Learning the Confucian way at Oksan Seowon and Yangdong Village

Day 7: Oksan Seowon and Yangdong

Day 7: Oksan Seowon and Yangdong Village

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Today was one of my favorite days of the trip. We did two things that I can genuinely say I would have never had the opportunity to do on my own. We began our day by visiting a Confucian Shrine-Academy called “Oksan Seowon.” To reach Oksan Seowon we had to enter the woods and step down a beautiful trail that led us over a stream to the walled-in academy in the mountains. We walked through the academy and all sat down on a large open porch to listen to Dr. Peterson’s lecture. (this means that we removed our shoes, stepped up onto the wooden porch with socks, and sat on the floor in whichever way was most comfortable). The main focus of this lecture was Korean education – we were in an academy after all. We talked about the exam system that existed in Korea for centuries and the tests that people would take to become civil servants, leaders in the military, or technical positions (lawyers, doctors, accountants, scientists, and translators). There were three levels of exams in the civil service category (which was the most difficult and seen with the greatest regard) that were at the provincial, national, and palace level. For the national civil service exam, it was only offered every 3 years (although over time, that rule was bent and it was offered more frequently) and only 33 people pass the exam every time. I hadn’t realized it was that difficult an exam! Wow!

After about an hour and a half we left the beautifully peaceful academy and headed to lunch in Yangdong Village. The village was wonderful. The village is maintaining the exterior of its facilities as it was during the Choson dynasty. The houses were all nestled in among the hills and were all tucked away down one garden path after the other. The homes had gates that led into the courtyards of beautiful thatched houses. It was just precious.

We started out with a lunch in which we sat on the floor at low tables and enjoyed a meal of rice and many of the classic dishes. From there Dr. Peterson took us on a tour of the village and led us up and down many earthen pathways and described his connection to the village. Dr. Peterson has a long running relationship in Yangdong and has been there many times, both on his own and with students. He actually brought a group of BYU students to the village to stay for six weeks. The village agreed to allow him to stay with 15-20 students in a house in the village and because they were students refused to allow them to pay any rent. On a different occasion a couple invited Dr. Peterson, his family, and sixteen students to live with them and cooked them meals for over a month…again for free. The generosity of the Korean people astounds me. He explained that they worked in the village and taught English to the village children to return the favor. But still…how amazing! The simplicity of the village, the peacefulness of the sleepy mountains all around them, and the closeness with nature was just wonderful.

After visiting many significant spots around the village we had the distinct honor of meeting with the village elder who was the 17th elder in his family. Wow. We were invited to sit on his large meeting porch (again with socks, communally of the floor all at the same level), as his wife offered us cold plum tea, watermelon slices, and homemade rice cakes. The village is very Confucian. As elder he is the leader of the people and has a duty to respect and take care of them, as they are very loyal and respectful to him as well. He openly admitted that it was a little awkward to sit in the meeting hall with all of us, because women from the village do not meet on the porch with men.

We sat mystified as Dr. Peterson translated back and forth between us. We learned that his grandfather had protested the Japanese occupation by not cutting his ponytail after the top-knot decree and refused to enter the Japanese education system. He also explained some of the finer details of some of the five Confucian relationships, discussing especially the relationship between parent and child. He outwardly claimed Confucianism is a living/practiced belief system, not a religion. And he said “democracy is not the best thing for Korea, but it is probably better than anything else.” It was all fascinating! At the end of our meeting he said he was going to go to dinner with us but we had to promise not to ask him any more questions, he explained that he finds speaking as the sole representative of his village is a very heavy burden because he feels great responsibility as the only one explaining the perspectives and beliefs of his people. Wow. I can guarantee you that we left him alone.

We enjoyed a really unique dinner at a lotus restaurant that creatively served all parts of the lotus plant and flower within the meal. The breaded seed pods that were lightly fried and then cooked in yellow curry were my favorite. It was really great food. I had had a few iffy meals at lunch and at dinner the previous night, so I was very hungry and ate unabashedly. And yes, after sitting on the floor for an hour and a half at the academy, about an hour for lunch, another hour for a lecture in the village on Korean literature, and an hour or two with the village elder, we ate dinner at the lotus restaurant on the floor. My age gave me away, because I was feeling pretty decent and everyone else was miserable. We ended the dinner with a great performance of a traditional pansoori song from one of the elder’s sons as he boldly stood in front of forty of us and sang. We boarded the bus and drove away waving vigorously add the elder and his family as they stood in modern clothing, grinning, and waving right back. It was a perfect way to end an amazing day.