[Chungnam-do, Korea] Fun @ Farm

Having lived in a city-island throughout my farm, there is hardly land for farms in Singapore.  It felt good to be close to nature when I had the chance to visit the Agroland Tae Shin Farm (아그로랜드 태신목장) located in Chungnam-do in autumn last year.  The air was cool & fresh.  The land was huge and I felt a sense of carefree just by watching the animals roaming around freely.

The farm is also an ideal place for family with young children to experience being up close and personal with animals.  Real ones and fake ones.

The young kids come here for excursions too!  Truly, this is a child-friendly place.

There are opportunities to get close to cows and goats and they are friendly!

You can even try making some cheese!  Freshly made cheese!

Getting to the farm from Seoul can be quite a hassle as it will take more than 4 hours by public transport.  My suggestions are:

1.  Rent a car from Seoul and drive to the farm; or

2.  Travel from Seoul to Suwon and explore the areas such as Hwaseong.  The Suwon Hwaseong Fortress has been names the UNESCO World Heritage.  It is an impressive structure built in the Joseon Dynasty.  It takes about 30 mins to get there from Seoul.  You can consider staying a night over in Suwon before travelling southwards.  Explore taking the public transport to the farm;

3.  Travel to Cheonan and then to Asan.  Asan is beautiful in autumn especially along the Asan Gingko Tree Road.  Explore taking the public transport to the farm

[Seoul Travel] Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeon Deung Hoe)

The Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeon Deung Hoe) is a 3-day event held annual in Seoul. In 2019, it was from 3 to 5 May 2019. For those who are familiar with the lunar calendar, the Buddha's Day is celebrated on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month in Korea. The Lotus Lantern Festival is usually held 1 week before the actual day. For 2020, the dates for Yeon Deung Hoe will be from 24 to 26 April 2020.

The event would commence on a Friday and there are lantern exhibitions at Jogyesa, Bongeunsa and Cheonggyecheon over the 3 days. Below is a photo of the lantern exhibition at Bongeunsa, located near COEX.

On the 2nd day, which is a Saturday, the various Buddhist temples would commences the ceremonial events such as the bathing of the baby Buddha's status and daily chanting. This signifies the cleansing of one's own defilement (greed, anger and delusion). They would also be busy with their final rehearsals to give their best for the evening's parade.

A Buddhist Cheer Rally would be held at Dongguk University from 4.30pm. This is where all the parade participants would gather before the commencement of the parade. The parade would take place along Jongno (central of Gangbuk area) from 7pm to 9.30pm. There are seats lined on both sides of the Jongno and pre-registration is needed to secure tickets for the seats. Those without tickets may stand and watch the parade too, thought it can be a little tiring. Audience are encouraged to join the parade towards the tail-end and take part in the walk until the post-parade celebration at the Jonggak Intersection. Over there, there will be stage performances until 11pm.

Below is a photo of the stage at the Jonggak Intersection.  Most of the audience stayed till the end of the concert.

The roads leading to Jogyesa remained crowded as the audience tried to get upclose with the big lantern floats!  Jogyesa was all lit up that evening.

On the 3rd day, the area in front of Jogyesa is turned into a carnival street with many cultural events and stall lines on both sides of the street. The area is blocked and vehicles are have to be detoured to other road. Participants can walked along street freely and take part in the carnival events which has tea appreciation, meditation sessions, photo exhibitions and several handicraft-making stations.

The closing event, from 7pm to 9pm, is an energy-charged event with youths from different universities and temples coming together to put up the final show near Jogyesa.

It was an eye-opener to see how Koreans celebrate the Lotus Lantern Festival.  The colourful performances, the enthusiasm from the parade participants, the helpful event ushers and the vibrant atmosphere definitely made my trip worthwhile.

For those interested to experience this festival, information is available on the official website http://www.llf.or.kr/eng/

[Seoul Travel] Dongguk University and Lotus Lantern Festival

One of the places i like to visit when i am in Korea is the university campus. The environment is usually beautiful and it gives you the positive vibes. This is Dongguk University (동국대학교) located in Seoul. I was there in May this year during the Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeon Deung Hoe), which is a highlight event during Budhha's Day in Korea.

The campus may not be as big as some of the universities in Seoul but it is a scenic place to walk around with tall green trees.

Every year, the Buddhist Cheer Rally is held at Dongguk University's Stadium. A feast of laughter and joy where the lantern parade participants, arrayed in their traditional Korean costumes, hanbok, rally together, laughing and dancing before the lotus lantern parade begins.

This is one of the filming sites for a 2018 Korean Drama, Encounter (aka Boyfriend) starring Park Bo Gum and Song Hye Gyo. Jinhyeok (PBG)' graduation scene was filmed at the entrance of Myeongjin Hall.

Catch a short glimpse of Jinhyeok's graduation video here.

Dongguk University (동국대학교) is a private, coeducational university in South Korea, based on Buddhism. Established in 1906 as Myeongjin School (명진학교) by Buddhist pioneers of the Association of Buddhism Research, the university gained full university status as Dongguk University in 1953. The university remains one of the few Buddhist-affiliated universities in the world, and is the member of International Association of Buddhist Universities.

