2024-04-27 10:25:40
“This mountain~ That mountain~ Flowers are blooming~ It must be spring! Spring has come, but the world is lonely… .” (from Danga’s ‘Sacheolga’)
Daedunsan (大芚山), known as the ‘Geumgangsan Mountain of the Honam’, is now in full bloom with azaleas. This is because spring comes late at the summit, which is 878m above sea level. The red sun rising through the undulating 6km ridge of over 1,000 peaks fills the heart with grandeur. Coming down to the Surak Valley of Daedunsan Mountain, the traditional Korean music rhythm heard in the mountain villages of Nonsan beckons us to take a break and regret the passing of spring.
●Nakjodae sunrise and Sangrime
Daedunsan Mountain spans Nonsan and Geumsan in South Chungcheong Province and Wanju in Jeollabuk-do. The Chungnam side is a ‘Yuksan (肉山)’ with soft forests and valleys, and the Jeonbuk side is a Golsan (骨山) with spectacular strangely shaped rocks and cliffs, showing two charms at the same time. The most popular course is to take the cable car up from Wanju. The shortest course to climb Daedunsan Mountain on foot is from the parking lot of Geumsan Taegosa Temple.
Daedunsan Mountain’s second peak, Nakjodae, is a famous spot known for its beautiful sunrises and sunsets. I visited Nakjodae for a sunrise hike. The summit of Nakjodae is 859m above sea level, and the Taegosa Temple located at the foot of the mountain below is about 660m above sea level. If you park your car at the Taegosa Temple parking lot and hike up, you can reach the summit in less than an hour. When I arrived at the parking lot around 5 a.m., I could already see five or six vehicles driven by hikers. As I climb the mountain relying on the light of the lantern, I can hear the cool sound of water coming from the valley. Saengseongdae (735m above sea level), which consists of a rock peak and rock wall near Nakjodae, is also a famous sunrise spot. It is a famous place for taking a photo with the rising sun while sitting next to a pine tree growing on a rock.
After passing the ridge where azaleas are in bloom, we finally reach the summit of Sunset Observatory. The mountains covered in layers are shoulder to shoulder and float ahead and behind. Within it, the reddish energy of the sun and the green mountain energy flow here and there.
The Sea of Clouds is a sea of clouds. An island floating on the sea and a mountain peak floating on a sea of clouds are basically the same thing. At this moment, beauty will soon become longing. I met the mountain of my life at Daedun Mountain in the early morning.
Taegosa Temple, a thousand-year-old temple located beneath Nakjodae, is located in a famous place that was selected by Master Wonhyo during the reign of King Sinmun of Silla as one of the 12 scenic sites. It is said that Master Wonhyo found this temple site and danced for three days with joy. It is said that Manhae Han Yong-un also highly praised the prospects of ancient history.
On the way up to Taegosa Temple, you must pass through a door between the rocks that serves as the Iljumun Gate. The word ‘Seokmun (石門)’ is engraved on this rock, said to have been written by Uam Song Si-yeol, the leader of Noron in the late Joseon Dynasty, when he was studying at Taegosa Temple. Geungnakbojeon and Sambuljeon of Taegosa Temple, located under the peak of Daedunsan Mountain, show their beauty. While looking around the ancient temple, a puppy with fluffy white fur follows you. Is it because I haven’t seen anyone in a long time? The white dog rubs its body against my leg, bites my shoe lightly, and even hops in front of me. Suddenly a question arises: Why are there always more white dogs than yellow or black dogs living in temples?
●Ulssu! A mountain village with traditional Korean music
If you come down from Daedunsan Mountain towards Surak Valley, you will come to Deokgok 2-ri, Beolgok-myeon, Nonsan-si. In the quiet mountain village below Daedunsan Mountain’s Wolseongbong Peak, pansori and Korean traditional music performances to the exciting drum beat can be heard on the wind. The Mountain Village Concert (24th this year) has been held at the end of every year at this village performance hall since 1999. 600 to 700 Korean traditional music artists and audiences, including national pansori, gayageum byeongchang, geomungo daegeum, ajaeng sanjo, and Korean dancers, will flock to the event. Also, at the first full moon moon house burning festival, about 300 residents gather and perform grand Nongak performances such as samulnori.
