FOREWORD 2
Cha-gyeong : Borrowed Scenery
Cha-gyung : Borrowed Scenery
Seven seasons that
I wanted to appreciate
together with you
“新作宮室 儉而不陋 華而不侈” sinjaggungsil geom-ibullu hwaibulchi
Kim Bu-sik, a Goryeo civil officer and scholar, mentioned the Baekje palace architecture in <Samguksagi>, a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea in medieval times. He wrote, "the new palace was built—frugal but not shabby, glamorous but not luxurious.' I aspire my pictures and myself to be such.
This is the second book published from my "Korean cultural heritage" photo series from 2014 to 2021. In this book, I focused on the various aspects of Seooreung Royal Tombs, Seongyojang House, and Myeongjae House
The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2009, is a forest of history encompassing the 500-year history of the Joseon Dynasty. The Royal Tombs were built through the best artisans of the time under the supervision of the Sanneungdogam. This architectural institution abided by strict national laws such as the Gukjoorye. And the tomb area was selected and built based on feng shui philosophy consistent with the natural mountains and surrounding terrain while constructing spaces according to Confucian decorum. Therefore, it was able to have unique spaces and excellent scenery unique to the royal tombs of Joseon. In addition, Geumcheongyo Bridge, Hongsalmun Gate, Jeongjagak Pavilion, which is the center of the ancestral rites space, and Neungchim, located at the highest point, were all arranged with topographical steps to create a sacred space. On top of that, all permanent buildings, including annexes and stone structures necessary for royal tombs, exhibit excellent forms, respectively, so they all hold exceptional artistic values.
It sounds like the general public cannot access these places. Still, the Royal Tombs of Joseon, located throughout the metropolitan area today, are actually welcoming arbors to modern people's busy lives. Children enjoy spring picnics, and citizens take a walk every morning in the Royal Tombs. At the same time, the royal descendants continue to hold various rituals throughout the year in the same place. In this sense, the Royal Tombs of Joseon has genuinely become a tangible and intangible cultural heritage that lives and breathes with us forever.
Out of the 42 royal tombs in total, 40 are in the metropolitan area, excluding Jereung and Hureung in Kaesong, North Korea. Among them, I focused on Seooreung Royal Tombs, which is the closest to my house and is allowed to enter earlier than other royal tombs. Seooreung is located in the west of Seoul in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. A total of five tombs—Changneung, Gyeongneung, Myeongneung, Ingneung, and Hongneung—were gathered in this vast forest of about 19,926,578 sqft, making it perfect for taking pictures of the four seasons with the background of each idiosyncratic royal tomb.
While working between Jongmyo Shrine, Changdeokgung Palace, and Seooreung Royal Tombs for years, my interests expanded to Hanok, traditional Korean houses. I wondered how might typical Hanok architecture differ from the royal one. For that reason, I have visited the Seongyojang House in Gangwon-do and Myeongjae House in Chungcheongnam-do regularly since 2015. Seongyojang House and Myeongjae House are representative houses of aristocrats in the late Joseon Dynasty. The beauty and scientific design of the old house is outstanding, but what makes it more astonishing is that the eldest grandson still lives in that same house built more than 300 years ago. Both places require more than three hours of driving from home, so I wasn't always able to see the weather and scenery I wanted, but I was lucky to capture the peak of several summers and winters.
In the first chapter of each season, I wrote down the music I listened to while taking pictures, hoping that my experience would be fully conveyed. I also translated my writings in both English and Japanese because I wanted to share Korea's world heritage and beautiful four seasons with people abroad. Although this is an individual project, I tried to refer to proper names, markings, and expressions to deliver accurate information, with the help of the Cultural Heritage Administration website, various related publications, and some out-of-print books. I received assistance with English translation from Hong Hye-bin, studying at Boston University, and my wife helped me with Japanese. I express my sincere gratitude and infinite love to my wife, who took care of me going out to take pictures. And I dedicate this book to my beloved Jae-hee and Eun-jae, who crossed the distant universe and taught us the true happiness of life.
Our time must record the original form of great buildings. I believe that the state institution would carry out such tasks, but I also think it will be meaningful to leave a record from a more unrestricted perspective of an individual. Seooreung is close to death, and Seongyojang House and Myeongjae House are inseparable from life. Weaving these places where the ancestors fell asleep and where the descendants live together in this book, I hope my intention can be delivered well to the readers. I wish your life naturally flow like water, and mine as well.
