Panmunjon -- the past and the present

When I was in primary school, one long desk was shared by two students who called each other "same-desk",  having a meaning of close relationship. However, these two same-desks often had a quarrel with each other. As a solution, in the middle of their desk, we draw a line that body and things belonged to the child in the other side could'n't cross. We called it "38 line".

I didn't know exactly what did it mean and the long story on Korean Peninsula at that time. But I did really have heard of a place named Panmunjon by a book's title though I've never read it. After I grew up, I learned more about history, and got to know the true meaning of the 38th parallel -- a scar on the Korean Peninsula. 

I joined a tour to go to Panmunjon, officially called JSA, Joint Security Area, as a guest of United Nations. In contrast, visitors, mostly Chinese, come from the north won't be UN's guests, but North Korea's. So maybe I can say this is a place North Korea VS UN. 

Label

According to our guild, today's JSA isn't the real Panmunjon where Korean Armistice Agreement was signed. The real one, at north of the present place,  is controlled by North Korea, and only Chinese visitors can see it. The houses on the boundary are used for a conference by two Koreas. The blue houses belongs to the South, and the silvery ones belongs to the North. Soldiers don't stand there usually, but when visitors are coming. Visitors come through North and South won't enter this area at the same time, just like the Koreans living in both sides of the 38th parallel -- they never meet each other.

Blue houses 

Our guide spoke the history about the division of Korean Peninsular all the way. I thought someone of her family might be in the North now, because she said that emotionally and full of anger and sadness. A lot of families were broken by that line, and the members in one side maybe not meet ones in the other side for ever.

There is a bridge in the JSA named "No Return". It's on the boundary. When the Korea War was over, prisoner of the war were put on this bridge to choose south or north. At that time, their fate, was decided.  The same thing also happened in 1949, China. Many people faced a choice -- going to Taiwan or not, and their fate became different from that moment. 

The bridge of no return

Tips: In the tour, the drinks of lunch are always NOT FREE. But nobody there will tell you before you drank them. They are really expensive. 

About Japanese administrative divisions

I'd like to talk about my traveling experiences in Japan by listing the administrative divisions in this series of posts.

There are one "to", Tokyo-to; one "do", Hokkai-do; two "fu", Osaka-fu and Kyoto-fu; and 43 "ken". All of these are on a state or provincial level, however, Hokkai-do is much larger than the others in square.　And except Hokkai-do, the other prefectures are divided to several regions:


Hokkaidō

1. Hokkaidō

Tōhoku

2. Aomori (haven't been to)

3. Iwate

4. Miyagi

5. Akita (haven't been to)

6. Yamagata

7. Fukushima

Kantō

8. Ibaraki

9. Tochigi

10. Gunma (haven't been to)

11. Saitama

12. Chiba

13. Tōkyō

14. Kanagawa

Chūbu

15. Niigata (haven't been to)

16. Toyama (haven't been to)

17. Ishikawa

18. Fukui (haven't been to)

19. Yamanashi

20. Nagano

21. Gifu

22. Shizuoka

23. Aichi

Kansai

24. Mie

25. Shiga

26. Kyōto

27. Ōsaka

28. Hyōgo

29. Nara

30. Wakayama (haven't been to)

Chūgoku

31. Tottori

32. Shimane

33. Okayama

34. Hiroshima

35. Yamaguchi

Shikoku

36. Tokushima

37. Kagawa

38. Ehime

39. Kōchi (haven't been to)

Kyūshū

40. Fukuoka

41. Saga (haven't been to)

42. Nagasaki

43. Kumamoto (haven't been to)

44. Ōita

45. Miyazaki

46. Kagoshima

Okinawa

47. Okinawa

Hokkai- do and Okinawa-ken are special, because they became a part of Japanese territory later than other prefectures. 

Jongmyo & Changdeokgung

Koreans are proud of their culture very much, I think.

A policy, visitors must join a tour with a guide, is made by Jongmyo these years. I thought it was aimed at protecting the structures, but I might be wrong. 

To match the time, I joined a Japanese tour. The guide was very good at Japanese, and likely knew Japan a lot. I guessed it would be boring if I visited Jongmyo alone, because I learned many things about it from that guide. She said that Jongmyo was listed in the world heritage and rated highly, because every year in May, the posterity of Joseon Dynasty holds the traditional rites. Jongmyo ariginated from China, and could be found in southeast Asia countries. They just remain the structures, while Korean Jongmyo continues holding rites. For that, I got clear why there was a guide. Koreans are doing an effort  to show foreign visitors their culture, that is the point.

