VOL.72/2024.07

 

[A Trip to Literary Museums ③]

People’s Lives Seen Through the National
History of Chaos and Turbulence

Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do: The Jo Jung-Rae Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Museum

 

2024.07.01

 

Literary museums are the most effective place to deepen your understanding of writers and their works, and to fully appreciate them. This is because they exhibit works in a variety of ways and present writers’ biographies, enabling us to walk into the world of literature with a richer perspective. So, sometimes, a trip to a literary museum is enough to make us more mature readers. In this edition of Book Trip, we traveled to Jeollanam-do, Boseong-gun, the hometown of Jo Jung-Rae, a master of Korean literature and the writer of Taebaeksanmaek (meaning Taebaek Mountain Range)(Hainaim Publishing), the ultimate saga novel. Aside from the pleasure of discovering traces of Taebaeksanmaek around every corner, Boseong-gun has much to offer, as it breathes the vibrancy and richness of “nam-do” (meaning provinces in the southern area, covering both Jeollanam-do and Chungcheongnam-do). The time spent in Boseong-gun, where the tourist spots filled with the scenic landscape and the unique culture of the nam-do region draw you in and enrich your senses just by traveling, will give you memories to reflect on for many years to come.

 

* K-Book Trends Vol. 16 – Go to the interview with writer Jo Jung-Rae

 

A strong passion for literature: Jo Jung-Rae Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Museum

 

 

Blessed with a vast sea and fertile soil, Boseong-gun has been a thriving region since ancient times. Among them, Beolgyo, the main stage of Taebaeksanmaek, has one of the cleanest seas in the nam-do area, as well as an ecologically vibrant mudflat that offers a glimpse of wondrous creatures. Moreover, its vast plains made it the perfect place for settlement. This rich and livable region, Beolgyo, is depicted throughout Jo Jung-Rae’s masterpiece Taebaeksanmaek. In the book, the writer, who has been characterizing the tragic experience of upheaval and division in Korea’s national history, asks, “What is the meaning of choosing ideologies and the confrontation between them?” The story of the novel begins by tracing the clues of the collective rebellion of the Communist Party that broke out in Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, and Sunchon in October 1948, shortly after the establishment of the separate government of South Korea. Based on the motif of the “Armed Rebellion at Yeosu and Sunchon,” which captures the pain of Korean society during the turbulent period of ethnic division immediately after the country’s liberation, the writer seeks to uncover the reality of the situation and the ideology they chose.

 

 

The Jo Jung-Rae Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Museum, which opened in 2008 near the writer’s birthplace in Beolgyo-eup, was built to honor his literary achievements. The museum, which has become a must-see for travelers to Boseong since its opening as the exceptional literary value of Taebaeksanmaek has piqued the curiosity of many, welcomes visitors with more than 600 exhibits related to the writer and the novel. Visitors are invited to enjoy a wide range of items related to the novel, including the history of the immensely dedicated effort that went into writing works over a period of 6 years, various records and sketches that the writer made while writing the story, and the writer’s personal collection. In addition, a separate room is organized to display manuscripts transcribed by the readers themselves, showing exactly how many people read, and were touched by the book Taebaeksanmaek.

 

 

As you look around the exhibits - diverse enough to give you a good understanding of the work - you will be able to imagine the vast amount of materials the writer collected, the intensity with which he conceived the work, and the deep thoughtfulness with which he wrote it. The exhibition room on the 1st floor, which is centered around the work, as well as the one on the 2nd floor, which features transcriptions of the emotions that many readers have felt after reading the novel Taebaeksanmaek, make visitors feel the connection between the writer and readers. The Jo Jung-Rae Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Museum is a reflection of the hearts gathered through a single work. This is yet another touching moment created by the one-of-a-kind masterpiece called Taebaeksanmaek.

 

A street where you can walk along the story, transcending time and space:
Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Street

 

Beolgyo-eup, once a thriving village, now draws travelers as a place that represents the novel Taebaeksanmaek. The Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Street, which stretches for about 1km in Beolgyo-eup, is like a literary route as the structures featured in the novel are perfectly preserved. Some of the places that appear in the novel set in Beolgyo include Hyun the Rich Man’s House, Sohwa’s House, Buyong Bridge (Sohwa Bridge), Iron Bridge, Beolgyo Station, Boseong Inn, Iron Cattle Factory, Bus Depot (currently Beolgyo Post Office), Beolgyonam Elementary School (currently Beolgyo Elementary School), M-1 Ridge (Buyongsan Park), Money Museum (former Beolgyo Financial Association), Brewery (a place that makes and wholesales alcohol), and many more. It’s a lot of fun to walk along the street and recall scenes from the novel - you will be able to indulge in the joy of re-reading it.