The reason why the Daedunsan Mountain Concert is so successful is because master Kim Cheong-man (78), the holder of the 5th National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Pansori, lives here. Master Kim, who was born in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do and has been playing percussion his entire life since the 5th grade of elementary school, is the best existing pansori traditionalist, having served as a member of the National Changgeuk Company and artistic director of the National Gugak Center. He has been leading the Daedun Mountain Mountain Concert for 24 years, and 14 years ago, he settled here and built Geoyeondang to train younger students.
Pansori is designated as an intangible cultural asset by each school, but those who are designated as intangible cultural assets as drum beaters are precious. As the saying goes, ‘one master, two master singers,’ the role of the master is absolutely essential in leading the complete pansori performance, which takes 4 to 6 hours. This village is visited by 200 to 300 people a year, not only those who learn traditional techniques, but also various traditional artists such as pansori practitioners and practitioners, performers, and dancers. The establishment of a national intangible cultural heritage transmission center to publicize and preserve the history of Pansori, a world intangible cultural heritage, is being promoted. Master Kim said, “There are 7 types of drum beats in Pansori alone, and if you look at each school, the number expands to 35 types. The fact that there are such diverse percussion beats shows how colorful our folk music is.”
The amazing thing about this village is that not only professional artists but also villagers learn drum beats from living cultural assets. Residents receive free drum beat and sound lessons from master Kim every Wednesday and Thursday at 3 p.m. When the reporter visited, it was the day of the training. People sang pansori songs such as Heungbo’s ‘Hwachojang Taryeong’ and ‘Sacheolga’ to the master’s drum beat.
“In 2020, when COVID-19 was at its peak, among the students who came to see Mr. Kim, there was one who was good at Sacheolga. I memorized it and sang along with it, and Teacher Kim said, ‘I know you’re copying it by looking at the shape of your mouth, but you sang it in such a weird way. He said, ‘Come tomorrow and learn the rhythm first.’ So he became the village’s number one disciple. Originally, he didn’t know anything about Korean traditional music, but after learning the rhythm first and matching the beat, he came to feel the excitement and fun of the sound.” (Ahn Young-ok · 59)
The residents who learn ancient methods from Master Kim in Deokgok-ri are people who worked as teachers, civil servants, or office workers before retiring and returning to the village. Deokgok-ri, where culture and arts flow from Korean music and Korean painting to Korean archery in the garden and park golf (a type of golf played in the park), overcame the crisis of population extinction and the influx of people from Daejeon and other places increased, so much so that another village called Deokgok 2-ri was created. all.
Kim Nam-sik (72), a former teacher, said, “There are many professional artists across the country who want to sing and dance to Mr. Kim’s old techniques at least once, but even though we are amateurs, everyone is envious of us because we learn from an intangible cultural asset.”
In the center of Daedunsan Gugak Village, which is about 66,000 m2 (about 20,000 pyeong), there is a small stream flowing and a garden. In addition to traditional Korean music classes, photo exhibitions and Korean painting classes are also held at the World Sharing Center library here. The drum rhythm and pansori combined with the sound of the stream create a wonderful sense of style. Kim Gap-soo, CEO of World Sharing Center, said, “Korea’s old gardens are more than just pavilions where you can enjoy nature such as flowers, trees, and ponds; they are also cultural and artistic spaces where you can write poetry, draw pictures, and enjoy music.” He added, “It is a traditional Korean music experience as a community where you can learn and enjoy culture and arts.” “I’m dreaming of a village,” he said.
●Surak Reservoir where Daedunsan Mountain is reflected
Nonsan Surak Valley, one of Daedunsan Mountain’s hiking courses, is spectacular with its clear water flowing from Seokcheonam through Gunja Valley and the scenery of Surak Falls (Hwarang Falls) and Seonnyeo Falls. There is Surak Reservoir at the entrance to Surak Valley in Beolgok-myeon, and there is a trail that offers a panoramic view of the peaks of Daedunsan Mountain, such as Macheondae and Nakjodae, reflected in the water.
It is a small reservoir that supplies irrigation water for agricultural purposes, and there is a 2km long wooden path nearby, so even a couple with a baby can comfortably walk around it in 30 minutes. It is also a famous spot where you can take a ‘reflection shot’ where the peak of Daedunsan Mountain is accurately reflected in the lake like decalcomania. There are many cafes around the lake where various spring flowers bloom and fall.
Nonsan = Reporter Jeon Seung-hoon raphy@donga.com
2024-04-27 10:25:40