Archive for 'Culture'
Cute Korean Children’s Song Posted by Ginny on Aug 31, 2011
There is a popular Korean children’s song that describes some of the features and shapes of faces by using various fruits and vegetables. If you look at the song, the song uses the example of a 호박 (hobak) or squash to describe a characteristic of a face. Generally when someone’s face is said to look…
Traditional Korean Mask Dances Posted by Ginny on Aug 30, 2011
There are several Korean mask dances that are considered important intangible cultural properties because they represent Korean culture and history. The Yangju byeolsandae nori (양주별산대놀이) is a mask dance that is Intangible Cultural Property #2. The dance is from the Yangju Region and is known throughout Gyeonggi Province (경기도). Korean mask dances like this one…
Gyeongju Posted by Ginny on Aug 18, 2011
Gyeongju (경주) was the former capital city of Silla (신라). The Silla Kingdom formerly ruled the Korean Peninsula and traces of its existence can be seen all over Gyeongju. For example, the Cheomseongdae (첨성대) is an astronomical observatory that dates back to the Silla Period. The Cheomseongdae is an important discovery because as of yet…
Korean Festivals in August Posted by Ginny on Aug 3, 2011
August is the last month of the summer and as a result, there are so many counties in Korea that are trying to squeeze in one more festival before the summer ends. One such festival is the Bonghwa Fish Festival (봉화은어축제). The Bonghwa Fish Festival is located in Bonghwa County (봉화군) in Gyeongsangbuk Province (경상북도)…
Lotte World Posted by Ginny on Jul 31, 2011
Have you ever been to Lotte World (롯데월드)? It’s an amusement park in Seoul and it’s a fun place to enjoy all the best rides in one location. This ride is not for the faint of heart: Gyro Swing (자이로스윙) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiQTkFQXLmY This ride is very turbulent. Is that why it’s named the French Revolution (후렌치레불루션)?…
Traditional Korean Circus Posted by Ginny on Jul 23, 2011
The Namsadang Nori (남사당놀이) is a type of traditional Korean circus consisting of performers that dance, sing or perform amazing stunts. The performers of Namsadang were usually people of the lower classes. As a result the Namsadang Nori was held in contempt by upper class Koreans. However today, people crowd in numbers to see…
Large Statues in Korea Posted by Ginny on Jul 15, 2011
There are lots of places in South Korea that have giant and impressive structures that people visit all the time. Take for example the Bongeunsa (봉은사), which is a Buddhist temple that contains a large Buddha statue with a square tile over its head. The Naksansa Temple (낙산사) is famous for its representation of a…