Monthly Archives: February 2012

history Korean culture Stories, legends & people videos

More Dangsan Namu (당산나무): KTV Documentary in 4 Parts

Since we’ve been on the subject of Dangsan Namu (당산나무) lately, I posting a KTV documentary I found on Youtube about Korean Dangsan Namu.  The documentary is in 4 parts, though unfortunately only the first and second seconds have English subs.  Even so, parts 1 and 2 are enough to a give a sense of the rich variety of legends surrounding the Dangsan Namu in Korean folklore.  Part 2 even includes details on the traditional village ceremonies honoring the Dangsan Namu on Daeboreum (대보름), which I talked about a few weeks ago.   Unfortunately my Korean’s not good enough to make much sense of the Korean narration in parts 3 and 4, but I’m including them below anyways.  If any Korean speakers would like to chime in with a summary in the comments section, I’d definitely appreciate it ;-) read more »

Share
Gyeongju News

New Goenka Vipassana Meditation Center Open near Gyeongju

Bakdal Vipassana Meditation Center, Gyeongju

Bakdal Vipassana Meditation Center, Gyeongju

Folks who are interested in meditation will want to know that a new center for Vipassana meditation, as taught by S.N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, has recently opened in Bakdal Village in the mountains south of Gyeongju.  The center is scheduled to host monthly 10 day silent meditation retreats over the next year, and hopefully longer.  Although based on the teachings of early Buddhism, these meditation courses are nonsectarian and open to anyone of any faith or belief system, or lack thereof.  During the courses the students are instructed in three complementary meditation techniques: Anapana meditation focusing observing one’s breathing, Vispassana meditation which entails observing one’s bodily sensations, and Mettapana, or “loving-kindness” meditation.    The center has already successfully run two 10 day silent meditation courses in December and January and is preparing to run two more, starting next Monday February 27th through March 9th and from March 13th through the 24th .  There are still spaces available for men and women in both courses as well as in the monthly courses to follow.  All courses are run entirely on a donation basis and the funding for each course has already been provided by previous donors and participants.  read more »

Share
Events Festivals Gyeongju history holidays photography Shamanism Temples & shrines

Photos: A Dangsan Tree (당나무) on Daeboreum (대보름)

Dangsan Tree on Daeboreum Holiday in Gyeongju

Dangsan Tree on Daeboreum Holiday in Gyeongju

If you’ve checked your calendar recently, you might have noticed that last Monday night was a full moon.  In fact, it was the first full moon after Seollal (설날), or Lunar New Years , here in Korea, which marks it as the holiday of Daeboreum (대보름).   Daeboreum has been traditionally celebrated with a massive bonfire , music, and dancing, making it one of my favorite Korean holidays.  In fact, I’ve already posted twice on Daeboreum, with both photos and video of the Gyeongju’s Daeboruem bonfire a few years back, so I won’t say too much here about the holiday itself. read more »

Share
Sites to see tips for tourists Yeongcheon

Yeongcheon National Cemetery (국립영천호국원): Memorial to the Fallen the Korean War

Yeongcheon National Cemetery and Memorial

Yeongcheon National Cemetery and Memorial

Back in the U.S., the Korean War is often referred to as the “Forgotten War.”  It might be said then in S. Korea that it’s a war the people would like to forget, but can’t.  Looking around at all the high rise buildings, cell phone shops and internet cafes, it is difficult to imagine that just a few generations ago this country was torn apart by a devastating civil war that cost millions of lives and left most of the peninsula in smoldering ruins.  Yet the horrendous suffering of the war, along with the rending in half of a nation and people, are buried deep in the Korean national psyche. read more »

Share
Content Protected Using Blog Protector By: PcDrome.