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It’s not often you get to experience the sights, sounds and culture of a kingdom that was conquered over 1300 year ago, since history is usually written by the victors of war. Thanks to a unique tour in Buyeo, South Korea I got the chance to do just that.
I volunteered to go on the cultural tour because I felt it might be interesting. I honestly didn't know what to expect, seeing as I really did not know much about Korean history and it gave me a chance to learn more about the area that I am stationed at.
The bus ride to Buyeo took about two hours, which gave me an opportunity to see the various landscapes of Korea. Once we arrived in Buyeo we met our tour guide, Ms. Byoung-Soon Kim, at the Busosanseong Fortress
As we visited the royal tombs Ms. Kim explained how the tombs were found and how they were created. The process was rather interesting because the tomb construction did not start until after the king or queen had died. Seeing the attention to detail they used to design, build and decorate the tombs was amazing.
During the tour we ate at local restaurants, which enhanced the cultural experience. The restaurants had local foods that I had never seen before, like lotus roots and rice steamed in a lotus leaf. These unique foods took me out of my comfort zone but there was also a lot of seafood, which I loved, though I still can't get over having fish with the head on it.
The tour was not just about sight-seeing and eating but also to learn about Korean history and culture.
We visited three sites during the tour, starting with the city of Songjuk. There we were greeted by the mayor and informed we were the first U.S. service members to participate in their program. The experience gave everyone a chance to learn how to make candles, traditional Korean fans and rice cakes.
The second site we visited was a ceramics studio where they made pottery the same way the people of the Korean Three Kingdoms did. We got the chance to see each of the steps they took to produce the pottery. After the ceramics are shaped they have to dry for up to 30 days, then are placed in a wood burning kiln where they bake for up to 10 days before cooling for another 10 days. After the demonstration everyone got to try to make something out of clay, and I learned very quickly that I wasn’t that great at shaping clay.
The last site we visited was the Korean Ginseng Corporation’s red ginseng factory in Buyeo. Here we learned the process used to make the red ginseng. Red ginseng grown here gets its color from the process used to preserve the root. The production of red ginseng is only done in this area and the process is rather lengthy. I was surprised to learn that ginseng grows for six years before it is harvested for uses by the KGC!
The three-day tour of Buyeo ended with us learning the Korean folk song “Arirang” and learning to play two different types of drums, the Buk and the Janggu. It was an interesting experience for me learning a song in a different language, and was a lot of fun. The instructors made learning how to play and sing the song rather easy.
I have enjoyed my time in South Korea and got to see many different things on my own. However thanks to this tour I was taken out of my comfort zone, but was able to see and experience South Korea in a way I never thought was possible. I am grateful to USFK for putting this tour together. It really showed me why the ROK-U.S. alliance is important and seeing what we serve to protect.
I would highly suggest if you have a chance to participate in one of the three-day cultural program to do so, it is an amazing opportunity. These tours are held multiple times a year as a way to build a stronger bond between the U.S. and ROK service members. Talk with your chain of command if you are interested in participating.
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 12.29.2017 13:10 |
| Story ID: | 260761 |
| Location: | KR |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, A glimpse into the past of the South Korea Buyeo region, by SGT William Brown, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