Waiting to get in Jongmyo

Main structure of Jongmyo

I visited Changdeokgung, one of the Five Grand Palaces in Joseon Dynasty, and found it resembled the palace in northeast China which also had floors upon the ground and stovepipe outside the house to keep the room warm and resist the cold climate in winter. It is simple nature. I like structures with the original wooden color more than the painting stuffs, though I didn't expect to see them in a palace.

Main gate of Changdeokgung

Injeongieon, Main Hall 

stovepipe

Floor upon the ground

Mountain Bukaksan of Seoul

The southern gate and eastern gate of Seoul are famous for markets there, and the western gate is a station of subway at present. I was curious where the northern gate was. Then I found the Mountain Bukaksan, where the northern gate was, by word of mouth on a Japanese website. Two reasons took me there. One comes to the great sketch of the Mt. Bukaksan's homepage on which a traditional-dressed Korean woman in the hole of northern gate the attracted me. Two comes to the mystery of forbidden area where people couldn't enter for 38 years.

I went Mt. Bukaksan by a green bus,and got off at the terminal. I thought it was the terminal, because all the people got off there, and the bus driver yelled at me. On the foot of the mountain was a park without so-called entrance, map board and any signs. I even doubted if I got off wrong stop. I walked along a road went up the mountain where a few people got down. It was about half past 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I must reach to the application window before 3, or I would be not allowed to get in. But where was it. A rough map on a broad showed me a long way to the peak of the mountain where I would submit an application. So I sped up my pace that made me tired.

The mountain road

After a long mountain way, I arrived at the office and submit an application with showing my passport. Several groups of Korean uncles were there too, some having a break to get down and some just entering. They seemed outdoorsy, while I wore a pair of CROSS ( not an advertisement, it's not good for mountain). The Seoul Fortress was built along the ridge of Mt. Bukaksa. As a previous military security area, numerous watchhouses remained. And even nowadays, staffs, standing about every 20m, observed visitors and warned me no photo here and there. But most of them were not good at English.

Watchhouse

I spent much time and energy on Mt. Bukaksan and made me not happy that the staffs there weren't friendly at all, one told me a wrong way on purpose and another followed me a while. Maybe they bewared if by any chance I was a spy. If it was true, why did they allow foreigner get in on earth?

The northern gate wasn't as beautiful as it on the sketch. I was really disappointed. 

From the peak

Northern gate

Suwon

 Suwon is a small town near Seoul and includes a world heritage Hwaseong Fortress built in 1796 by the King Jeongjo of Joseon who is famous for a drama called with his name, Yi San. 

It took me a long time to get to Suwon from Seoul by subway. The memory about Suwon was wet. It was raining when I arrived there without an umbrella. I didn't take a bus to Hwaseong Fortress. It seemed not far from the station, and I like walking. At first the rain was light. I walked in the street feeling daily life of this town. There were not many tall buildings and people, and a few small supper market beside the road just as China. 

road-side supper market

A GPS leaded me to Hwaseong Fortress, but I set a wrong point that made me to take a curving way. It rained more heavily, and I was lost. It was a road through the hillside, beside that was a pavilion. I decided to have a rest there, pinpoint my location and wait the rain to get lighter. There were three people already there, an old man murmured to himself now and then, and two middle-aged men talked with each other loudly. I was checking maps and GPS to plan a route from then on when one of the middle-aged men spoke to me in Korean. I said " I don't know Korea". He seemed to meet difficult and spoke to the other one. After their short conversation, the man came to me and ask me with English words: "YOU, COME, FROM, WHERE?" "China", I said. "YOU, COME, KOREA, WHY?" I answered him, but he didn't understand. He signal me to come with him. I thought he would show me the way, but he drew an umbrella in the sky. I found the fortress wall when we walked along the prior road. He made me wait among some houses by the road, and turn in anther direction. His house must be near there. After a while, he came back with just ONE umbrella. I was confused what did he mean? Didn't he want to borrow an umbrella to me? I thanked him and asked how could I give back it to him. He ignored my words and asked me to put up the umbrella with him. 

