#도라 전망대

[thelittlevillager]

Trip with Korea Foundation (16 to 17 Sep 2017)

- Demilitarised Zone (Paju) - the observatory, imjingak and the 3rd infiltration tunnel

- Dialogue with North Korea defectors

- Jeondeungsa

Thanks to the Korea Foundation, a group of international students were given the opportunity to visit places related to North Korea to learn more about the country, defectors, and related history. Besides the amazing food that they provided, I learnt so much about North Korea through the places that they brought us to visit, the history lessons that they included, and the time to dialogue with NK defectors. 

We first visited the Demilitarised Zone in Paju. The first location was the Dora Observatory. The last time I visited was during winter where the weather was dark and foggy and we couldn’t see anything. However, we were so blessed this time!! The weather was amazing - sunny, with not a cloud in the sky. Could see the Gaesong Industrial Complex (blue building in the 1st photo; unfortunately stopped in production since relations between North and South worsened), the North Korea flag and the propaganda village (2nd photo), the South Korea flag and the reunification village (3rd photo) - and they were really close to one another (see video in next post!). 

We then went to Imjingak, which is the last station in the North before reaching the South. The colourful strips of paper are prayers for reunification that people who visit place (4th photo). We had some time to hang around the area, and I spent the time on the rooftop looking around at the fields (5th photo) - rice grown in this area is known to be clean because the skies are so clean as no factories are nearby. Just sitting there under the sun, with the cool wind in my face looking at the Koreans hanging out - I felt so relaxed and so blessed. 

The final location in the DMZ was the 3rd infiltration tunnel. There are a few tunnels open to public for visiting - with others accessible from Sokcho, Cheorwon I believe. It was my second time there, but it was nevertheless an educational experience walking through the tunnel, especially since there was a guide who explained the history to us well. 

We then had lunch at the restaurant at the observatory and they served some AMAZING charcoal pork. AMAZING. Just looking at it makes my mouth water >.< This is how happiness tastes like HAHA. 

Following lunch, we spent the afternoon back in the hotel for a dialogue with three North Korean defectors. One of them shared that when he was in China, he read the phrase “Where there is a will, there is a way. And where there is a way, there is will” on a website that provided a contact to someone who could help these hiding defectors reach South Korea. Upon arrival in South Korea, he learnt how to make websites because he needed the money. The other defector, a lady, shared that she earned a scholarship to study agricultural science, and now has a start-up learning how to grow chickens to collate their eggs, and hopes to bring this technology back to North Korea when there is an opportunity for reunification. The number of defectors had increased, but the number of refugees each year dropped after Kim Jong Un took over as the North Korean leader - he has been far more brutal than his father. Nevertheless, there are still 100 refugees each month at minimum. I was very much impacted by their tenacity and hope for a better life, very inspired that they were so hardy and willing to adapt to a totally new environment. Very grateful as well for the opportunity to meet such amazing people - huge thanks to Korea Foundation!

The next day, we headed to Ganghwa Island. Our first location of the day was Jeongdeungsa - not really related to North Korea, but just a good lesson in history. Our guide was really good and she explained various aspects and stories of the temple. I had always wondered the 4 ‘sound bells’ that every single Korean temple has (which I don’t see in either China or Singapore), but was glad to hear the reason for each in great detail (and in English HAHA). The first bell - in the shape of a fish - calls to the beings in the sea. Legend has it that the fish is made of wood because long time ago a monk had a disciple who lived a YOLO life but passed away young. But this monk saw a fish with a tree on its back swimming against the current, and realised that this was his disciple’s reincarnation - the fish bell is thus a reminder to live dilligently, always be alert and practise mindfulness. The second bell - in the shape of a cloud - calls the beings in the air. The third bell - in the shape of a bell - calls beings in the earth, and is hung low and made of different thickness unlike other bells that have a uniform thickness - as such it is able to make different sounds. The final bell - in the shape of a drum - is made with male and female cow skins to show yin and yang, in order to call all beings with skin. 

Another interesting fact is that I learnt the Tripitaka Koreana - currently stored in Haeinsa temple in Hapcheon near Daegu (one of my MUST GO locations!!) - was actually made in Jeongdeungsa, then moved to Haeinsa during King Sejong’s reign. They wanted to move this symbolic Buddhist item further into the mountains because the kings recognised that Buddhism had taken too much power leading to high levels of corruption during the Goryeo dynasty - as such the Joseon dynasty chose to not support Buddhism, and chose confucianism instead. 

The monks in Jeongdeungsa also made a lot of sacrifice by fighting during the various wars with French, and at one point they were trapped inside the main hall of the temple. As such, there are markings on the walls in the main hall, behind the Buddhas, with their names and their families’ names written to ask Buddha to remember their families and their sacrifice. In addition, the ‘monkey’ with the hands covering the ears (last photo) is actually a naked woman that was included by the carpenter who built this temple. This was in revenge to the woman that betrayed the carpenter. By right, such a naked woman statue should not be included, but story goes that the monk let the lady stay there out of mercy for her to learn her lesson through the monks’ chants. 

See next post for the second half of the second day :D