2024-04-06 03:42:46
I got to see Namwon again. It is disrespectful to Namwon to only know it as the stage of Chunhyangjeon. If you take the KTX from Seoul Station, it takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to Namwon Station. It turned out that it was a place where you could see the past, present, and future of our country’s gardens on a day trip. If you’re curious about what love is, you might find your own answer in Namwon. Love of many colors was there.
● Nostalgic love for utopia
Gwanghalluwon in spring is life. The light green new leaves of the weeping willow flutter gently along with the wind. I finally learned what it means to bring spring energy to trees. The 84-length edition of Chunhyangjeon’s ‘Veolnyeo Chunhyang Water Festival’ describes the scenery of Gwanghalluwon as follows. ‘The willows in the front stream are wrapped in a green drapery, and the willows in the back stream are wrapped in a light green drapery, one branch drooping and another branch popping, dancing softly.’
Dozens of Mandarin Ducks, a natural monument, were swimming along with large carp in the pond ‘Yeonji’ in front of Gwanghalluwon. About 10 years ago, when Namwon City blocked the approach of otters that were harming carp and mandarin ducks, a flock of precious mandarin ducks settled near Ojakgyo Bridge. The colors of the mandarin duck are so vivid that it feels like you are in an unreal world. Well, isn’t Gwanghalluwon a place that recreates the heavenly Gwanghanjeon where the Jade Emperor lives?
The name of the pavilion named ‘Gwangtonnu’ by Prime Minister Hwang Hee of Joseon in 1419 was changed by Jeong In-ji, a governor of Jeolla Province, in 1444. It was named ‘Gwanghallu’ after the ‘Gwanghancheongheobu’ in the Moon Palace where the moon beauty Hang-ah lives. With this, Gwanghallu is upgraded from an earthly pavilion to a heavenly palace. Gwanghallu is the moon palace, and Yeonji is the Milky Way. Cross Ojakgyo Bridge, which has four rainbow-shaped holes in the stone bridge, and head to Gwanghallu Pavilion. Is Gyeonwoo, whom I miss, standing at the end smiling? If we meet and part under the soft moonlight, we will have to wait another year.
Gwanghalluwon, which collectively refers to the garden area where Gwanghallu Pavilion is located, is a representative government garden of Joseon and is a scenic spot in Korea. Go up to Gwanghallu Pavilion. The true value of Gwanghallu becomes clear when you enter the interior. When you stand at Gwanghallu, where the spring breeze is blowing, you can see Samsinsan Mountain, the three islands created by Jeong Cheol, an outstanding writer of Joseon. The view from the main building, which has 5 rooms on the front and 4 rooms on the side, is a world of immortals where Yeonji, Ojakgyo, bamboo, crape myrtle, and willow trees come together. The hanging statue hanging in Gwanghallu is ‘Gye-gwan’. It is an allusion to the moon palace with cassia trees.
The 94th Chunhyang Festival will be held at Gwanghalluwon from the 10th to the 16th of next month. The Chunhyang Festival, which began in 1931 during the Japanese colonial era when Namwon residents, residents, and Gwonbeon gisaeng pooled money to build Chunhyang Shrine and held ancestral rites, has grown into Korea’s representative festival.
Gwanghalluwon shines because it does not stop at the old story of Lee Mong-ryong and Seong Chun-hyang. The Gwanghalluwon promotional video released by the Cultural Heritage Administration at the end of last year was shockingly novel. National B-boy ‘Wing’ danced at Ojakgyo Bridge and Gwanghallu, drawings by famous illustrator Nayoung Woo (whose stage name is Obsidian), and music by singer Ahn Sook-seon and the Namwon City Boys and Girls Choir came together. So far, 120,000 people have viewed it.
Isn’t this the direction in which K Garden content will move forward? Lee Sang-seok, chairman of the Natural Monuments Division of the Cultural Heritage Committee, also spoke. “When the National Heritage Administration is launched on the 17th of next month, scenic spots will be classified as natural heritage. “Traditional gardens, our natural heritage where we live in harmony with nature, must establish themselves as a national brand.”
