Classic love story attracts tourists to Namwon By Lee Yong-sung
Publisher:The Korea Herald - Publication Date: 25-04-2008

There is no proof that a couple named Romeo and Juliet once lived in Verona, fell in love with each other despite the feud between their families and died tragic deaths in a graveyard, as the story goes in the Shakespearean classic Romeo and Juliet.

Juliet's famous balcony and tomb in Verona, however, attracts a steady flow of tourists to the northern Italian city, although they were built to support fiction rather than history.

The power of narrative in tourism illustrated by the legendary couple is being proved here as well by another fictional yet realistic couple: Sung Chun-hyang and Lee Mong-ryong, though the Korean couple, unlike Romeo and Juliet, lived 'happily ever after' in the story originating from one of the five surviving stories of the pansori (a type of Korean folk opera) titled Chunhyang-ga.

In the tale set in 18th century Namwon, Chun-hyang, the daughter of a retired courtesan (her father was an aristocrat, though, so she was raised like one), and Mong-ryong, the son of a local governor, got married secretly after a secret courtship with Mong-ryong painting his pledge of love in ink on her.

They soon become separated, however, as Mong-ryong goes to Seoul, then called Hanyang, following his parents. Meanwhile, a corrupt local magistrate propositions Chun-hyang. She refuses and is faced with death, but is rescued at the last minute by Mong-ryong who returned in his new role as a secret royal inspector.

A classic example of a Joseon Dynasty-style traditional garden, Gwanghalluwon (Gwanghallu Garden) is where Chun-hyang and Mong-ryong first met to exchange their vows of love. Just like Juliet's balcony, the Gwanghallu pavilion and surrounding garden located in the urban district of Namwon is geared to offering love-struck couples room for romance.

In early May every year, there is the annual Chunhyang Festival, the oldest among hundreds of regional festivals of the country. Launched back in 1931, at the garden and other attractions of the county, the celebration features various events, such as a beauty contest, traditional wedding ceremony, traditional Korean music competition and much more.

About a 20-minute walk from the garden is Chunhyang Theme Park, another major attraction to see on your trip in search of the fictional but plausible traces of the most celebrated couple in Korean literature. Here, visitors can borrow a hanbok (traditional Korean costume) to take pictures with their partner in the roles of the hero and heroine of the traditional story.

Just like Verona is famous for its annual summer festival of opera, 'The Arena di Verona Festival', the city of the Korean Romeo and Juliet is also famed as the birth place of Dongpyeonje, a genre of the Korean folk opera noted for its masculine and heavy ornamentation.

The birthplace of Dongpyeonje originator Song Heung-rok, who was born sometime around 1780, is in Bijeon Village, Namwon. This and the nearby Traditional Korean Music Mecca - a performing arts hall and museum of traditional music - are worth visiting if you want to experience something genuinely Korean.

Located in Sannae-myeon, a peaceful village embraced by the foothills of Mount Jiri, Silsangsa temple is one of the oldest temples of the country, founded in 828. Unlike most of the old temples in Korea, which are situated deep in valleys, this temple lies at the centre of paddy fields.

Almost no other temples in Korea have as many National Treasures as Silsangsa. Among the treasures is the three story stone pagoda from the Unified Silla period (A.D. 668-935).

Although there is no train making a stop at the old Seodo Station (which is located about 1km from the current Seodo Station) anymore, the old station complex has recently been restored to its original 1930s style to be used as a filming location, and to become another popular destination to take photos.

In the vicinity of the station is Honbul Literature Village, a memorial centre of the late novelist Choi Myung-hee (1947-1998) and her masterpiece novel, Honbul. Of course it doesn't take knowledge about the author and her works to enjoy the spring breeze at the beautiful little park combining traditional architecture and greenery.

The most famous delicacy of Namwon is chueotang or loach soup, but during spring, seasoned vegetables (namul) collected from Mount Jiri are also highly recommended. Located in Jucheon-myeon, Eden Restaurant (063-626-1633) serves eight different kinds of fresh namul for bibimbab (rice with vegetables and red pepper paste, 6,000 won).

To get to Namwon from Seoul by KTX, there is no direct train. Take the Iksan-bound KTX at Yongsan Station. From Iksan, there is either the Saemaeul or Mugunghwa train to Namwon, heading for Yeosu. For further details about travel in Namwon, call (063) 620-6165.

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