Korean Folk Museum to Hold Han River Exhibition

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Korean Folk Museum to Hold Han River Exhibition

A special exhibition on the history of the Han River, 'Korea's umbilical cord, the Han River' will be held August 9 to October 23 at the Korean Folk Museum in Kyongbok Palace.

Museum guests will be able learn of and appreciate the history and profound meaning of the Han. On display will be 500 items of historical significance, 200 photos, and a section showcasing the Mapo Ferry that served Seoul's denizens during the Chosun Dynasty.

The exhibit has three main parts: 'Korea's Umbilical Cord, the Han River,' 'Korea's Nest, the Han River,' and 'The Heart of Korean Culture and Ecology, the Han River.' In the first, the display will provide information on Han River lore. Artifacts and vestiges from Seoul's Amsa-dong period, the Korean War, the economic miracle of the 1960s and 70s, and the 1988 Seoul Olympics will be showcased.

The highlight of this exhibition is the painting entitled 'Hanimkangmyungseungdokwun.' This is a masterpiece done in 1796 by geographic scholar Chung Soo-yong. Chung depicted on his 15.7 meter-wide canvas the Korean villages and folk that he encountered during his Han River journeys. The museum will not exhibit the entire piece at once; they will show the piece in stages, changing every week.

In the outdoor gallery, the museum has constructed a reproduction of a ferryboat that used to operate from Mapo port. The thirteen meter-long 'Changsa Sampam' used to ferry merchants across the Han. Mapo was a very important port during the Chosun dynasty. 'Mapo pickled shrimp' is still a popular delicacy that dates from that period.

A informative film that shows many images of the Han, from its sources in Korea's mountains to its West Sea mouth, will be shown as well.

by Park So-young

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