Back In Time To Andong (6/6)

Our opulent tour bus

O U R   A D V E N T U R E S   A G A I N   left the classroom, this time towards a traditional Confucian village known as the Hahoe Folk Village in the Andong province. Dr. Yi took back over for this portion of our trip, lecturing to us about Confucianism and its role in Korean culture on our way to our first destination: a traditional mulberry paper mill.

Korea historically developed paper not long after China, but soon refined its techniques to the point that Korea's paper was renowned as the best in the region. This paper was so durable and adaptable that it spread deeply into Korean culture, permeating such crafts as architecture and fashion. It was therefore a necessary stop on our journey to learn more of Korea's past.

A warehouse full of drying mulberry fibers

a look at some boiled mulberry fiber

T O   M A K E   P A P E R,   mulberry trees are cut in winter and boiled to remove their fibrous bark. The bark is then bleached and ground to separate fiber, which is soaked in a large vat and strained through a bamboo sieve to arrange the fibers into flat, even sheets. These sheets are then stacked and compressed to squeeze out water, then dried on metal panels at 100 degrees Celsius (traditionally this was done on Korea's heated floors). Over 70 types of paper are produced, some thick for sound dampening, others hard and coated with oil to be used for flooring, some silk-screened or batiked and used for clothes, doors and windows, or normal papery things. This paper comes at a price, but lasts far longer than other varieties of paper, easily exceeding 1000 years. We even got to make our own!

Mulberry fibers soaking in water

Many strained layers of paper under compression to remove water

The final step--drying at 100* C

Trying my own hand at making paper!

A F T E R   M A K I N G   P A P E R ,   we toured the rest of the paper mill, which included a store that was overflowing with examples of all that Korean paper can do. It was really impressive to see clothes, building materials, and colored stationery all made from the same thing, and it was convenient that there was so much to look at in the mill's shop, because our tour bus was stricken with a flat tire, leaving us stranded there for a good while! I think we all left that store with souvenirs in thanks for letting us loiter there.

The many colors and styles of Hanji (한지), Korean Paper

Look at all the forms!

Gorgeous dresses-- all made from hanji!

Our bus and its flat

Here's a video for the first half of the day!

F R O M   T H E R E ,   we set off for Haohae, stopping on the way at a delicious Korean beef restaurant. Apparently there's contention between Korean cattle farmers and US importers that prevents beef of this quality from being imported, so our lunch was a special treat! Another traditional aspect of Korean culture we were lucky enough to enjoy.

Beeeeeef

Our group and all our side dishes!

Cooking down the goodies

H A O H A E   V I L L A G E   is one of the most perfect places I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. There was something about the place that felt right, which was substantiated when Dr. Yi got to explaining a bit of the village's history. The village is said to have a perfect feng shui layout, and was carefully and meticulously placed and designed to abide by the laws of geomancy. With a mountain behind it to ground and protect it, and a river before it to provide circulation of energy, Haohae Village is idyllic, in theory and in form.

Looking at Haohae from the cliffs that surround it

And it's a World Heritage site!

Some of Haohae's architecture

W E   W A N D E R E D   T H E   V I L L A G E   for a while, marveling at the 450+ yr old buildings and the fact that they were still occupied to this day. We watched a traditional mask dance, used by the common folk to poke fun at the rigid social roles of their Confucian society. I appreciated how vulgar and accessible it was-- I could tell much of what was going on even without understanding the language. The play poked fun at the aristocracy, the clergy, and the tradespeople, leaving next to nobody safe from its taunts. While watching, I couldn't help but think that we could use such a form of expression in our stratified culture today.

The play's gorgeous open air amphitheatre

One of the play's many characters

A bull, which was later castrated in the play

A lecherous priest

The town drunk

F O L L O W I N G   T H E   P L A Y ,   we toured the village some more, surveying the local sculptures, visiting the tree shrine at its center, speaking with a resident who was weaving a reed rug, and admiring the ancient red pines that lean to and fro at the village's edges.

A sculpture garden near the play

The fertility shrine at the center of the village

Weaving a reed rug

An offering to travelers-- if your hand fits, what's inside (often money) is yours

Swings said to be used by skirted women to taunt their lovers as a part of courtship

You can't tell from the picture really, but these pines are an awesome shade of red

O U R   N E X T   S T O P   was a Confucian academy not far from Haohae-- another incredibly and viscerally engineered space that simply felt sublime. We spent some time down by the river, then took off for the campsite that'd be our home for the night. There, we kicked back, reflected, enjoyed some crafts and some food prep, and finally hit the hay.

Climbing the stairs to the Confucian academy

A view of the academy

'Bout to get DUNKED

Making rice cakes!

The finished product-- our snack for our next day of adventures!

A mask from the play, which we decorated with colored putty

And here's a video from the second half of the day!