows it, too. The highest peak above the clouds, Mt. Gaya  가야산 is also seen. Haeinsa Temple 해인사, one of three Buddhist temples with three treasures nestles at the foot of the mountain.

  

A friend of mine was born in Dasan village next to the weir. He looked so impressed with the weir. In his teen years, he used to cross the river in a ferry boat when he went to Daegu. Sometimes he had to call the ferryman in a loud voice because the boat always waited for the passengers or villagers on the either side of the ferry point. 

Four rivers restoration project by the government made it possible to construct this weir, which has resulted in controversy among the opposition parties and environmental activists. The road on the weir is car-free zone.

Gasil Catholic Church

There is an old gothic building in brick in Gasil  가실 village along the bank of Nakdong river around Waegwan 왜관 to the north of Daegu 대구. The building is Gasil Catholic church in which a typical rural village is surrounded.  It was established in 1895, and the present church and rectory were built during the years 1922-1924 by a French Catholic missionary. Later, Benedictine Abbey in Waegwan was assigned to pastor the church.

During the Korean War, this church was used as a hospital by the North Korean army, so the building was not damaged even if the nearby village was all destroyed. The church on the hill is beautiful enough to draw attention to Catholic as well as non-Catholic. Some years ago a movie was shot here. Father Bartholomaeus Henneken from Germany who has been in Korea over 40 years serves as pastor. Visitors are welcome to look around the church and previous rectory.

A window latch shaped in the female torso to keep the window open is installed close to the each wood window sash on the wall of the previous rectory. A couple of the original window latches were worn out and got broken, so they have been replaced by exactly the same style and materials as the original purchased in Germany. Every effort was made to retain the original form of the building. Gasil Catholic church possesses a lovely warm and peaceful atmosphere.

winter preparation

 

Autumn has nearly gone. Winter has come again. Clay jar used to be a traditional container for ages. In the late autumn, people dig a hole in the ground large enough to bury the jar, which is useful to keep the fermented food as Gimchi 김치 made of radish and cabbage fresh during the cold weather.

Some Buddhist monks also prepared winter in their temple close to Goryeong 고령. The upper parts of three jars are seen. A brick is put on the top of the middle one, which is intended to stop the strong wind from blowing away the top. Recently most Korean people prefer to residing in apartments, so clay jars in the front garden are unusual scene. Instead, they use the electric refrigerator to keep Gimchi for all seasons. This view reminds middle aged Koreans of old things that have been forgotten along the way.

encounter

Taken in a farm village around Daegu. A dog was watching!

Gaya

Gaya is the name of a small town in northern India, and Bodh Gaya in which Gautama Siddhartha was enlightened about 2500 years ago is nearby. Also, there used to be an ancient country whose name was the same as Gaya 가야 in southern Korea. Gaya was the confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from 1st century BC to 562 AD in the lower Nakdong river valley. Daegaya meaning Great Gaya was a chiefdom of the Confederacy, located in the present region of Goryeong 고령. Daegaya had advanced steel making craft so that it had played a major role in the Confederacy. The nearby village, Yaro, 야로, 冶爐 was the place where steel mine was found and developed in the early century. Yaro had been one of the biggest steel mines in the peninsula for a long time. Daegaya collapsed after being defeated in the battle by Shilla in 562 AD.

The ancient tombs during Daegaya Kingdom are lined along the ridge of the mountain just behind Goryeong. Historians agree that Daegaya traded with Japan 1500 years ago. Some burial accessory exported from Japan was found when one of the tombs was excavated.

winter view

Last Friday the snow-covered mountains around Daegu reminded us that we had a heavy snow during the night. As the sun rose, the snow on the ground started melting out because of the difference in the temperature between ground and mountains. People viewed the white mountains after a long absence and it felt more like winter.

We had much snow in those winter days. As the earth is getting warmer, the typical cold winter is the thing of the past. But compared to the previous years, this winter is colder and much snow has fallen in Daegu.

tomb

This hill-like tomb named Bonghwangdae 봉황대 is one of the ancient relics in Gyeongju 경주, which used to be the capital of Shilla Kingdom. The unknown ancestor buried within is silent, but only some old trees growing on it reminds passersby of the forgotten time.

