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Archive for February 4th, 2010

Myths from a lost tomb

February 4th, 2010
3 comments

JoongAng Daily

[Treasure Trove]
February 02, 2010
Name: Tomb mural replica / Period: Goguryeo / Location: National Museum of Korea

This painting is a replica of a mural underneath a tomb in North Korea considered one of the most significant yet excavated. The life-sized mural, dating back to the Gogureyo Period (37 B.C.-A.D. 668), was found in Sammyo-ri, Nampo, a city in South Pyongan province in North Korea. The four ancient animal gods representing the four compass directions - a blue dragon, a serpentine tortoise, a white tiger and a crimson bird, are depicted with a realistic and dynamic touch.

This replica was produced by two Japanese academics, Oba Tsunekichi and Ota Fukuzo of Tokyo Fine Arts University, in 1912, during the Japanese colonial period. They reproduced even the damaged part of the mural, making it a useful reference for future restoration projects.

*The photos and texts for Treasure Trove are provided by the National Museum of Korea. For more information, call (02) 2077-9000 or visit www.museum.go.kr.

News Clippings

Seoul wants Tokyo to hand over ancient books on royalty

February 4th, 2010
2 comments

The Japan Times Online

SEOUL (Kyodo) South Korea may officially demand that Japan hand over about 660 books taken during its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, officials of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea said Monday.

The books include various “Uigwe” collections of royal protocols for ceremonies and rituals from the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), as well as treatises on medicine and military affairs.

The officials said it would be the first time for South Korea to officially demand the handover of such books, although it has unofficially asked for them in the past.

The “Uigwe” works constitute a unique form of documentary heritage. They have been enshrined in the Memory of the World Register of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Through prose and illustration, the works document the procedures, protocols, formalities and requirements needed to conduct important ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, banquets and receiving foreign missions, while also detailing the construction of royal buildings and tombs as well as other various cultural activities of the royal family.

Besides “Uigwe” kept as national treasures in South Korea, the Imperial Household Agency holds 145 “Uigwe” of 70 kinds that were taken from the Odaesan archive in 1922, according to documents submitted by South Korea to UNESCO in 2006.

Based on an inquiry conducted in cooperation with Japan, South Korea has found that about 4,700 books on about 360 topics are stored in the Imperial Household Agency.

South Korea has higher hope for progress since Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama took office last year with a vow to stress diplomacy with Asia by “looking squarely into the past history.”

News Clippings

South Korea: Chinchilla with your chai?

February 4th, 2010
7 comments

The Christian Science Monitor

South Korean cafes are adapting odd twists – such as a side of chinchilla, chow-chow, or flesh-eating fish – to set themselves apart.

Patrons at Caffe Pascucci, a Seoul coffee shop, stand in front of an eye-catching wall mural.

Han Jae-Ho/Reuters

By Tony Azios Contributor / February 1, 2010

Seoul, South Korea

In South Korea, cafe culture is all the rage. These days, virtually no city block in Seoul is without a coffee shop or two. Koreans, however, are known for putting their own odd twist on any outside custom they adopt. Here, bistros offer décor and amenities unlike anything found in Paris, Rome, or New York.

Take, for instance, the cafe/pet store Jurassic Park, in the Doonchondong neighborhood of Seoul. Customers relax with a cup of joe in a jungle setting dense with plants and furry critters for sale. Why not shop for your next chinchilla while sipping chai?

Then there’s the cleverly named BAU House in Seoul’s hip Hongdae district, where thirsty patrons with commitment issues can snuggle with a chow for an hour, but forgo pooper-scoopers, vets, and other endless duties of full-time dog owners.

A favorite of Koreans and expatriates alike are the so-called Dr. Fish Cafes found throughout town, where patrons can pamper themselves with pedicures while swilling a freshly brewed mug and munching on a plate of free cookies.

The pedicurists? Tanks of small fish that nibble at your feet, aptly removing calluses and dead skin cells in a ticklish flurry.

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