Experience Oriental Medicine at Changdeokgung Palace

What must it feel like, receiving medical services from the Naeuiwon (court hospital), one of the three royal hospitals of the Joseon Dynasty?

Well, feel it for yourself!

The Changdeokgung Office of the Cultural Heritage Administration, in cooperation with the Association of Korean Oriental Medicine and the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, is offering various hands-on Oriental medicine programs at the Naeuiwon in Changdeokgung Palace.
Naeuiwon, along with Jeonuigam and Hyeminseo, was the place where medical practitioners mixed medicine and provided medical services for the king and the rest of the royal family. The number of staff was around fifteen and the renowned court physician Heo Jun is said to have worked in Naeuiwon for 44 years.
The hands-on programs at Changdeokgung Palace are designed to help visitors learn more about the traditional medical practices of Korea that have long been revered for their effectiveness. Doctors affiliated with the “Association of Korean Oriental Medicine” offer visitors a variety of health services, even dressed in traditional medical attire.





Services and treatments offered include pulse examinations for health diagnosis (“jinmaek”), acupuncture (“chim”), and moxibustion (“tteum”). In order to ensure high-quality examination throughout the day, the number of patients seen each day will be limited to 40 on a first-come, first-served basis.
The program is equipped with several language volunteers who facilitate communication. You will be asked to fill out a brief questionnaire on your physical conditions and have a counseling session prior to the examination.
Nicolas from Columbia commented, “It was a mysterious experience. It was like magic.” Lesanne from France who visited Korea to see her daughter said that after getting a “chim” treatment, it felt like the pain in her joints she had been experiencing after childbirth significantly improved.
Hands-on programs include the traditional wrapping/packaging of medicine (visitors can take it home with them as a souvenir), traditional medicine grinding, copying medical diagrams out of the Donguibogam (Korean medical book). Also, after participating in one of the programs or receiving treatment, visitors can relax on the wooden floor with a cup of traditional Korean medical tea.

The programs are scheduled to run from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm every Thursday from May 20 to June 24, 2010 and from September 2 to October 28, 2010.

Take this opportunity to experience the wonders of Korean medicine!

In Search of Korean Food, Food, Food!

What are the joys of travelling?

Okay, there is beautiful scenery, meeting strangers in unfamiliar places, the relaxing train rides…but I’d say “food” definitely tops the list. When it comes to travelling around Korea, be sure to remember that each and every region of Korea boasts its own characteristic, specialty food. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) began its “Korea Gusuk Gusuk 2010 (Nook and Cranny of Korea 2010)” campaign. It’s a sequel to the 2006/2007’s “Where Is It Here?” campaign, and 2008’s “That Spot in That Movie & Drama,” and 2009’s “Live Learning for Children.”










The campaign features :

“Boiled rice wrapped with lotus leaves” of Gyeonggi-do Gimpo region
“Clam stew” of Jeollabuk-do Buan region
“Boiled bamboo shoots” of Jeollanam-do Damyang region
“Olchaengi guksu (noodles made from dried corn flour)” of Gangwon-do Jeongseon region
“Heotjesabab (a type of bibimbap) of Gyeongsangbuk-do Andong region

….among other numerous regional dishes of Korea.

These advertisement videos will be aired seasonally in the S/S and F/W categories.
Visit KTO’s web café (http://cafe.naver.com/9suk9suk) to view unabridged versions of the videos and also to learn about promotional events!

Taekwondo Tigers

The Incheon International Design Awards (IIDA)

The Incheon International Design Awards (IIDA) Know Korea / Know Korea
2010/06/01 10:39
http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10087374829

Major international design awards?

There is the International Design Awards (IDA), or the International Forum Design Awards.
But did you know Korea has one like that too? It’s the Incheon International Design Awards (IIDA), now entering its 7th year. For the past 7 years IIDA has been receiving increasing attention from the design industry, academia, and enterprises both at home and abroad. In 2009, as many as 3,709 submissions from 97 countries were taken, and for this year IIDA is seeking submissions from May 1 until August 25, for 117 days.IIDA 2010 seeks entries in the following 3 categories: 1) “Green Design for Human” – daily goods, home appliances, lightings, furniture, stationery, home devices, cars, packaging, etc2) “Green Design for City” – architecture, interior design, road, items for streets, public spaces and facilities, park, urban infrastructure, etc 3) “Green Design for Communication” – poster, video, advertisement, illustration, campaign, software, mass media, networking, etc

http://www.iida.kr/)>

The entries will be evaluated by a judging committee comprised of Korean and international experts in the relevant fields of design. There will also be special awards – “Netizens’ Choice Award” and “People’s Choice Award (chosen by the visitors of the Incheon International Design Fair). Despite the relatively short history, IIDA has been rapidly garnering global attention and recognition. I’m sure this year’s IIDA will be seeing even more innovative items from all over the world :)

