Friday. 2 November 2018
Rooming in Jongno-gu of Seoul, the area where the Korean Royal Palaces are located, allows me to walk to many of these historic sites. Here and there remains a patch of road constructed of very old and difficult-to-walk-on stones, as well as serious stone steps.
This magnificent tree stands in front of what used to be the main post office – I think. My guide said as much, and now I can read Korean – I have learned the alphabet – but of course I have no idea what the words that I am reading are all about – anyway – next to the what was apparently the post office is an impressive Buddhist temple dedicated to scholarship. There, anxious parents and aspiring students hoping to ace the university entrance exams come and pray.
The garden in front of the temple was celebrating the fall with chrysanthemums. Banks and banks of chrysanthemums of every color were on every side. The golden statue of the most important Buddha was encased with massed chrysanthemums over one shoulder as were his golden all male, of course – followers. Acolytes? Here are sacred animals built entirely of chrysanthemums.
It was all quite overdone and ornate and rich ad impressive in the Buddhist-style and amazing to see. And I marveled at how many hours of painstaking work must have been required to insert and put together all those many many many chrysanthemums.
Next was seen, standing between the chrysanthemum grounds and in front of the temple itself, another magnificent tree, thankfully unadorned with chrysanthemums. A line of people were entering the main entrance door of the temple,and I did not want to miss anything, so I followed along. Inside, the temple was close to crowded, quite full of devotees.
I felt annoyed with myself for intruding, but took a fast photo of more Buddha’s and scurried outside. Apparently, I need not have been concerned, Many more of the curious were tromping in and out, and the curious and the devout seemed accepting. It would seen to me to be a great impediment to devout devotions to have to deal with all that commotion, but where so many people are crowded together in a costume – off what is it these days – twenty million – no doubt Koreans have a different regard for activity of this sort.
The exterior of the temple, which was wood, was decorated with these lovely paintings. The colors are pure and yet earthy. The differences between the Korean aesthetic and that of the Chinese and Japanese is interesting. The Korean choice of soft but bright color and decoration just short of excess is its own. And so on into the fall day.
