Harbor & Backstreet

Sea view from the outer harbor of Gampo 감포 last January. Gampo is one of the major fishing harbors somewhere along the eastern coast. Squids and Octopus are the main fish species. Unique fishing gears for octopus meet the eye along the pier.

The Japanese erected a monument to celebrate the building of the harbor during the colonial age. It has been neglected at the corner since independence. Gampo is surrounded by hills, so most of the dwellings are nestled in the hillside slopes. Tourists can picture this public bathhouse flourishing for a while. The tall chimney and steam sign drawn on it were once the typical scene to attract customers' attention. The right one is seen from behind. Already closed down.

Shops are lined up along the street in front of the public bathhouse. The other one shows the locked door of the nearby old mill. The backstreet of Gampo affords us glimpses into the ordinary lives of villagers, along with the remains of the colonial age.

Winggye Trail

Winggye 윙계 is the name of a side valley in the southern mountain area in Daegu 대구. Winggye means a valley on the left side; wing means "left", a dialect of wen 왼 and gye "valley." On the way to Jeongdae-ri 정대리, a remote village at the bottom end of the main valley, the road branches off to the left and gets narrower, finally turning into a mountain trail that becomes a little vague. In the past, when public transportation was not available, locals used to walk along this trail in the middle of this valley. The above photo was taken last May at the entrance to Winggye; the ones below were taken at the same place and around the valley this spring.

This walking trail connected western Daegu with southern regions such as Cheongdo 청도 and Miryang 밀양. Since this area is surrounded by mountains, the ancient people traveling through this region seem to choose the lowest pass along the ridge. Winggye is really the finest choice for them to cross this mountain area. Older villagers, who have lived in the area for decades, recall that the trail used to be jam-packed with travelers. Since the new road opened, it has become almost deserted.

It was getting warmer. Cherry trees came into bloom. Winggye Jae 윙계재 is the name of the pass across the mountain ridge, between Winggye and the other side of Cheongdo province; Jae 재 means "pass." Heading southwards, the trail leads up the gentle slope and becomes steep near the ridge. Trail markers sit on the ridge pass. Four trails lead out from the pass.

Songnae 송내 is the first village that you should reach when you go southwards down the mountain along the trail from Winggye Jae. There used to be a couple of traditional taverns for the travelers in this village who were going to cross the pass or came across it. The pavilion in the photo above, located behind the boulder, marks the site at which a tavern once stood. To its left is a stone stack called Seonangdang 서낭당, which was dedicated to the village guardian deity in local folk belief. Travelers would place stones on the stack and pray for a safe journey, believing that the deity would protect them along the road.

Looking at the mountain range from spring field in the southern district, Gakbuk 각북, you can see Winggye Jae, the lowest spot on the ridgeline in the distance. Walking along the ancient tracks trodden for thousands of years has encouraged people to contemplate life and its meaning.

Heading further southwards, you may reach a bit bigger town named Punggak 풍각. In the old days, people passing near here were likely to stop off at some inns accommodating them with a night's lodging. It takes about 7 and a half hours on foot from western Daegu to here, but the suburban bus covers the distance within half an hour. The photo above shows a bus to Daegu waiting to depart outside the Punggak Bus Terminal, which is currently under repair.

Japanese Artillery in Oiyangpo

Russu-Japanese war in 1904~1905 AD affected Oiyangpo 외양포, a tiny coastal village, located on the southern Gadeokdo 가덕도, an island southwest of Busan 부산. Russian Baltic fleet departed from the Baltic sea to relieve the blockaded and besieged Russian forces at Port Arthur on the Yellow sea in October 1904. It took eight months for the Russian fleet to reach Tsushima Straits.

In 1904, the inhabitants' lands and houses in Oiyangpo were forcibly expropriated according to Korea-Japan Treaty signed in the same year that was the first step to Korea's colonization by Japan. The Korean Government paid compensation to the inhabitants. In 1904, Imperial Japanese army landed Oieyangpo, whose villagers were displaced. The Japanese started soon constructing the artillery headquarter, barracks, attached facilities, etc., and soon after their artillery batteries were deployed. The above photo taken last September is the view from behind the village. Japan was concerned about the possibility that the Russian fleet can attack Jinhae 진해 where Imperial Japanese fleet docked. They thought the Baltic fleet had to pass through the sea around Oiyangpo, one of the strategic points on the way to Jinhae.

After the artillery headquarter moved to Masan in 1911, this military base in Oiyangpo had been maintained for the defense of Busan and Jinhae bays. This view shows the artillery training at Masan 마산 where the Imperial Japanese artillery headquarter was located. The same 280mm howitzers that Japanese used during the Russu-Japanese war can be seen. Like in Oiyangpo, Japan later built 11 bases including one in Jeju island across the coastline and islands in the southern area of the nation to defend itself against the potential attacks that could be launched by Russia in the early 20th century and America during World War II.

The view shows Japanese 280mm howitzers raining shells on the Russia position during the Russo-Japanese war. 

The Japanese artillery in Oiyangpo was cleverly hidden from outside. It can be only seen from the air. It was positioned at the foot of mountain behind the village and constructed with the thick concrete walls. Its plan is rectangular-shaped and reserved several explosive warehouses and noise barriers around. Six 280mm howitzers were deployed in 3 positions, one pair each, which had been maintained until Japan's defeat in World War II. However, there have been no exchanges of fire here. After Japan's defeat, US navy landed Oiyangpo and captured this military base.

The sites where the artillery batteries were deployed had been devastated since independence from Japan. There have been only ruins left. But the barracks where Japanese soldiers stayed remained. The inhabitants displaced in 1904 returned their home and have lived in the barracks since then. The properties of the area have been owned by the government and renovation not permitted. Ironically, strict law enforcement has kept the vestiges of Japanese imperialism alive.

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 likely crossed the river by ferry; it is easy to understand why this place got its name. The photo above shows the view of the river in front of Samunjin about 50 years ago.

The photo taken at the Hangang river in Seoul by an American, William F. Sands(1874~1946) in 1896, shows the typical scenery of the river dock at the time. In March 1900, Richard H. Sidebotham(1874~1908), an American missionary, got off the ferry at Samujin. The ferry he got off was loaded with a piano being brought from America, which was historically the first piano to be introduced into Korea. Porters were hired to carry the piano from here to the Americans' residence downtown. The locals, seeing it for the first time, were curious about what the strange object was 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 porters carrying the piano. The railroad and road networks have been developed since Korea began to modernize, and many river docks, including Samunjin, have been closed. During the colonial period, the 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 for people living in Daegu. However, the number of visitors has 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 the lifestyle of Dasan villagers a lot in recent years.

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

 

Autumn has also come to Samunjin and Jumak. As autumn, the best season of the year, deepens, people prefer to go out on weekends to enjoy the crisp air and beautiful fall scenery. Last Sunday afternoon, it rained 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 has recently become another pleasure in life for avid cyclists. Going up or down the new cycling path along the river makes us feel like 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 path among two-wheelers since the path was opened.

The path 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 the 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 path

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

This riverside cycling path 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 path, 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 path 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 path. 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.