Dodamsambong, three rocks

A week in Danyang (3)

Danyang or Yeongju: The Birthplace of Jeong Dojeon

If Ondal Tourist Area reminded me of Achasanseong Fortress in Seoul, Dodam Sambong reminded me of Sambong Road and Sambong Library in Jongno. However, while Ondalsanseong is a kind of competition to Achasanseong, Dodam Sambong is not in conflict with Jeong Dojeon(JDJ)'s Sambong-related facilities. Rather, they are complementary.

There is a theory that Sambong JDJ was born in Danyang and that his father traveled to Gaekyung while working as a government official, and another that he was born in Yeongju and that Danyang was his only home. There is a fierce debate in Danyang and Yeongju about this, and from an outsider's perspective, it sounds like a different story as to whether Jejongwon, the first modern medical facility in Korea, was the predecessor of Severance Hospital (Yonsei University College of Medicine) or Seoul National University Hospital (Seoul National University College of Medicine). In short, Jejongwon was the first Western-style royal hospital founded by King Gojong in 1885, initially known as Gwanghyewon, but renamed Jejongwon within 13 days. Horace Allen, a missionary from the Presbyterian Church of the North who saved Min Young-ik after he was injured in a thyroid crisis in 1884, played a leading role in the hospital, which was built by Joseon but operated by the Presbyterian Church of the North. While Yonsei University's argument is that the operation of Jejongwon was transferred to the Presbyterian Church of the North in 1895, leading to the later establishment of Severance by the Presbyterian Church of the North, Seoul National University emphasizes Gojong's role and claims that national education in modern medicine can be traced back to Jejongwon Medical Center, and that Seoul National University Hospital inherits the authenticity of a national modern medical facility and a national modern medical education institution.

It may not matter to those who are one step away, but both Severance and Seoul National University hospitals still claim their authenticity on their websites and through their respective exhibition halls. Both hospitals are unwilling to back down on this issue, as it is directly related to their legitimacy. Seoul National University Hospital has a huge stone boulder in front of its main building called Jejongwon T'rak, and Severance has reproduced the shape of Jejongwon and used it as a "Yonsei History Garden" (Sukyungjae), revealing that Jejongwon is the root of Yonsei University (Yonsei + Severance). Meanwhile, on the site of the Constitutional Court, there is a marker stone marking the site where the first Jejongwon was built.

For those who claim that JDJ's hometown was Danyang, Dodam Sambong is conclusive evidence. However, for those who support the lordship theory, Sambong does not come from Dodam Sambong. According to them, JDJ lost his parents in the same year and lived in his hometown lordship for nearly four years, and in 1369, he returned to his home on Samgaksan Mountain to train his successors, so he called it Sambong Mountain after the shape of the mountain, and the academy he ran was called Sambongjae. In Danyang, it is claimed that JDJ's first government job was in neighboring Chungju, and that whenever he was struggling, he consoled himself at Dodam Sambong and built a pavilion. In the absence of a clear record of JDJ's birth, claims are made through one or two episodes, as in the debate between Achasanseong and Ondalsanseong.

Dodamsambong and Seokmun are so beautiful

Dodamsambong is the symbol of Danyang. The logo of Danyang County is a combination of Dodamsambong and Seokmun, representing the Chinese character Dan. It is more meaningful than any other local government's logo, except that the colors are blue and green, which are used by many local governments, so the shape is not easy to see, and for those who are familiar with Chinese characters, it only looks like a dan, and for those who have strong memories of the nationalist novel "Novel Dan", which was a best-seller in the 80s, it may remind them of the book. Dodam Sambong was often seen in Danyang. In fact, the history of Danyang Station is designed accordingly. It is said to represent the towering general's peak in the center and the concubine's and concubine's peaks on the left and right, but it is not as impressive as Dodamsambong, which is depicted in the logo of Danyang-gun.

I heard that the road to Seokmun was rough, so I headed to Seokmun first when I arrived. The road was steep, but the terrain was unlike any other. There is a huge gate made of stone, which is also said to be a weathered limestone formation. The view of the village and Namhan River on the other side through the stone gate was like a framed landscape painting.

The Dodamsambong we see now is very different from the Dodamsambong painted by Kim Hongdo, Jeomjae, and Lee Bangwoon (see photo below). When the Chungju Dam was built, the lower part was submerged as the water level rose, and now it looks like a hat, but in Joseon paintings, the rocks towering over the river like sails on a yacht evoked mythical imagination.

I spent a long time at Dodamsambong. Dodamsambong is not just three rocks at a specific point on the Namhang River, but a peaceful scene that blends in with the village across the street, the Sobaek Mountains further back, and the Namhang River spreading out to the left and right. Although there is a parking lot for tourists in the back and, as with all tourist spots in Korea, a souvenir shop and a local restaurant, the area overlooking Dodam Sambong is better preserved than I expected, especially since the village across the street is quiet and unobtrusive.

The disappointment of Sambong Story Museum

Unbeknownst to me, the Sambong Story Museum was located at the entrance to the parking lot, so I went inside. On the third floor of a shopping mall along the way, I saw the Danyang Tourism Organization, which runs various tourist facilities and programs in Danyang, including Sambong Story Hall.

I was nervous because there weren't many people inside, but I thought, "What did they do here before?" So I tried to enter, but there was a person working outside the ticket office because there weren't many people visiting. It was a low cost of 2,000 won, but it was a disappointing exhibition. The Ondal Exhibition Center was similar, but the content was poor. At the Sambong Story Center, there were not many stories about Jeongdojeon, and the Dodam Sambong itself did not show anything more than what was in the wiki or tourist guide.

The lack of stories about Dodamsambong itself leads to similar content everywhere. The Eight Views of Danyang, Danyang's unique geopark, etc. are of course meaningful and informative, but no matter where you go or what you see, you will quickly move on if there is a low density of about half the same content.

If Dodamsambong alone does not provide enough content, I wonder if it would have been better if it had been conceptualized as a place to introduce Danyang and organized a little more densely, given that Dodamsambong is the first scripture of the Eight Scriptures of Danyang, serving as a starting point for the Eight Scriptures of Danyang, or as a symbol of Danyang. Of course, considering the human and physical limitations of a small base municipality, I think it will not be easy to discover better content and update it continuously, but I think it is a waste considering the size and space of the story hall. As soon as you enter, you will see a thumbnail of Dodamsambong, which is less focused, and the spatial organization that gives the impression of a space with low content density needs to be improved through lighting and the arrangement of exhibits.

Danyang #Danyang Travel #Danyang Week in the Life #Danyang Diary #Dodam Sambong #Seokmun #Sambong Story Center