The left one shows a view of Bonghwangdae in 1950's. The below one the recent view. Bonghwang means a mythical and fabulous bird, and Dae a base. It has been said that the ancient people living in Gyeongju enjoyed the panoramic view from the top of this tomb, the beautiful scenery was compared to the mythical bird and the tomb was given the name, Bonghwangdae by them.

monk's residence

Winter has also come to monk's residence in 고운사 Gounsa Buddhist temple. Gounsa was set up in 681, located in Uiseong-gun(county), the center of Gyeongsangbukdo province.

바람 없이 물결이 일지 않으면

삼라만상보다 더 많은 것이 비치네

어찌 많은 말이 필요하랴

바라보면 이미 뜻이 통하네

No wind, no swell; a world so various opens before my eyes.

No need for a lot of words; to look is to see.

(Entitled "Small Lotus Pond(작은 연못),” this is Father Kevin O'Rourke's translation of a poem by the Buddhist monk 혜심 Hyeshim (1178-1234))

Mt. Fuji

In 1904, Japanese invaded the Korean Peninsula and some came to settle in the very small seashore village called 구룡포, 九龍浦, Guryongpo, located at the east end of the Korean peninsula. Guryongpo got its name from the legend of nine dragons that ascended into the sky over the waters off the coastal village. 구 Gu means 9, 룡 Ryong dragon and 포 Po harbor. The coastal waters off Guryongpo had a rich abundance of fishery resources. As the number of Japanese residents increased, they became richer and the village grew bigger. Lot of Japanese-style houses, a wharf facility and a park on a hill behind the village were newly built and shops including even a small department store were opened. The hill has still a wonderful view of the harbor.

As most of the Japanese buildings were made of wood, soil and cement, some houses that had been weathered the last century collapsed, and the others have been repaired and rebuilt since independence from Japan in 1945. So the original features have been changed gradually. But the Japanese traces of the colonial era could be still found in the alley. Recently an exhibition house for visitors including Japanese tourists has been opened, which used to be a typical Japanese house. The above photo shows a door with etched glass panels that is exhibited in the upstairs. The door is said to have been installed in the the other Japanese house nearby. Japanese tourists and descendants of the Japanese settlers during the colonial era are so glad to see the glass panels, the exhibition guide said. It was said that the figure etched on the upper left side depicts Mt. Fuji 富士山.

Old photos taken during the Japanese colonial period in Guryongpo are hung on the walls along the alley and old household goods are also exhibited together with the history of Japanese residents in this village.

urban glimpses

winter

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, Cheomseongdae 첨성대, 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 with the conclusion that it was used as an observatory. Cheomseongdae was built in the reign of Queen Seonduk 선덕. A rapeseed field is located between the tower and Banwolseong.

It was very cold last Sunday. The cold wind blew across the rapeseed field. The vivid yellow of the rapeseed flowers couldn't be seen. The dried lush green leaves remind frequent visitors of the rapeseed flowers in full bloom last spring instead.

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 peninsula. 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 the 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 left side of the bank and smell oxen dung used primarily as a fertilizer. In fall, dragonfly, locust, and unnamed insects come into sight. Autumn has come again.

autumn

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 the 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 quiet 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.

take-out pizza

Discarded signboard saying "Take-out pizza restaurant", an electric pole that is covered with vines, and an apartment complex in the background...

pavilion & forest

Jain 자인 is a small and peaceful village to the east of Gyeongsan. It has a well-preserved natural forest called Gyejeong 계정. During Joseon dynasty, local residents used to lay memorial stone for the former governor after he finished his term and left his post, The memorial stones for the former governors in Jain are lined up at the entrance of Gyejung. The stones usually say that local residents expressed their gratitude for the former governors' commitment to fairness and justice during his term. The sub-county office pavilion built during Joseon dynasty is also located on the hill of the forest. It was moved from the place where it was first built in Jain area. This photo shows the view from behind the pavilion.

