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Evaluation and Promotion of the Baekdu-daegan and Its Cultural Assets Lecture to the Korea Forest Service in Daejeon City, Korea 2011 / 01 / 03. Professor David A. Mason Cultural Tourism Department, College of Tourism Kyung Hee University, Seoul.
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Evaluation and Promotion of the Baekdu-daegan and Its Cultural AssetsLecture to the Korea Forest Servicein Daejeon City, Korea 2011 / 01 / 03 Professor David A. Mason Cultural Tourism Department, College of Tourism Kyung Hee University, Seoul
The Baekdu-daegan“White-Head Great-Ridge” • Ancient concept as the “Spine of Korea” • Mountain-System running down the entire Peninsula, with a mildly-sacred character
The Baekdu-daegan“White-Head Great-Ridge” • Now a 735-km-Long Hiking Trail is being created as within South Korea, by the Korea Forest Service, hikers and local governments • This has potential development as a fresh and unique multi-religious Pilgrimage-Route
Baekdu-daegan • Craggy Peaks • Magnificent Scenery • Spring-waters, Herbs • Buddhist Temples • Neo-Confucian Shrines • Shamanic Shrines • Historical & Folk Sites • Passes thru 7 National Parks, 4 Local Parks
Doseon-guksa Great 9th-Century Buddhist Master of Geomancy Creator of Korean Pungsu-jiri-seol[Feng-Shui] and the concept of the Baekdu-daegan
1000-year Evolution of theBaekdu-daegan Concept • Dominant divider of the Korean Peninsula into its distinct cultural regions & Kingdoms • Origin of all Korea’s major Rivers • Noted by Goryeo / Joseon Dynasty scholars • Shown on Joseon Dynasty maps since 1402 • Sungho-saseoland Taengni-ji • San-gyeong-pyoMountain Genealogy Chart
Cultural Stakeholders in the Preservation and Development of the Baekdu-daegan Areas • Buddhist Temples • Shaman Shrines • Neo-Confucians, Daoists and other Traditionalists • Traditional Artisans and Artists, Writers
Korean Religious History • 4000 years ago ~ Today: NE Asian Shamanism • 1700 years ago ~ Today: Mahayana Buddhism • 1300 years ago ~ Today: ChineseDaoism • 600 years ago ~ Today: Neo-Confucianism • 300 years ago ~ Today: Catholic Christianity • 120 years ago ~ Today: Protestant Christianity
Most of the Baekdu-daegan’s’s Tourism Sites are held sacred by three great Oriental Religious Traditions: • Mahayana Buddhism • Shamanism mixed with Daoism (including Korean spiritual-nationalism) • Neo-Confucianism Granting Rich Potential for Multi-Religious Pilgrimage Tourism
Strong Sacred-Mountain Traditions www.san-shin.org
Table 1: The Most Sacred or Otherwise Famous Mountains along the Baekdu-daegan Range (listed from north to southalong the line)
Jiri-san Cheonhwang-bong Seongmo-halmae Sanshin[Exquisite-Wisdom Mountain Heavenly-King Peak Holy-Mother Grandma Mountain-spirit]
Special Holy Sites: Jeokmyeol-bogung (Hambaek-san Jeongam-sa)
Master Jajang’s 7th-Century Jeokmyeol-bogung (Seorak-san)
Baekun-san Sangyeon-dae 상연대 上蓮臺 이 사찰은 대한불교조계종 제12교구인 해인사(海印寺)의 말사(末寺)로서 신라말 경애왕 1년(924) 고운 최치원(孤雲 崔致遠)선생이 어머니의 기도처로 건립하여 관음기도를 하던중 관세음보살이 나타나 상연(上蓮)이라는 이름을 하여 상연대로 부르게 되었다고 전하며, 창건한 이래 신라말에는 구산선문(九山禪門)의 하나인 실상선문(實相禪門)을 이곳에 옮겨와 선문의 마지막 보루가 되었다고 전하고 있다. 그 후 역대의 고승, 대덕스님들이 수도 정진해 오던 곳으로 천여 년의 영험(靈驗)어리고 신령한 수도 도량이었으나. This Buddhist temple was constructed by Go-un Choe Chi-won in 924, Shilla King Gyeongae’s 1st year . They say that Choe constructed this temple upon his mother's praying-for-conception place. While praying to Gwanse-eumthe Bodhisattva of Compassion, he appeared here. Since then, this temple was called Sangyeon-dae, and in the last period of Silla, they moved to here Silsang-seonmun, one of the Gusan-seonmun Temples, so this temple became the last stronghold of Seon-mun. Since then, high priests of successive generations and priests of high virtue have practiced spiritual discipline and religious purification at this temple. It was a miraculous and a divine spirit place for spiritual discipline.