When we walked back to the wall, I told him I was going to get down the hill by showing him a map. But he point the peak of the hill where there was a big bell and then dragged me to go. I was scared and shouted HELP so that he released my arm. I got angry and told him don't follow me, but it didn't work. I had to do something let him go, I thought. There was a ticket booth on the foot of the hill and an old lady was sitting in it. I tried to tell her the issue, but she replied me in Japanese: "All this area is not free"...

 I continued to go toward Haenggung Palace expecting to meet officials but no one. There were another ticket booth in front of Haenggung Palace, and also an old lady who didn't understand me. However, she told me volunteers who could speak foreign languages was at the gate of palace. I moved to a volunteer, a young lady around 30 yeas old, and told her the whole thing. She was very nice, sympathized with me in my trouble and gave me an umbrella. She said something to the man, then he went away.

Haenggung Palace 

I roamed around the palace which is simple and not interesting and felt down. I did want to see the wall. However, since it was a rainy Monday, few visitors came here. I was afraid the man followed me, so I must avoided remote places. And I was tired, physically and mentally.

I returned to the station passing by the south gate of the fortress, Paldalmn. Unfortunately, it was in maintenance, I didn't see even a corner of it. Otherwise, luckily, I found a local market and delicious foods: BAOZI and MAHUA. I like local markets. They're funny, close to daily life, and makes me feel nostalgic for childhood. When I was eating baozi with satisfaction, the man who followed me before appeared. It wasn't a coincidence, because I'd told him I wanted to see Paldalmn. He pretended to be surprised and greeted to me happily. But when he saw the umbrella I was putting on, he seemed disappointed and went away. 

It was the last day I stayed in South Korea. I was tired. 

Fortress Wall

Paldalmn in maintenence 

Paldalmn at manhole cover

Baozi shop

Local market

Myeongdong

Myeongdong is wierd, I think.

Myeongdong is a shopping district in the center of Seoul City. However, half of the people do shopping there are Japanese visitors and the shop staffs even say "WELCOME" in Japanese. To Japanese, it's very easy to travel in Korea. The two countries are so close that the airline ticket is more reasonable than others far from Japan. A lot of Koreans can speak Japanese for that the two languages are similar to each other and the colonial administration under Japan from 1905 to 1945. Most Japanese have been to Korea once or more, and Myeongdong is a place they must visit, especially old ladies. It might be thought a small scale Seoul, even Korea perhaps, they can eat there, buy Korea-style goods, have massage, go around duty free shops easily. Of course, the prices there are higher than other places. 

I stayed near Myeongdong because of the convenient traffic. I have been to Myeongdong for several times these days, however, I hardly found a food shop for a single traveler. I knew it wasn't the real Seoul, it was just a theme park.

Myeongdong Cathedral may be an exception. It's the true symbol of Myeongdong and Catholicism in Korea. The Catholicism thrives in Korea that I was invited to join the Catholic Church when having lunch at a shop in Bukchon, and a friend of mine, a Chinese girl studies in Korea, also go to church every week. I went to Myeongdong Cathedral with just that girl. It would say mass there soon, when we entered  and sat at last rows. I've never heard live choir music before. Everyone in the church stood up and sang with choristers. The music was so charming and attractive, touching people's heart. It moved me, though I'm not a Catholic. 

Myeongdong Cathedral 

Bulguksa

It's said that Bulguksa, built in 528, is the oldest temple in Korea. It's also a World Heritage added in 1995 with Seokguram.

I went there by bus with many other visitors. After got off the bus, there was a slope to the temple. Booths of food filled the roadsides, the owners friendly called out to me before I bought their foods. 

Main gate of Bulguksa

Second gate of Bulguksa

I can't remember much about Bulguksa except the stairs of the entrance. Though they're not used anymore, it's still magnificent. The temple has no glazing colors, and stone materials is light yellow. It's likely another kind of stone different from white marble, a common material used in temple or palace building in China.

Stairs of the entrance

When I felt thirsty, luckily I found a spring. I recognized I was in the mountain where the water was pure. I stored a bottle of it.

Spring

 I had no time to visit Seokguram though it was near Bulguksa. I asked the schedule of the bus bound for Singoguryeo Station in advance and considered I could arrived at the station before the KTX left. But I was wrong. I was so tired that slept in the bus. It seemed the bus went through downtown and picked up many noisy students. I slept and slept until the terminal, Singoguryeo Station. I woke up but still muddled, seeing people were coming out of the station. It meant KTX had left -- only before several minutes. And it also meant I should wait for the next train for extra an hour and a half. That's really a bad case of timetable manager.