Gyejeong is also the place where Jain 자인 Dano 단오 General Han 한장군 Cultural Festival 놀이 is celebrated annually on May 5th of the lunar calendar. It is unique that the historical story of General Han who defeated Japanese pirates molesting the villagers in this region about one thousand years ago was made into the play, which was mixed with traditional 단오제 Danoje, Dano festival. Dano traditionally marks the beginning of summer, when rites of wishing for an abundant harvest for the year following planting in the spring were held. After General Han drove them away, he became a patron of Jain, villagers built a shrine in memory of him and traditional ceremonies have been held in every Dano festival. His grave is in the middle of the forest.

rural side

This photo shows that a cattle pen is located on either side of the house in a country village near 탑리 Tap-ri. The rural view like this in South Korea is not common in countrysides anymore. 한우, Hanwoo, Korean native cattle are the traditional native breed which was in the past usually bred to plow fields, make manure and pull carts. It has a coat color ranging from yellowish brown to dark brown.

Most farmers used to raise a very small numbers of the cattle. For some children living in country villages, grazing cattle on grass used to be their daily round after school.

sesame oil shop

탑리, Tap-ri is a small farming village located somewhere in the eastern inland of the peninsula. 탑 Tap means stupa or pagoda in Buddhism. In the center of the village, 5 story pagoda which is over 1000 years old stands on a small hill, looking down on the village.

An edible oil shop can be found in the nearby traditional market. Something is written on the windows of the front door as follows: 참기름 Sesame, 뜰기름 perilla, 식용유 edible vegetable oil and 간장 soy sauce. Many shops around it were renovated and rebuilt, but it seems like that this oil shop has not been changed since being opened first. The signboard says Tap-ri sesame oil shop. Two machines in front of the shop are expeller on the left and roaster. Two wooden chairs on the left look like the same ones that have been used by primary school students about 30 years before.

evergreen tea shop

A rustic coffee shop named 상록수 Sangroksoo meaning evergreen is on the roadside in 청하 Cheongha area near 보경사 Bogyung Buddhist temple. The notice on the door says that it is open for business and the room is air-conditioned. Some plants and flowers can be seen in the little garden in front of the shop. 다방 Dabang in Korean means a room for tea or coffee.

The room on the left side of the building was used as a pub named 상록수 Sangroksoo, now closed, and is available for rent.

two aromatic trees

Dalsung 달성 in Daegu valley had been a mud and stone-reinforced fortress since Silla 신라 dynasty(BC 57 ∼ AD 935). It had been a strategic hub in the valley. But its strategic importance had been diminished since Daegu fortress was built on the plain nearby, which was aimed to defend the valley people from Japanese invasion. In 1970, Dalsung was renovated to become a park and zoo.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Japan had a deliberate intention to colonize Joseon 조선 and proceeded to occupy her. On Jan 12, 1909, Sunjong 순종, the last King of the Joseon Dynasty and Ito Hirobumi 伊藤博文, the resident-General of Joseon together visited Dalsung in Daegu. They planted two aromatic trees in memory that were brought from Japan. When they planted the trees, the ages of the trees were 33 and 66 years old respectively, which were the same as those of King Sunjong and Ito Hirobumi. The trees have grown bigger over 100 years and still stand side by side in the middle of the park, without any signs that indicate the event 100 years ago. A Chinese proverb says "Same bed, different dreams." Looks like their wishes regarding the future of the country were totally different. The tree planted by the King is on the right in the view from the park gate of Dalsung.

About 9 months later after their visit to Daegu, Ito Hirobumi was assassinated in north China by a Korean independence activist. King Sunjong's reign also ended when Japan annexed Joseon as a colony in 1910.

On the Way Home

A group of marathoners taking part in 2009 Daegu International Marathon race is running on the street of downtown Daegu. You can see a strangely dressed runner among them. The marathoner is a Korean Buddhist monk. He puts on the monk robe instead of a marathon wear, unlike the other marathoners, even when running.

Online news reports said that he resolved to start out in the marathon to spread Buddhism and has participated in marathon races including ultramarathon several times. He is now an abbot monk of a Buddhist temple somewhere in the southern region.

