KOREA FOUNDATION

The beauty of four distinct seasons is Korea’s pride, and spring seems to be the most exciting of them all with its warm sunshine and flowers blanketing the mountains and fields. The Korean Culture Class recently went out to Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, to greet spring at the Garden of Morning Calm. The name of the arboretum was taken from the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore who described Korea in the days of the Joseon Dynasty as the “land of the morning calm.” Sai Deeksha, an Indian member of the class, read a passage of the great poet’s work to the other participants, adding meaningful flavor to the visit.
  The visitors walked around the garden where spring flowers and traditional Hanok houses mirrored the subtle harmony of a great painting. They also enjoyed the Korean children’s game “Mugunghwa—Flower Has Bloomed!” under a tall cherry tree, which the international participants remarked was similar to the US’s “Red Light, Green Light” and France’s “Un, Deux, Trois, Soleil!”
  Rejuvenated at the garden, the group moved to Gyeonggang Station, which is famous for serving as the shooting location the Korean film The Letter. Though it no longer functions as a railway station, the tracks have since been converted into a bike trail. Korean Culture Class members pedaled their bikes diligently to complete the round-trip course, which took around 40 minutes, burning off the calories from their lunch of steamed barley. The bikers experienced both the warmth of spring and the Korean people as they were kindly greeted and encouraged by passersby and those running in the opposite direction.

KFVN Reporter Kim Hye-mi