Along the Baekdu-daegan Range within South Korea, within 5 km of the hiking trail along its crest on either side, this research has found: • More than 100 religious sites, including: • dozens of significant shamanic shrines, some with buildings and some consisting only of stone altars, most of which are dedicated to Daoist-flavored veneration of the Sanshin spirits of the mountains they are on. • three major Neo-Confucian Shrines, and several minor • two major Daoist-Nationalist shrines, and several minor • a few Christian churches • many other nationally-significant historical sites.
Ten of the most famous and religiously-important Buddhist temples in the nation, and dozens of smaller temples or hermitages. • Some of these monasteries offer travelers South Korea's increasingly-popular “Temple-Stay” tourism program, in which hikers of the Baekdu-daegan can stay over at the temple for up to 24 hours for a low fee, experiencing monastic life and viewing the local treasures. • these are spaced apart so that in most sectors it is possible to stay overnight at one major temple and then hike 2-5 days on to the next one.
Successful Korean Religious-Pilgrimage Tourism Program:Temple-Stay • Started in Spring 2002, as a “Visit Korea Year” project before the World Cup Finals • Fully functioning nationwide in 2004 • Now operated by the national Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, as missionary work • More than 70 temples involved, most with individualized characteristic programs
the first Temple-Stay Event April 2002 Ambassadors to Korea as Guests
Conclusions 1: Effective leadership is needed for an integrated national strategy of managing Preservation and Development of the Cultural Assets of the Baekdu-daegan Areas as our new paradigm of sustainable ecotourism. Due to the • nation-spanning size of the Baekdu-daegan region, and the sacred sites, including those involved in the Temple-Stay program; • and the deep historical and cultural significance it holds for all Korean citizens, and the Global Heritage; • and the strong potential it represents for boosting the national tourism reputation, and the amount of potential tourist visitors; the numbers & proportion of the residents of, authorities of and visitors to the peninsula who must be considered to be stakeholders involved are remarkably large in scale.
Conclusions 2: • Only the national government operating from its highest levels of power will be able to set policies and insure their long-term implementation in such a way that all these stakeholder’s interests and concerns are recognized and managed in proper harmony. • Korea Forest Service should take the lead, gaining cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Korea Tourism Organization, National Parks, other relevant Ministries and etc, in order to properly recognize the Cultural assets of the Baekdu-daegan as a religious-pilgrimage tourism attraction, as well as zones of natural preservation. • This has high potential to boost both Korea's domestic and international tourism industries, as well as general national reputation as a beautiful and fascinating place to visit.
Policy Proposal #1 Recognize the roles of Doseon-guksa, the Pungsu-jiri theories, the association with Choi Chi-won, Jajang-yulsa, Uisang-josa and other “cultural heroes”, and the value of the hundreds of sacred and historical cultural sites as an integral part of the identity of the Baekdu-Daegan. Appropriately Designate their Sites.
Policy Proposal #2 Recognize the Sacred Mountains of the Baekdu-Daegan as also fundamental to its identity. Designate the greatest of them with consistent labels and logos. Strive to have them recognized as official Sacred Mountains by the UNESCO World Heritage Sites system, while waiting for the entire Range to become eligible.
Policy Proposal #3 Work together with National Parks Authority in order to create a consistent network of Baekdu-Daegan trails, including the jongju crest trail as far as possible. When crest trails must be closed for preservation, alternative Baekdu-Daegan trails should be created and designated, especially those going past sacred and cultural sites.
Policy Proposal #4 Recognize the value and traditional roles of Korea’s Sanshin Mountain-Spirits, not as shamanic deities but rather as symbols of traditional Korean culture, evocative guardians of the forest and its sacred and historical cultural sites. Employ colorful Sanshin images / rituals to boost public consciousness of natural and cultural preservation along the Baekdu-Daegan.
Policy Proposal #5-1 Institute a national “Baekdu-Daegan Day” to celebrate all its valuable aspects and assets. Hold commemorations at a different locality along it every year, hosted by the local governments. Inclusively invite related officials, celebrities, religious and cultural VIPs, international resident VIPs, mountain-hiking associations, NGOs and local residents.
Policy Proposal #5-2 Hold the national “Baekdu-Daegan Day” on the Last Saturday of every April. This can be seen as the “launch of hiking season” and could involve a Sanshin-je. Alternative date: Third Saturday of October