Itinerary of Field Trip around Korea
Monday, June 26th
8-9a.m. Orientation
10a.m.-2:30p.m. Korean Folk Village (Min Sok Chon)
Located 25 miles southeast of Seoul, near the town of Suwon. The trip takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Yonsei University. The Folk Village covers 175 acres; there are more than 250 houses which show a typical rural village of around two centuries ago. This is a living museum, with potters, millers, smiths and other craftsmen at work in the manner of our ancestors. At this one place you may see a kiln site and showroom of porcelain made by a Korean Living Cultural Asset, a wood-burning artist’s store, a Buddhist temple, a Governor’s office with jail, and the largest size nobleman’s house. You may watch the farmer’s dance in the amphitheater, taste traditional Korean food such as Pulkogi, Pindaeddok, Kimchi and the best rice wine (Dong Dong Ju). Many Seoul citizens go there for family picknicking and spend the whole day enjoying the beautiful scenery.
7p.m. Check-in and dinner at Kyongju Chosen Hotel
Kyungju, the site of the ancient capital city of the Shilla Kingdom (57 B.C. - 935 A.D.) is a Mecca of Korean tourism, with its innumerable relics and historical sites reminiscent of 1,000 years of glory. Over two thousand years ago, there arose three widely separated kingdoms. First during the days when Caesar was ruler of Rome, the Shilla realm appeared in the southeast. It later came to unify the Korean peninsula under one government for the first time and drive out the Chinese allies who had sent assisting armies. Kyungju is located about 260 miles southeast of Seoul. All the houses within the city walls were roofed with tile. The estimated population of the capital was one million inhabitants, 10 times the size of the present small city. In December [1999], during a UNESCO conference held in Thailand, Kyungju was selected as one of ten ancient historic cities throughout the entire world.
Tuesday, June 27th
8:30-9:30a.m. Sokkulam Grotto
Created during the reign of King Kyong-Dok (Mid-8th century), the Sokkulam Grotto is now estimated by world scholars to be the most unique and classically beautiful piece of Buddhist Sculpture in the Far East. Legends tell us that Kim Dae-Sung built the Sokkulam for the parents of his previous life when he had lived as the son of a poor widow. Pulguk-Sa temple was built for the parents of his second life.
Overlooking spectacular scenery with the sea on the horizon, the grotto catches the first rays of the rising sun. According to the legend in the Samguk Yusa (Legend of the Three Kingdoms), Kim Dae-Sung, the artisan of Sokkulam, was carving the circular dome ceiling rock when it suddenly broke into three piece. He wept bitterly and fell into a trance. He dreamed that celestial beings descended and repaired this crucial ceiling stone. Kim Dae-Sung awoke and immediately saw that the stone was restored to its position; however, the three cracks can still be seen.
9:40-11:40a.m. Pulguk-sa Temple
This temple remains one of the most remarkable achievements of Buddhist-inspired architecture in the ancient Far East. Under Chong-un-kyo (Blue Cloud Bridge) was once a small fish pond. This pond represented the pure land of Buddha or the Western Paradise. As a pilgrim mounts these steps to cross the Blue Cloud Bridge, he symbolically leaves the world of suffering behind to enter Buddha's Country or Pulguk.
2-3:40p.m. Tour of Hyundai Motor Company
1. Established on the 29th of Dec., 1967
2. Total number of employees: 44,803 persons (Head Office: 9,999 plant: 34,804)
3. Annual sales turnover: US $10.5 billion
4. Plant area: 2,325 Acres
5. Product line-up
Passenger Car - Avante, Avante Touring, Stella, Sonata III, Marcia, Tiburon, Grandeur, Accent, Dynasty
Commercial Veh. - Bus (City, Sightseeing, Express, Mini, Medium-size), Truck (1 - 21.5 ton), Special purpose veh. (Mixer truck, Tank lorry, Ambulance, etc.)
6. Annual Production Capacity
Passenger Car: 1,080,000 Units
Commercial Veh.: 247,411 Units
Total: 1,327,411 Units
7. Sales Agents
Domestic: 746,067
Abroad: 472,813
4:20-5:20p.m. Chunma-Chong Tomb/Chumsungdae Observatory/Boonwhang-sa Temple Site/Anap-ji Lake
Chonma-Chong: Between 1973-75 several Shilla tombs were excavated under government sanction. Many gold art treasures including crowns, pendants and jewelery were bought to light. A "white horse" painting delecately designed on a birchbark saddle guard was discovered in near-perfect condition in a 5th century tomb (Tumulus 155). Called the "Heavenly Horse Tomb," it opened in 1975 as a museum in Tomb Park and is now one of Kyongju's most popular attractions.
Anap-ji (Duck and Geese Lake): Made in the actual shape of the Unified Shilla Kingdom, the pond attests to the skill of ancient Korean cartographers as well as to the ability of its engineers. Here adn there you can spot parts of the stone drainage system and natural rocks brought from the distant seaside. With its twin islets and many tiny lagoons, Anan-Ji was, in fact, designated to represent the infinity of the sea. It was at this spot, in the year 935, that the last King of Shilla surrendered to invading forces and the kingdom came to an end.