Something Forgotten

Japanese colonialists completed a single track railway in 1905, connecting 한양 Hanyang, the capital of 조선 Joseon dynasty and 부산 Busan, the largest port city on the peninsula. Hanyang is the previous name of 서울 Seoul. The railway had many curved sections so steam locomotives couldn't run fast and it took about 30 hours from Seoul to Busan. Five months later, steam express locomotives were introduced to shorten the running time, which was cut down to 11 hours.

Japanese imperialists opened a war against China in 1937, needed a railway to transport war materials faster so that they completed the double track railway later, completely separated from the first one. The second railway was a modernized one whose track was more straight.

The old first railway had been abandoned since the new one was opened to traffic. Since then, many sections of the railroad have disappeared due to urban and rural development, or new roads were built on the site of the old railway. Some tunnel on the railway is used for persimmon wine cellar whose name is wine tunnel 와인 터널, located near the pass between 청도 Cheongdo and 경산 Gyeongsan. Some section of the railroad with two tunnels, located near 밀양 Miryang, was paved and used as a car road. The single track railway is not wide enough for two cars to pass, so one of two cars heading in the other direction should wait at the tunnel entrance while the other one passes through it.

Raw Fish Slices

The restaurants specialized in sliced raw fish can be seen along the busy streets in harbors on the coasts of the Korean peninlsula. Sliced raw fish, 회, Hoe, is one of Korean favorite dishes, which is the same as Sashimi in Japan. The above photo shows a saltwater fish aquarium equipped in the front of raw fish restaurant located in some harbor, on the eastern coast. Aquarium is applied as a temporary storage to keep the live fish fresh until ready to serve. A landing net is used to catch the fish out of the aquarium, which is thinly sliced into bite-size pieces.

Sliced raw fish are served with red pepper sauce flavored with vinegar, Gochunaengi 고추냉이(Green horseradish), soy sauce mixed with vinegar and pine-nut meal, white cabbage, garlic, green chilli, sesame leaves. The aquarium fish of the restaurants along the coast are mostly wild caught. But to meet the needs, it has been known that some fish are transported from the hatcheries located along the western and southern coasts. Most inland raw-fish restaurants use fish raised in farms. The most popular main ingredients for sliced raw fish are flatfish, southern conger eel, armorclad rockfish, oyster, spiny turban shell, cuttlefish, octopus, abalone, yellowtail, snapper, mullet, halibut, gizzard shad and tuna.

Judgement

Once upon a time, there lived an old man who owned a wonderful horse on the frontier of China. One day, the horse jumped a fence and ran away. His neighbors came to comfort him. But he looked so peaceful and serene. He said, "Don't judge, who can say this may be good or bad?"

A few months later, the horse returned home and came back along with a group of horses. His neighbors came around again. The old man was congratulated by them, but he said: "Don't judge, who can say this may be good or bad?"

A few days later, his son went out riding on the horse, fell down from the new horse and had his leg broken. Everyone in the village came to comfort him again. However, the old man said, "Don't judge, who can say this may be good or bad?"

Some days later, the country where the old man lived got engaged in the war against its neighborhood, so all the young men in the village were drafted to fight in the war. Most draftees were killed in the battle. However, his son was not conscripted to fight in the war because he was a cripple. Everyone in the village said to the old man, "Your son is so lucky." However, the old man said, "Don't judge, who can say this may be good or bad?"

Winter Delicacy

Pacific herrings are dried on the seashore located in Yeongdeok region, a county along the eastern coast. Fish internal organs are removed and put on the bank of the sea. Seagulls gather to eat them.

For the regional people along the eastern coast during the winter season, enjoying little dried Pacific herrings together with dried laver, red pepper sauce flavored with vinegar, brown seaweed, white cabbage, garlic, green chili and onion used to be a local delicacy. Little dried pacific herrings are garnished with dried laver, green onion, and brown seaweed to get rid of the fishy smell. The fishes are usually eaten, wrapped in the dried laver or white cabbage, together with others prepared. Their skins are so tough that they should be peeled off first and the flesh cut into bite-size pieces.

Little dried Pacific herrings have recently gained considerable popularity across the country. But these days Pacific sauries are currently used instead of Pacific herrings which are not caught enough to meet the needs.