Dongguk University's main campus is located in Jung District, Seoul, just north of Namsan. The upper buildings of the campus are directly connected into the trails of Namsan park.

The campus' main entrance is at Dongguk University Station the intersection of Seoul Subway Line 3 and 4. Chungmuro Station is near the rear entrance.

The 2020 Lotus Lantern Festival will take place from 24 to 26 April. There are events where priority is given to travellers such as tickets to watch the lantern parade and lantern making events. Interested participants may apply for tickets via the LLF website.

http://www.llf.or.kr/eng/info/festival.php?wr_id=9

Zoom into the map to check the walking direction from Dongguk University Station to the campus.

Spring in Korea 2015 (Part 5) ~ Exploring Haeinsa (Tripitaka Koreana)

Built 1,200 years ago, the Haeinsa Temple is regarded as one of the three most important temples in Korea, representing the Triple Jewels - Buddha, Dharma and the Sangha.  The other 2 temples are Tongdosa and Songgwangsa.

Located in Gaya-san, Hapcheon province, Haeinsa Temple is said to be home to the largest number of monks who cultivate themselves religiously in Korea.  The temple has a long history and is notable for housing the Tripitaka Koreana (Goryeo Daejanggyeong aka Great Collection of the Scriptures of Goryeo), the vast canon, proudly asserts that it is the utmost symbol of Goryeo Buddhism.  It has a great collection of scriptures in more than 80,000 woodblocks.  The scriptures are carved on both sides of these blocks and make a total of some 160,000 pages.  Each side has some 300 characters and as such, the entire Tripitaka has some 52 million characters.

The temple has since been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995.  It is the first temple dedicated to the Korean Avantamsaka School of Buddhism and it houses the most comprehensive woodblock edition of Buddhist scriptures ever made.  The first woodblock version was compiled in China during the Song Dynasty.  But all of the early Chinese editions were somehow destroyed.  It was first destroyed during the Mongol invasions in the early 13th century.  History textbooks explained that the Goryeo government undertook the project with the hope of expelling the Mongol invaders with the assistance of the Buddha.

The temple's layout is typical of a Korean mountain monastery.  Let's explore this historical temple.

The first entrance into the temple is the One Pillar Gate which symbolises an aspiration towards Buddhahood.  The gate itself represents the teaching of the Buddha that all things are illusionary, they aren't what they appear to be.  Translating from the Chinese words, it also means the Gate of Non-Duality and it means the one-ness of all things and phenomena.

(The main gate facing outside)

(The main gate facing inside)

Not too far from the first gate stands the Gosamok Tree, which is a zelkova planted 1,200 years ago to commemorate the establishment of the temple.  It is said that the king then planted this tree on his own in gratitude of the monks who helped to heal his queen of her disease.  The tree has since withered but it is still kept as a monument in the temple.

The next gate, which leads to the main temple compound, is the Haein-Chongrim which means the Haein Forest Monastery.  This is also the Cheongwang-mun which enshrines four fearful-looking guardians of the heavenly king who guard the Buddhist world and fight off the evil.

(Pheonix Gate)

The storage halls of the Tripitake Koreana are located on the highest level of the temple compound, and designed to facilitate natural ventilation, humidity and temperature control with no obvious device other than the open grill windows.

The compound consists of 4 buildings and each building is laid out in rectangular shape.  With careful planning, the buildings face the southwest so as not to get direct sunlight.  And to maintain the right humidity inside the buildings, salt, charcoal, powdered lime and sand are used in the inner floorings.

The Tripitaka Koreana consists of three collections - Buddhist Scriptures, Precepts and Discourses.  The Buddha was a great teacher born more than 2,500 years ago and taught the way for liberation for 45 years.  These collections captured the Buddha's words systematically.

The Tripitaka Koreana is also called the Goryeo Daejangkyung (高丽大藏经) because it was published in the period of Goryeo and it reflected the people's aspirations for overcoming the nation's crisis by relying on the Buddha's teachings against the invasion of the Kitan and the Mongols.

Each block measures about 68cm by 24.5cm, and weighs about 3.2kg.  Unfortunately, the halls are not open to the public and I could only view the wooden blocks through the gaps outside the halls.  Only 1 piece amongst the thousands of wooden blocks was on display, which has the Heart Sutra text engraved on it.

Haeinsa is the first temple in Korea dedicated to the Korean Avantamsaka School of Buddhism, and hence the master Buddha of the Avantamsaka Sutra, Vairocana Buddha, is enshrined in the main hall known as Daejeokgwagjeon, meaning the Hall of Great Silence and Light.

Stone Pagodas are found in most (if not all) temples.  Historically, pagodas were meant to house the remains of the Buddha.  In Korea, these pagodas house the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns in that monastery.  Therefore, it is not unusual to see people paying respects to such pagodas.