 

 

In particular, Boseong Inn has transformed into a cultural complex, where you can take a tea break, take a photogenic shot in the room that is a reproduction of the writing room for Taebaeksanmaek, and feel the unique atmosphere of a Jeoksangaok (a house built by enemies; usually refers to houses built by the Japanese during the Japanese occupation of Korea). The former Beolgyo Financial Association, now used for currency-related exhibits, provides a glimpse into Korea’s financial history. In addition, Hyun the Rich Man’s House and Sohwa’s House, which are recreated in front of the Jo Jung-Rae Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Museum, not only heighten the interest in the novel, but also allow you to take a break and delve into the narrative of the novel. Also, as the spaces from the novel are spread out over a large area, you will be able to experience the exotic feeling of being the novel’s protagonist as you walk along the street looking for them one after another. The places that were once the sites of difficult times for people who lived through the turbulent years of the modern era, far away from our current lives, generate new waves of impression through the novel. As such, Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Street fulfills its role as a cultural tourist destination and affirms the influential power of the novel.

 

Various spots from the novel that you can see on Taebaek Mountain Range Literature Street
(Boseong Inn, former Beolgyo Financial Association, and writer Jo Jung-Rae’s writing room recreated in Boseong Inn)

 

 

The epitome of a trip to Boseong, where green waves ripple: green tea fields

 

The southern part of Korea has more greenery than the rest of the country, thanks to the abundant sunshine. Among it all, there is a particularly fascinating area that seems to lay out a lush green carpet in all seasons, making travelers’ hearts flutter - the green tea fields. Along with Hadong in Gyeongsangnam-do, Boseong is a major tea-producing region in Korea, and you can find tea fields everywhere. The most well-known is “Daehan Dawon,” which boasts spectacular scenery so famous that it is often used as a filming site for various dramas and movies. Daehan Dawon has a large-scale tea field that spans over 1,652,892.5 square kilometers. While it is actually a place where tea is grown and produced, it has also been commercialized as a tourist attraction where you can walk through the fields and enjoy the greenery. As you walk through the endless tea fields, the subtle aroma of tea spreads through the air, and if you walk slowly as if you are savoring tea, you will reach the summit 350 meters above sea level. Daehan Dawon takes full advantage of Boseong’s proximity to the sea - you can view the Namhae (South Sea) as far as you can see from the seaside observatory at the top of the tea field.

 

 

There are several places to sit and take a break with a view of the lush green tea fields, and the cedar walkway at the entrance as well as the bamboo fields off to the side, are worth a look. You can also enjoy a variety of green tea-based drinks and desserts, such as green tea or green tea ice cream produced on site, while gazing at the vast tea fields. The beauty of traveling in Boseong doubles with its tea fields where you can slow down the journey and recharge your healing energy by immersing yourself in the deep, subtle scent of tea.

 

Time-worn traces you should not miss: Yeolhwajung and Deungnyang Station Street of Memories

 

 

There are several spaces in Boseong that have stood the test of time. Among them is Yeolhwajung, which offers a glimpse into the typical Korean-style pavilion built during the Korean Empire and the Numaru (maru (wooden floor) built high like a loft) architecture style. Yeolhwajung, embracing an old-fashioned aesthetic set deep in the forest, has a beautiful landscape with a streamlet running through it and a pavilion built on high stilts. It seems to exude the leisurely ambiance of noble scholars in the past.
A little further away from Yeolhwajung is a slightly more modern neighborhood. Deungnyang Station Street of Memories is a place that retains the atmosphere of the 1970s and 1980s, a time when middle-aged people might reach back into their memories. Here, the area around Deungnyang Station on the Gyeongjeon Line, which still holds the atmosphere of a small rural village, is filled with many interesting places that feel unique in their old age, such as stationery shops, barber shops, sundries stores, and coffee shops. You can take a step back in time and enjoy a cup of coffee at a coffee shop or simply enjoy looking at the old school uniforms, leaving you with memories of the trip.
From the sites from the novel that vividly capture the fierce and turbulent life of the time that even the scorching summer sun can’t match, to the healing time of the mellow and soothing tea fields, and to the time-stopped places where you can enjoy the feeling of stepping back in time, each and every one of the attractions you shouldn’t miss will leave a lasting impression on your trip to Boseong. Boseong is much akin to the resounding impression of Taebaeksanmaek, which never ceases to resonate.

 

 

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Written by Kim Young-Ihm