Category Archives: Korean culture

Bulguk-dong Food & drink Gyeongju restaurants tips for tourists

Restaurant Review #19: Bomun Does Vegetarian Part 2- Ssukbu Jaengi (쑥부쟁이) Restaurant

05/26/2011 – 15:07
Ssukbu Jaengi Vegetarian Restaurant, Gyeongju

Ssukbu Jaengi Vegetarian Restaurant, Gyeongju

If you’ve read any of my restaurant reviews on here on the blog, you’ve probably noticed  I don’t bother ratings restaurants with crap like forks, stars, or hearts.  I’m a busy guy.  I figure if a restaurant’s blasé or bad (and Gyeongju ‘s got its share of those) then it’s not worth writing about.  Also, everyone has different tastes, especially when it comes to cuisine as unique, flavorful (and sometimes challenging)  as Korean.   Giving a sundae (순대)restaurant four out of five stars (or toothpicks or whatever) doesn’t mean much if thought of blood sausage turns your stomache. All that said, for its combination of quality food, reasonable prices and tasteful traditional décor, I’d about give Ssukbu Jaengi (쑥부쟁이) five out of five stars.  It’s just that good, and it happens to be vegetarian. read more »

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Bomun Resort Food & drink Gyeongju restaurants tips for tourists

Restaurant Review #18: Bomun Does Vegetarian Part 1- Dayoo (다유) Restaurant

05/18/2011 – 16:50
Da-yoo Vegetarian Restaurant, Bomun Resort

Da-yoo Vegetarian Restaurant, Bomun Resort

Although it’s not quite enough to call a trend, a couple vegetarian restaurants have sprung up around Bomun Resort (보문단지) in the last few years which, for a country that generally considers eating meat equal with common sense, is a pretty big deal.  Perhaps the frequent media scares over livestock-borne diseases, like mad cow, foot and mouth and avian flu, are beginning to turn some Koreans off from their gleefully carnivorous diets.  Whatever the case, it certainly helps the vegetarian cause that both Dayoo (다유) and Ssookboo Jaengi (쑥부쟁이) restaurants near Bomun serve excellent traditional Korean vegetarian food.  And, contrary to the popular belief among Korean school kids, this is not a contradiction in terms. read more »

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Buddhist culture Chunghyo-dong Events Festivals holidays photography Temples & shrines

Buddha’s Birthday (석가탄신일) at Yeongheungsa Temple (영흥사), May 2010

05/10/2011 – 15:50
Buddha's Birthday at Yeongheungsa Temple, Gyeongju

Buddha's Birthday at Yeongheungsa Temple, Gyeongju

In case you missed it the last few dozen times I’ve said it, let me just say again:  Buddha’s Birthday is my favorite holiday in Korea.  On Buddha’s Birthday, or “Seokgatanshinil” (석가탄신일) as it’s called in Korean, the Buddhist faithful hang lanterns bearing prayers and wishes all around the temples, which serve free vegetarian Bibimbap for lunch or dinner.   The larger temples often host free concerts and cultural performances in the afternoon, but what really makes Buddha’s Birthday special for me is the Lantern Parade held after sundown at historical temples like Bulguksa and Tongdosa. read more »

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Arts & crafts Events Festivals Hwangseong-dong photography shopping tips for tourists

2011 Gyeongju Ceramics Festival Photos

05/05/2011 – 11:10
Gyeongju Ceramics Festival

Gyeongju Ceramics Festival

Somehow I always forget about the annual Gyeongju Shilla Ceramics Festival. It’s not that I hate Korean pottery or anything. (In fact, I’m a proud owner of several Korean tea sets). Rather, the fine folks over at Gyeongju’s City Hall always double book the Ceramics Festival along side other big events (which actually isn’t as daft as it might seem since it helps draw in the crowds). In years past it ran literally next to the Liquor and Rice Cake Festival in Hwanseong Park. This year however it’s providing a nice cultural courter point to the adrenaline fueled Taekwondo Championships next door in Hwangseong Gymnasium. There seem to be a lot more artists at the Ceramics Festival then in years past and they’ve got a few hands on activities for the youngsters, as well as other types of traditional crafts for sale. The Ceramics Festival runs through this weekend and finishes up on Sunday the May 8th, a few days longer then the WTF Championships. If your around, check it out as it’s a great opportunity for some early Christmas (or belated Mother’s Day) shopping. read more »

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Events Festivals Food & drink Gyeongju holidays Music & dance tips for tourists

2011 Spring Events: Cherry Blossoms, Marathon, Liquor Festival, Martial Arts and More

03/31/2011 – 09:07
Gyeongju Cherry Blossoms

Gyeongju Cherry Blossoms

It’s finally beginning to feel a bit like spring around Gyeongju, which means we’re just days away from that magical season when the cherry trees begin to bud and then blossom.  Entire streets in Gyeongju turn into marshmallow wonderlands and romantic couples stroll through flurries of pink petals.  I already posted last spring on some of the best places in town to check out the cherry blossoms, like at Kim Yu-shin’s tomb and the ruins of Banwolseong fortress, so I won’t repeat myself here.  Korea’s wizards of meteorology have gazed into their crystal balls and have predicted Gyeongju’s cherry flowers (벚꽃)  will begin blossoming between now and April 8th and that the peak season this year should be April 6th – 15th. read more »

