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| Naju Image Theme Park in South Jeolla Province / Courtesy of Robert Neff |
By Robert Neff
This past Saturday, 38 members (foreign and Korean) of the Korea Heritage Society traveled into the past when they visited the city of Naju ― which is often called "Little Seoul." Located in South Jeolla Province, this city is steeped with antiquity and culture and is one of those hidden gems foreign visitors rarely encounter.
Naju City Tours guide Kim Jung-sook energetically told tales and anecdotes from the past in Korean, which was entertainingly translated into English by Korea Heritage Society President Choi Ha-kyung, who grew up in the area and added his own personal insights.
One of the first places visited was Bulhoe Temple which is claimed by some to be the first Buddhist temple built in Korea. The temple is surrounded by a lush forest of immense trees and it is hard to believe most of the original temple was destroyed in by a forest fire in 1790.
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| Two members of the Korea Heritage Society visit Bulhoe Temple. / Courtesy of Robert Neff |
Guarding the temple's approach are two stone jangseung (village guardian). Legend has it that if you place your fingers in the nostrils of the male jangseung you will soon find love. Considering most of the group was made up of married couples, no one seemed openly eager to verify the legend.
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| A stone jangseung (village guardian) guards Bulhoe Temple. / Courtesy of Robert Neff |
This was not the only legend associated with the temple. According to one of the monks, a rich nobleman's daughter went missing and a tiger ― this region was infamous for tigers ― came upon her and brought her safely to this spot. In gratitude, the father donated a large sum of money for the construction of the temple.
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| This image depicts the legendary origin of Bulhoe Temple, in which a tiger returns a missing girl to her father. / Courtesy of Robert Neff |
But legends of wealth and power are not confined just to the temples. Visitors can rent a room for the night in the former Joseon governor's private residence. It is said if you stay the night with your children they will be successful in government. The most popular and expensive room is named after Governor Yu Seoul-jeung.
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| Kim Jung-sook, a guide from Naju City Tours, stands in front of the former Joseon governor's private residence. / Courtesy of Robert Neff |
There is plenty in the city to eat. Naju is famous for its pears and its gomtang (beef soup) is very popular and probably more to the liking of foreign guests than the notoriously evil-smelling Yeongsanpo fermented skate. According to our guides, in the past it took about two weeks to transport skate from Mokpo to Naju, during which time the fish was allowed to ferment and give off a very strong ammonia-like smell. It is from this practice that the phrase "hongeo mul" (skate water) ― implying one should move out of the way quickly ― originates.
An hour was spent lazily cruising the Yeongsan River aboard a hwangpo sailboat while listening to traditional music from a small orchestra provided graciously by the Naju City government.
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| Members of the Korea Heritage Society ride a boat on the Yeongsan River in South Jeolla Province. / Courtesy of Robert Neff |
The final stop on the itinerary was the Naju Image Theme Park which is basically the largest permanent movie set in Korea. It is easy to step back into time while walking through its streets ― especially when there are no other guests around.
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| Naju Image Theme Park is Korea's largest permanent movie set. / Courtesy of Robert Neff |
Naju is definitely worth a visit. It is easily accessible by train and small enough to get a good feel for the city. I would, however, suggest staying overnight so you can take your time and really get to know this city and its past.
For those interested in the Korea Heritage Society, contact Choi Ha-kyung at bumsochoi@naver.com.
Robert Neff is a historian and columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at robertneff103@gmail.com.
