Elwood 5566

The end of September saw the celebration of one of the most important events in the lunar calendar, namely Ch’u-seok. This important celebration sees families gathering to worship their ancestral spirits and celebrate the harvest. The event is marked by a public holiday during which traditional games are played and foods such as song-pyeon (송편) and rice wine eaten.

made from glutinous rice and filled with various fillings, most especially sugar, sesame oil and sesame seeds

This Ch’u-seok, I travelled with my komdo teacher, Kwon Yong-guk and his family to a rural town near Ulsan. As well as paying respects to his relatives and ancestors, we planned to do some bamboo cutting (Bamboo Cutting in Ulsan).

Some last minute instruction

Kwon Yong-guk’s father in law, who used to be Chief of  the Fire-brigade in Ulsan, has two houses side by side in a small plot surrounded by farm land.  The setting was quite beautiful especially as it was autumn and the chillies and persimmon, such iconic sights in Korea, were ripe. We spent half an hour trying to net the super soft type of persimmon, known as hong-shi (홍시),  with a long pole and attached net.

Personally, one of the most beautiful Korean sites, a persimmon tree with big fat, juicy persimmon all as delicate as a balls of orange jelly

Preparing the barbecue

Some of the kids playing under a persimmon tree. The back garden was ringed with kimchi pots.

The cutest family dog

After cutting bamboo in the afternoon, we gathered in the courtyard of the house and cooked a barbecue. Kwon Yong-guk has a huge family with about 80 members from both sides. Many of them I was to meet the following day. Darkness fell and in the countryside, unlike Daegu, one is treated to real darkness and a good view of the stars. And when some clouds cleared and the full moon was visible, the children made wishes.

It wasn’t until the next day that I noticed three of the kids wearing sweat shirts on the back of which was printed, ‘Play like a Motherfucka.’

‘Play like a Motherfucka!!!!”

Sleeping wasn’t particularly comfortable as I was on the floor in a shared room and just as I started to get some sleep, at around 4am, Kwon Yong-guk’s alarm went off. Next, we were going fishing.

Kwon Yong-guk’s (right) passion is fishing

The lake was incredibly peaceful at 6.40 in the morning

But the scenery was great

Not being enamoured with sitting watching the floats for hours on end, I found a small patch of flat ground and did some training. Kwon Yong-guk caught two small fish. He never eats them and throws them back in the water. When he excitedly showed me his first catch I told him I needed to get my glasses but I don’t think he got the joke!

Where are my glasses?

After fishing we travelled back to the edge of Ulsan to have breakfast. Next, was a visit to one of Korea’s most beautiful temples, Tongdosa (통도사). This is Korea’s largest temple and is famous, among other things, for having no statue of the Buddha outside the temple and a temple candle which has burnt for 1300 years.

The entrance to the temple complex

One of the buildings

One of the buildings in the center of the complex

One of the Four Heavenly Kings, Virupaksa, guardian of the West.

Virupaksa suppressing demons

Leaving Tongdosa Temple. The pathway is lined with ‘100 Day Flower Trees.’

Next, we travelled to a mountain cemetery where Kwon Yong-guk’s in-laws were gathering. The cemetery spanned the sides of three mountains and was the largest I have ever seen.

just one part of the mountain cemetery

A photo from half way up the mountain

Kwon Yong-guk beside the grave of his grandfather-in-law

The view from the edge of the grave

The young kids in Hanbok. Kwon Yong-guk’s sons are far left.

preparing to pay respects

I felt quite special being asked to pay homage

After ancestral rites another barbecue was prepared

Tucking-in

©Amongst Other Things –  努江虎 – 노강호 2012 Creative Commons Licence.