Seoul, South Korea XII

The aquarium at COAX was incredible. Huge cylindrical tanks were built and filled with various species of fish. Never more than one or two meters across, they provided excellent access to the fish. Later portions of the exihibit featured more natural surroundings.

Are exotic tropical fish not bothered by their bare surroundings? Why are non-tropical fish always stored in tanks more like their natural habitats?

This picture is from the tank of piranhas. Strangely, the fish floated without moving. Down the hall, I saw a group of young sharks in a nursery being fed churn. The tank spun with activity as they rushed to feed. I captured the frenzy in a short film, but I need to find a way to share short videos on this blog. (Suggestions: YouTube.com?)

Seoul, South Korea XI

The Buddha must have had a good life. Throughout the complex, there were a number of newer carved stone statues of the Buddha enjoying himself as a child -- either resting or playing.

Seoul, South Korea X

This is another nice contrast between the future and past. It may be difficult to discern, but inside the temple building is a giant brass bell. Many temples have these bells. Each has a long history of being moved, stolen, and restored. In prior centuries, there must have been great significance attached to these bells.

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To continue the comparison, Korean temples outshine Japanese ones with their brilliant painted colours. In each temple, one or two buildings (or doorways) were upkept perfectly, painted with an incredible array of colours. In this ceremonial building, there is a drum that is beat twice daily by the monks. Once around 5AM and a second time around 7PM.

Notice the hung dragon has a dragon head, but a fish body and tail. Our tour guide did not explain the fish body, but did tell us that Korean Buddhist temples can only have dragons if they have been visited by high priests in their history.

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If there was ever a metaphorical door between the past and future in Central Seoul, this was it. Correctly exposing photo proved troublesome, so I have chosen the one that better highlights the temple doorway. Faded out in the background are two very tall buildings from the COAX development.

Korean temples had much more interesting doorways between sections of the temples than Japanese equivalents. Whereas Japanese buildings have better upkeep, Korean temples obsessively cared for their doorways. Often the buildings on either side were peeling with paint.

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Recently built, this Buddhist statue represented the new Buddhist god to come billions of years from now. I do not yet understand this future god notion with Buddhism. And yes, I asked twice if the number "billions" was correct. My guide insisted! The square piece on its head indicates it is a statue for the future Buddha.

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I have visited a number of shrines and temples in Japan; I did the same in Korea. The difference was worshipers. The Korean temples had major prayer rooms filled with housewives. No kidding here: the only men were monks. I saw a few men on the compound later (in this photo far away), but never in the prayer rooms.

Japanese temples are preserved museums for the public. Surely there must be government involvement, not unlike Israel, to protect these places. Regardless, they are spotlessly kept in Japan. Korean temples are private places of worship. Many of them have chipping paint on the walls, but as I approached many, the sounds of chanting were heard from afar.

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This is the newest part of the Bonguensa temple. It was built for temple stays. This is a relatively new concept in Korea. Started during the Japan / Korea 2002 World Cup by the Korean government, it was an opportunity to introduce the visiting world to Korea's version of Buddhism. The program's popularity, in conjunction with the rise of Korean tourism, has lead many temples to continue these programs.

This temple is very close to one of the largest Central Seoul developments called COAX. It has two skyscrapers, a convention center, a mega-mall (underground), and a few hotels.

The men in this photograph were finishing the stones with some chemical. (The smell was strong!) The week following my visit, the temple stay was slated to open. The rates were reasonable -- less than $50 / night.

The temple currently offers a program for a tour by an English-speaking (err... sort of) guide followed by an introduction to a Buddhist monk. The small group walking away from this photo is my group on this tour. Our guide took us through the steps of learning the chants and proper bowing techniques. Finally, a monk was introduced over a short tea ceremony.

Having studied in Canada and the United States during his education, his English was excellent. As the tea was brewed、 he guided us through a brief meditation exercise. My only complaint: the tour was too short!

Seoul, South Korea IV

In the Insadong neighborhood, I found a number of art galleries. Oddly, I have yet to find an equivalent neighborhood in Tokyo. This one had an impressive installion revolving around the imaginary process of machining dice manually using a drill press. A combination of key lighting and acrylic spheres made for an awing presentation. My camera can do little justice. Apologies in advance for the lighting issues.

When I ask the Japanese where artists live, they uniformly respond, "They have left." Apparently, good-to-great Japanese artists leave to live in Bangkok, London, New York, and California. Music is alive in Japan, but visual arts are nearly absent in Tokyo.

The only thing I regret not buying in Seoul was the handmade paper in this neighborhood. Everywhere, small notebooks were available for less than $10. Next time...

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To understand modern Korean psyche in one week of holiday, one must appreciate Korea's standing in East Asia. While I personally refer to Japan, Korea, and China as the "Big Three" in East Asia, Korea is anything but big in Asia. Worldwide, there are no more than 90 million Korea people, including the diaspora. In the 20th century, war has defined the national image of Korea, both internally and externally. First by the Japanese occupation in the earlier part, to the Great Pacific War (WW II), to the Korean "Conflict". Even after the truce with North Korea, the two countries are still considered at war. At least once a year, there is a military skirmish at the border.

Can you imagine how this would change Americans if twice a year Mexican and American armed forces had gun fights at the border? In a small country, like South Korea, this endears the sense of seige, even with no mention of Japan, China, and Russia on all sides.

In the park I found in Central Seoul -- see two other photographs of the entrance and the glass encased pagoda -- the image of war was ever present. On the walls of the former temple, casts had been created to tell the stories of Korea's history. A set of approximately twelve lined one corner of the temple's walls.

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My guide book was summarily disappointed with the enclosure of this pagoda, but it better represents the merging of new and old in East Asia. In Tokyo and Seoul, between giant buildings are tiny temples, sometimes a single building with little surrounding land.

Apparently, this pagoda is quite old -- several hundred years. Amazing that it still stands in the center of Seoul. However, like most artefacts in Seoul, they have a long history of destruction, re-building, and moving. Japan makes no mention of moving their cultural artefacts, but every statue in Seoul claimed to have been moved many times. Perhaps Japan glosses over this point.

Seoul, South Korea I

When I first arrived in Tokyo, I looked at a map only to find most of it was concrete. Unlike North American and European cities, there is no tradition of open space in urban centers. It has been filled with housing and markets for 500 years. In this sense, civilization it older in East Asia than Europe. The small patches of greenery I could find on maps, I would arrive to realise it was nearly entirely paved with "institutional buildings" or walkways. A few standing trees and some shrubs don't qualitfy as a park.

What I have come to understand after six months in Tokyo is that park space is defined by private, religious organizations. The cities themselves do not set aside lands. Rather, old Buddhist temples are preserved. This oasis replaces the need for traditional Western park space. The resulting difference is substantial.

Whereas in the West, empty parklands are valued -- consider Central Park. Beyond its "natural" shaping, it stands nearly empty short of an occasional skating rink, the zoo, or the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Buddhist temples in East Asia present a combination of ancient buildings (or more often not ancient, but re-built postwar) with parklands. Now imagine this squeezed between the Asian economic boom of the last twenty years. The combination provides a stunning comparison between new and old as captured in this photograph.