Archive for 'Culture'
Jeongseon Arirang Posted by Ginny on May 31, 2011
There are several renditions of a traditional Korean song called Arirang (아리랑). These different renditions are named after the county in which they are from. My favorite Arirang rendition by far is the one from Jeongseon County. It’s called Jeongseon Arirang (정선 아리랑) and the singer that is best associated with this song is a…
Great Korean Kings Posted by Ginny on May 29, 2011
There are only a few Korean kings that have the title “Great” in their name. What does it take to be known as “Great”? Let’s find out! Probably the most well known Korean king that has the title of being called a great king is King Sejong the Great (세종대왕). King Sejong is best known…
Korean Tombs Posted by Ginny on May 26, 2011
One of the ways in which archeologists study the past is by studying the tombs left from the past. In Korea, there are many sites that contain tombs from various periods in Korean history. Let’s take a look at some of these tombs: The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (조선왕릉) is located in Gyeonggi…
Korean Butterfly Song Posted by Ginny on May 12, 2011
There’s a very famous children’s song about butterflies that probably almost every Korean child knows. Here’s the video of the song with the lyrics below. For those of you who don’t know how to read Hangul yet, the pronunciation is in parentheses. The meanings are in brackets. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN6jtj_63is 나비야 나비야 (nabiya nabiya) [Hey butterfly, Hey…
Markets in South Korea Posted by Ginny on May 9, 2011
Everyone knows about outdoor markets like Dongdaemun and Namdaemun, but did you know there are other outdoor markets in South Korea? Seongdong Market (성동시장) is one of the largest traditional outdoor markets in the city of Gyeongju (경주), which is located in Gyeongsangbuk Province (경상북도). It’s just like the fruits, vegetables and seafood that you…
Korean Festivals in May Posted by Ginny on May 4, 2011
The month of May is a merry time for festivals in South Korea. Have you been to the Yeoncheon Jeongokri Paleolithic Festival (연천전곡리 구석기축제)? I love this festival because you can learn about how Paleolithic people lived, through live demonstrations. The festival will start on May 4th and end on May 8th. It will take…
Korean Mask Dances Posted by Ginny on Apr 28, 2011
There are certain traditional Korean mask dances that are considered by the Korean government as important cultural assets of Korea. One of these mask dances is called Bongsan Talchum (봉산탈춤). It’s a dance that originated from the Bongsan region in Hwanghae Province (황해도). Korean mask dances are often performances that satirize different classes of Korean…