Tourism history in the making

Gaeseong isn’t all about factories and stainless steel pots. Behind its fledgling inter-Korean capitalism, this cityhas a rich cultural heritage, and a plan to make the most of this potential tourist attraction is in the works. Details have yet to be firmed up, but South Korean citizens will be able to travel to Gaeseong starting early this year, according to a staffer at Hyundai Asan, which handles the inter-Korean tourism programs in the North. The capital of the Goryeo Dynasty from 918 to 1392, Gaeseong has historical sites that include royal tombs, traditional houses and a museum, among other attractions. The tourism plan focuses on Gaeseong’s history, but Hyundai Asan plans to add a bit of modern atmosphere with a 375,000-square-yard complex including an amusement park, a golf course and a park called the Hill of Peace. Once tour programs begin, the Korea National Tourism Organization expects Gaeseong to draw 440,000 visitors a year. This city seems poised to become the North’s number-two tourist attraction, behind Mount Geumgang. You Hong-june, chief of the Cultural Heritage Administration and author of the best-selling “My Exploration of Cultural Heritages” series, says his eyes were opened to Gaeseong’s charm when he visited in 1998 as a history and art expert. Mr. You says he was especially touched by the beauty of Gaeseong’s hanok, the traditional Korean houses. “Gaeseong was not only beautiful during the Goryeo Dynasty, but enjoyed further prosperity during the Joseon Dynasty, with its nouveau riche merchants,” he said. “They built this beautiful hanok village, whose charm remains intact to this day, in even better condition than those in the South.” The village will be used for tourist accommodations, according to a Hyundai Asan official. Unfortunately, it only has 50 rooms; the only hotel in the city, the Janamsan Hotel, has 45 rooms. More facilities are planned, but initially, tour packages to Gaeseong will consist of day trips, according to Choi Min-seok, a staffer with the Inter-Korea Tourism Promotion Team at the Korea National Tourism Organization. Tourists will be bused, as with the Mount Geumgang packages. Included in the tour packages will be the 20-meter-high Bagyeon Waterfall, which is one of the three things for which Gaeseong is best known among Koreans, along with the fact that it was home to the courtesan Hwang Jin-i and the scholar Seo Gyeong-deok. Bagyeon’s water is said to be crystal-clear; there is also said to be a witch living in the waterfall, ready to captivate a visitor. Gaeseong’s other attractions are all related to history, so a bit of homework beforehand would help a visitor better appreciate them. Says Mr. You, “The more you know, the more you see.” One well-known site is Seonjukgyo, a stone bridge less than 10 meters long that’s the site of a sad story. Jeong Mong-jun was a loyal subject and a renowned scholar in the last years of the Goryeo Dynasty, when the generals of the Lee family, who would eventually found the Joseon Dynasty, were rising in power. The Lees hoped to win Jeong over to their side, but he kept his fidelity to the very end, when he was beaten to death with iron bars while crossing this bridge. Later, a bamboo tree, which is considered a symbol of fidelity, grew near the bridge, giving it its name (“juk” means bamboo). It’s said that the bridge is still stained with Jeong’s blood. Another historic site in Gaeseong is a pair of royal tombs from the Goryeo Dynasty ― one of King Gongmin and his queen buried side by side, the other of Wang Geon, the dynasty’s founder. King Gongmin deeply loved his queen, and died soon after she did. Wang Geon’s royal tomb is connected to the other one by a long stone road. Gaeseong is also home to the Goryeo Museum, in a building dating from the Goryeo Dynasty that once housed Seonggyungwan, a private academy. Also recommended is Manwoldae, where you can see remains of the old palace site, which Mr. You says has a rather desolate charm. by Chun Su-jin