Wednesday, June 28th
2-3p.m. Sunkyo-Jang House & Ojook-Hun House
Sunkyo-Jang House: Sunkyo-Jang, located in Kangnung City, Kangwon Province, is an example of the largest size of private house allowed in the Yi Dynasty. Yi Ku, one of the nobles of the Yi Dynasty, lived there.
It is designated as Important Folk Material No.5. This house has been used by Yi Ku's descendants since he built it. Among the surviving buildings are Haengrang, Naedang, Sarang, Byuldang, and Jungja. Hwalraejung, a pavilion, is a rather large-scaled edifice, considering that it belongs to a private house.
Sarang, called Yulwha-dang, contains thousands of books. Among these books, "Yongbiochonga" and "History of the Koryo Dynasty" are regarded as treasures.
Ojook-Hun House: Ojook-hun is a wooden house, designated as National Treasure No. 165, where Yi I, a great thinker and statesman of Yi Dynasty, was born.
Originally, it was known as the house of Choi Eung-Hyun who was Vice-minister of Defense as well as Advisor to the King in the Yi Dynasty. The name Ojook-hun came from the fact that Ojook (black bamboo) grew around the house. The house, also surrounded by thick pine woods, offers fresh air and a tranquil atmosphere.
After the government completed its Ojook-hun Purification Project it became the second largest historical sanctuary in Korea. (Hyun-Choong Sa, which pays tribute to Admiral Yi Soon-Shin, is the largest.)
4:30p.m. Check-in at Sorak National Park Hotel
The Sorak (Snow Peak) range, which is part of the Diamond Mountains which are now mostly in North Korea, is considered one of the world's most spectacular natural wonders. Sorak Mountain, located along the east coast north of the city of Kangnung, is the 3rd highest peak in South Korea, next to Halla-san and Chiri-san. The dense forests bordering crystal clear streams which tumble over cataracts and drop from precipices to form fleecy waterfalls, as well as awesome sawtooth cliffs spiraling into the blue skies, give this area an unparalleled popularity.
Naksan-sa Temple: Naksan-sa is a temple which was built by Buddhist Priest Euisang in 671 A.D. during the Shilla Dynasty. It was burnt during the Korean War, and the existing building was reconstructed in 1953. The temple is well-known for having one of the eight best landscapes in Kangwon Province. Such edifices as Euisang-dae, Hongryon-am Hermitage and Haesoo Buddhist Goddess of Mercy are located within the temple and contribute to its beauty.
Euisang-dae is located on a seaside cliff east of the Naksan-sa Temple. The place is named Euisang-dae since it was the place where Buddhist Priest Euisang of the Shilla Dynasty stayed.
Hongryon-am Hermitage in the Temple is located on a seaside rock cave 30 meters north of the Euisang-dae.
Haesoo Buddhist Goddess of Mercy is a Buddhist statue on the summit of Sinsun-bong Peak of Naksan-sa Temple. It is known as the biggest statue Buddha standing in Asia. The statue was carved by Mr. Kwon Jung-Hwan which took him five years to finish, from 1972 to 1977. It is said that Mr. Kwon offered prayers every day for five years, and he carved the face seven times to carve an ideal image.
Thursday, June 29th
9:40-11:30a.m. Kwonkeumsung & Shinhung-sa Temple
Kwonkum-sung Castle: Kwonkum-sung is located on the summit of a precipitous stone mountain rising 800 meters above sea level. Reaching the spacious mountain top, tourists will find an enormous 16-square-meter boulder and a 2,000-meter-long stone wall surrounding the mountain fortress. Although the exact date of construction is unknown, the castle is said to have been built some 1,500 years ago during the Shilla Kingdom as defense against outside invasion or rebellions by local bandits. The castle is named after the two military heroes (Kwon and Kim) who are said to have built it.
Shinhung-sa: A temple called Hyangsong-sa was first constructed on this site in 632 A.D. by Priest Chajang During the reign of Queen Sondok of Shilla. Priest Chajang, coming from the ranks of Shilla nobility, chose the way of the Buddha and isolated himself deep in the mountains for study and meditation. As a young boy his keen mind quickly grasped the rich pleasure of learning and scholarship, so he could have advanced rapidly in court politics. The Shilla ruler, realizing his abilities, constantly required that Chajang accept an official position in the government and finally threatened him with the death penalty if he did not obey. Chajang calmly replied, "I would rather die keeping the laws of Buddha for only one day than live for one hundred years while breaking them." Seeing the wisdom of his answer, the wise ruler then permitted this noble-born son to continue his austere life in the Buddhist priesthood. After many renovations this temple was destroyed by fire in 1842 and rebuilt in 1847. At the time of this final reconstruction, the temple's name was changed to Shinhung-sa. There are now seven buildings.
2:30-4:30p.m. Unification Observatory
The Unification Observatory is located in the very north of the Uisangdae Pavilion. On a clear day you can see the famous Mt. Kumgangsan in North Korea. The Observatory is a symbol of the Korean people's long-cherished desire for the reunification of the two Koreas.
Friday, June 30th
9a.m.-4:30p.m. Return to Yonsei University
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