 For temples that are found in the forests, the compound is spacious and there is usually an open hall (Bumjong Gak) with 4 percussion-like instruments.  Known as Samul, they include the Dharma Bell, the Dharma Drum, the Wooden Fish and the Cloud Gong.

The Dharma Drum sends the message of the Dharma to lead all land animals to enlightenment.

The Dharma Bell is rung to redeem the souls of beings in hell, to gather people in the temple, and to announce the time.

The striking of the cloud bell, usually made of bronze or iron, is to lead all air-living creatures into the heavens.

The Wooden Fish is in the shape of a carp and the hitting on this instrument is meant to send message to beings living in the water so that they will realise the awakening too.

In case you are wondering if there is anything less religious, there is a cosy tea-house, Haein Café, in the temple's vicinity!  It is an ideal place to really rest, chill and relax.

The overall experience in Haeinsa has been an pleasant and peaceful experience.  The key to visiting temple is to allow yourself time to explore and immerse into the serenity.  The compound is big and is surrounded by a several other smaller temple.  Every turn is an experience!

Getting to Haeinsa

- From Dong Daegu KTX Station, walk to the Daegu Subway station (2 mins)

- Take Line 1 (Red Line) to Seongdangmot Station (9 stops, 15 mins)

- Exit the station by taking the lift to the street level (Exit 3) and walk to the West Daegu Intercity Bus Terminal (2 mins)

- Buy the bus ticket to Haeinsa.  Bus leaves every 40 mins.  The journey takes about 1.5 hours.

There is quite a distance to go even after you've passed the Haeinsa gate.  I alighted at the last stop where there were shops and hotel-alike building and took a taxi to Haeinsa temple.  The journey took about 5 mins.

[Gangwon-do, Korea] The Must-Go Place in Chuncheon

There are many scenic places in Gangwon-do (aka Gangwon Province) such as Nami Island, Seoraksan (Mount Seorak), ski resorts.  Besides the play and fun, there is a famous place in Gangwon to visit for it's specialty food - Chuncheon Dakgalbi!  Dakgalbi is pretty common in Korea but Chuncheon is THE place where the famous dakgalbi restaurants congregate.

Getting to Chuncheon Station (in Gangwon Province) from Seoul is easy with ITX connecting Yongsan / Cheongnyangni stations to the Gyeongchun Line.  Chuncheon station is the last station on the Gyeongchun line and it takes about an hour to travel by ITX.  Fret now that the journey is long and boring, you can enjoy the scenic scenery while travelling or if you prefer to get connected, Olleh wifi is available on the ITX.

The local specialty in the Chuncheon region is that Chuncheong Dakgalbi, a stir-fried marinated chicken dish in chilli pepper paste with vegetables (cabbage, sweet potato, onion, scallion etc) and rice cakes.  For years, the chuncheon region has been famous for its abundance in poultry produce.  This dish started off as a side dish to go with drinks in the early days in the 1960s, it gradually grown to become so popular, so much so that a street has been dedicated to this dish.   There is even an annual festival held in Chuncheon to commemorate this dish.  The festival is known as the Chuncheon Dakgalbi and Makguksu (spicy buckwheat noodles) Festival.  The 2017's festival is happening now from 26 August to 3 September and is held in front of the Chuncheon Station.

Exiting from the station entrance, the most convenient mode of transport would be to take a taxi to the Chuncheon Dakgalbi Street.  When I was there, loads of taxis were lining along the side of the road.  The exact location is Myeongdong.  So, you can simply inform the taxi drive to go to Myeongdong Dakgalbi Golmok (명동닭날비골목).  Golmok means alley or street.  The journey is should not take more than 5 mins.  Alternatively, you can walk to the Dakgalbi street if you have a map on hand and know the way.  It takes about 20 mins by foot.

The taxi should let you alight at this entrance signage.  Follow the directional sign and walk into the alley.  There are approximately 20 dakgalbi restaurants in the alley. 



The dakgalbi restaurants are all rather traditional and require guests to sit on the wooden floor.  Once seated and order has been placed, they would start cooking almost immediately, right on the dining table.  The round flat pan is filled with freshly cut vegetables, topped with richly marinated de-boned chicken chunks that were also cut into bit sizes.  No oil is added in the process.  The moisture from the vegetables and the fats from the meat is sufficient for the cooking.  Generally, this is a rather healthy dish since white meat is generally healthier than red meat.

The cooking takes about 10 to 15 minutes.  When done, the chicken is tender and juicy.  The portion is usually generous so my advice is not to eat any heavy meals before having a dakgalbi meal.  At some restaurants, they may even add rice to the remaining dakgalbi and turn it into dakgalbi fried rice!



Dakgalbi is a very flavourful dish that is sweet, salty and spicy at the same time.  That is also one reason why it is popular amongst the general population.  It was said that sweet potato and rice cakes were not part of the original recipe.  Sweet potato, not only added to the sweetness of the dish, it was used as a gauge as to whether the meat is cooked.  When the sweet potato turns soft and edible, it means that the meat is already cooked too.  How interesting!

Getting there: Point A refers to the position of Chuncheon Station and Point B is the Dakgalbi street. 

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