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ⓒ 코리아브랜드

Touring Seoul With iPhone

Touring Seoul with iPhone Know Korea / Know Korea
2010/06/01 10:40
http://blog.naver.com/korea_brand/10087374876

When we travel abroad, we usually research and gather information about those foreign places beforehand so we could be prepared. But even so, when we’re actually there, more often than not we get encountered with situations where things aren’t quite as we expected them to be. Providing foreign travelers with accurate, on-the-spot, easy-to-access information while they are on their tours – that’s the purpose of the web site “i Tour Seou(http://www.visitseoul.net/)” run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. It is a digital tour guide that offers a wide range of information regarding Seoul for foreign travelers who visit and tour around the city. The services are offered through the web site as well as at the kiosks installed at various spots in the city.
Starting late 2009, the services have also been being offered, on a tentative basis, via smartphones. And starting this month, it will be expanded for common usage.

It is a digital tour guide that offers a wide range of information regarding Seoul for foreign travelers who visit and tour around the city. The services are offered through the web site as well as at the kiosks installed at various spots in the city. Starting late 2009, the services have also been being offered, on a tentative basis, via smartphones. And starting this month, it will be expanded for common usage.

Also, the “i Tour Seoul” mobile application can perform search around the area, putting you in the center, for popular tourist sites, restaurants, public transportations and others.

One other interesting application is the one where you can take pictures of the spots you visit using your iphone and send them to your account at “i Tour Seoul” web site. And then later on, after you are done with your travel, you can download the pictures to your computer at your leisure. These applications can be downloaded free-of-charge at the Apple App Store. And for those travelers who do not own an iphone, they can rent one at Incheon and Gimpo Airports, and also at the City Airport, Logis & Travel sites. Transferring the entire information and functions of a web site as a mobile phone application is said to be an unprecedented tourism service.

"Ponkuksa" temple (봉국사)

Lord Buddha's Birthday,according to the Korean Buddhism celebrates every year almost in every temple in the country.Korea has a great history and Buddhism is one important part of it.
Befor Confucianism ,Buddhism was rooted in the country.Tamed people of its teachings and made the solid structure for Confucianism.Unlikely South Asian region ,where Buddhism is a major religion ,in Korea,China and in Japan Buddha's Birthday celebrates in a different way.Cermons, prayings and teaching has its similarities though,celebrations are different even from the small peice of decorative element.Specially the date that Buddha was born is different according to calender.Normally in Sri Lanka we used to celebrate that "Vesak" on the full moon day of the month of May.But,in Korea according to luna calender it seems to be change from our region.21st of this month was celebrated as the Buddha's Birthday by Korean Buddhist population.
As a routine of mine,in every important day in Korea ,I use to travel to a place that gives true nature of the celebration.This "Vesak".The Lord Buddha's Birthday ,my destination was "Ponkuksa"temple.Which was barely known by most of the people,and situated in a remote area of Chungchungnamdo Province. The Temple situated near Onyang village.The scenic beauty on the way to temple is delicate.The beauty of paddy feilds,Green mountains and water springs make visitors comfortable.The path way towards the temple along pine tree canopy , makes calm environment and tranquality in mind.


The path to this Shrine along Pine tree canopy and other various greenish ,flora and fauna.




Main Building or the shrine of this temple is the Image house which has every feature of Korean Tradition timber Architecture.It is colorful and decorative in many aspects.Daeunjeon is a hall enshrining the Buddha statue.This hall is three kan (one kan =about 1.82m)by two and has a ㅅ -shaoed roof with double row of eaves.A datjip( a decorated roof over the Buddhist statue)was built in the hall.,and the inner parts of the hall were built by using timbers expressing nature beauty.The hall was destroyed during the Japanese invasion in 1592,was rebuilt in the 24th year of the reign of King Injo, and it was repaired into the present state by Seobonghwasang in 1891 ( the 7th year of the reign of King Gojong).
Gobang is a warehouse This is there kan by one kan two-story building.It is one of the compartments of the building called "yosachae"(building for resting,sleeping,eating,etc.)which is eighty kan by one kan and forms 'ㅁ' in layout,visible adjacent to the Main shrine.

Buddha statue in the Deaunjeon hall building.

Double pitched roof structure with circular rafters with colorful decorative arts.

Inner roof structure with fine craftsmanship and decorations

Wall murals inside the shrine room,describing the birth of Lord Buddha.



Surrounding of the temple it self merge with its colors and decorated elements up to the maximum.In the temple structure used to decorated with several tones of green it tempts to show temple is a part of the surrounding other than a building stood out of the context.

Surrounding and the Main shrine building

Vesak lanterns with pure colors

Wisdom and serenity,not only the simple taste of craftsmanship,also the spiritual third hands blessing from the nature makes everybody to be free on their heavily souls for a moment worth cannot be measure and cannot describe in words utterly gives descriptions what we can describe.

Sparkling Korea...................................................