● The love of a famous family that cares for its subordinates
In Namwon, there is also a beautiful Korean private garden, ‘Mongsimjae (夢心齋) Old House’. It is a national folk cultural property located in Hogok-ri, Suji-myeon. As I entered the house, a 150-year-old white magnolia was blooming beautifully in front of the main gate. Red plum and cornelian cherry also announce the arrival of spring.
The name Mongsimjae comes from a poem written by Park Mun-su at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty expressing his loyalty to Jeong Mong-ju. The first line of the poem is, “The willow trees that stand against the village seem like Tao Yuanming is dreaming, and when I climb the mountain, the ferns seem to be pouring out the thoughts of Baek Yi’s homework.” It is derived from the final character ‘mong (夢)’ and the final character of the second line, ‘心’. After the Juksan Park clan moved en masse to Hogok-ri in the early 1700s, Park Mun-su’s 14th-generation descendant, Park Dong-sik, built this house and took ‘Mongsim’ as his family name.
According to Jang Deok-won, the school secretary who manages Mongsimjae, Park Dong-sik’s father, Park Won-yu, who built the house, was excellent at feng shui. In the distance, Gyeondu Mountain surrounds us like a folding screen, and a stream flows in front of the house. To take advantage of the sloping terrain, several buildings were built with different heights front and back.
This house is full of consideration for humans. The pavilion, which was the exclusive space of the Joseon Dynasty nobles, was built to the east of Munganchae and provided as a resting place for servants. Yoyojeong (樂樂亭) means full of joy. Cheonundam, the pond in front of the pavilion, was covered with light green duckweed.
What is surprising is that this space was designed to be invisible from the sarangchae so that subordinates could rest comfortably. The roof on the kitchen side was also extended to allow the women in the main house to rest. The Park family, who successively produced students who passed the university entrance exam, did not receive rent in times of famine. It is ‘noblesse oblige’ that is needed even in today’s era.
Dean Deok-won Jang was a secret gardener expert. As many as 48 types of flowers are preserved in Mongsimjae. Soon, goldenrod, wildflowers, and flax flowers will bloom. In May, the evening primrose flowers blooming in front of the Sarangchae are said to be spectacular. I have to go see those flowers again.
● Inner love that looks into yourself
There is an arboretum called ‘Adamwon’ in Ibaek-myeon, Namwon-si. I went there without any background knowledge and was surprised right from the entrance. It was unusual to see the trees neatly arranged. The cafe, which looked out onto the wide garden through the glass windows, was full of books and flowers. If you go up further, there is an art museum. I never thought I would see works by France’s Niki de Saint Phalle and America’s Robert Moreland here. Adamwon means ‘the garden that talks to me.’
It turned out that the landscaping farm where ‘Korea Landscaping’ used to care for trees was reborn as a garden in 2018. Koryo Landscaping was the predecessor of LF Networks, and Adam One was an LF affiliated company whose shares were owned by the owner family, including LF Chairman Koo Bon-geol. Currently operated by L&C, a subsidiary of LF, the forest is so dense that it is also called ‘Adam’s Forest.’ The ‘Hwadam Forest’ in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, created by the late Koo Bon-moo, former chairman of LG Group, comes to mind.
● The artist who created a local attraction loves his hometown
Namwon Kim Byeong-jong Museum of Art, which opened in 2018, is a country-style art museum surrounded by a forest. Artist Kim Byeong-jong from Namwon donated about 400 of his works to his hometown and they are now operated by Namwon City. The annual number of visitors, mainly young people, reaches 80,000.
The scenery has the power of comfort. The stepped waterscape lapping in front of the white art museum building purifies the mind. Looking at the foot of Jiri Mountain, listening to the birds, and looking at artist Kim’s painting of a light green landscape full of spring energy covered in yellow pine pollen, I feel grateful for life. He is called a ‘life writer’ because he has worked on the theme of life throughout his life.
The exhibition ‘Daily life is everything we have’, currently open, was impressive as it featured works by artist Kim and local artists under the theme of mother’s love. It was also hopeful to see local children visiting and enjoying nature, culture and art together. I was able to reflect on the importance of life and daily life in Namwon.
Namwon = Reporter Kim Seon-mi [email protected]
2024-04-06 03:42:46