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Food & drink Gyeongju Hwangnam-dong restaurants tips for tourists

Restaurant Review #17: Hwangnam Maetdol Sundubu Restaurant (황남 맷돌 순두부)

03/13/2011 – 00:01
Hwangnam Maetdol Sundubu Restaurant, Gyeongju

Hwangnam Maetdol Sundubu Restaurant, Gyeongju

Growing up I never cared much for mushrooms. Like a lot of kids I guess, I found them bland and boring. Then again, this was back in the culinary dark ages of the 80’s when the supermarkets only stocked button mushrooms and nobody had yet uttered the word “foodie.”  In the 90’s my tastes changed drastically (in more ways than one) and I learned to love the grilled portobello mushroom sandwiches at the local vegetarian café.  Still, I wasn’t going to blow several hours pay from my (then) minimum wage job to buy a pack of expensive mushrooms at the neighborhood grocery store. read more »

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Events Festivals Gyeongju history Hwangseong-dong Korean culture tips for tourists

2011 Taekwondo World Championships (세계태권도선수권 대회)

03/07/2011 – 17:18
Official Taekwondo World Championships Poster (from 2011taewondo.org)

Official Taekwondo World Championships Poster (from 2011taewondo.org)

Recent visitors to Gyeongju might be a bit befuddled by the flashy banners hung all over town proclaiming “2011 Gyeongju WTF!”  No, this is not another misguided English marketing slogan sponsored by the Gyeongju Tourism Board (“Historopia” anyone?).  And if you stop sniggering for a minute, I’ll be happy to explain.  This spring Gyeongju is proudly hosting the 2011 World Championships of the World Taekwondo Federation.  But then, you probably already guessed that from the title of this post. read more »

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Arts & crafts Buddhist culture history Stories, legends & people Temples & shrines

Zen Legends- Part 2: Bodhidharma (달마) and the Severed Arm of Dazu Huike

02/27/2011 – 10:26

Continued from part 1…

Painting of Bodhidharma and Dazu Huike, Heungryusa Temple

Painting of Bodhidharma and Dazu Huike, Heungryusa Temple

Usually built in the mountains, a lot of folks enjoy visiting Korea’s Buddhist Temples for their relaxing atmosphere and serene architecture.  Appropriately, most temple buildings are decorated with mystical portraits of Bodhisattvas, pastoral images of the Ox Hearder Parable, or scenes from the life of the Buddha.   Occasionally though temple visitors come across violent or gruesome paintings that clash with the otherwise tranquil vibe.  In one such image, you might find a monk bowing before a grumpy-looking figure seated in a cave, offering him a severed arm on a leaf!  This bizarre and unsettling image actually depicts a famous legend about the Bodhidharma (달마), the First Patriarch of Zen Buddhism (Kr. Seon or 선, Ch. Chan) and the awakening of his successor, Dazu Huike. read more »

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Arts & crafts Buddhist culture history Stories, legends & people

Zen Legends- Part 1: Why the Bodhidharma (달마) Came From the West

02/21/2011 – 16:35
Portrait of the Bodhidharma (from atlantica.hangame.com)

Portrait of the Bodhidharma (from atlantica.hangame.com)

In Korean Seon (선) Buddhism (Ch. “Chan”, Jap. “Zen”) practitioners often meditate on paradoxical or nonsensical riddles known as koans (공안 or “ kong-an” in Korean) to gain insight into the nature of thought, perception and reality.  One of the most famous of these riddles is “Why did the Bodhidharma (Kr. “Dalma” or달마) come from the west?”  The Zen master Zhaozhou answered, “The cypress tree in front of the hall.”  I‘m not sure about that myself, but thankfully the mundane answer is a bit more simple.  read more »

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Arts & crafts Gyeongju Shamanism tips for tourists Wierd Gyeongju

Weird Gyeongju: Mr. Seo, Penis Carver of Mt. Namsan (남산나무꾼)

02/14/2011 – 00:01
Penis Carver, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

Penis Carver, Mt. Namsan, Gyeongju

There are many times in this country when I’ve wished I had a better grasp of the Korean language.  Standing in Mr. Seo Seung-am’s workshop at the foot of Mt. Namsan (남산) was definitely one of those times.  On display all over the shop are literally hundreds of hand-carved wooden penises.  There are big ones, small ones, some with faces, and some with breasts.  There are penis coat racks, penis hiking sticks, penis hat racks and penis chairs.  Heck, some of the penises even have penises.  I would simply like to ask Mr. Seo “Why?” read more »

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