Jinju Silk Lanterns
My friend and I decided to check out Lights of Korea: Jinju silk lanterns exhibit at the Korean Cultural center. I was intrigued to see what it was all about.
What surprised me was the cultural oasis I was about to unveil. In all the years living in L.A, I had no idea this place existed, and I know so little about the Korean culture. I didn't know how rich their culture was as I went through another exhibit, before even getting to the lanterns.
The Seonbi principal shapes Koreans through five values: Discipline, Courage, inclusion, wisdom, and honor. Their belief is instead of elitism, "live for the benefit of all humanity," and that diverse cultures, and values coexist. Seonbi embraces empathy, harmony, and balance ⚖️. The first photo is about how Seonbi present themselves in public by wearing traditional clothes, and hat—"Proper behavior starts with proper dress code." The second pix is about what walking teaches you about life, staying on the path, and opening your mind to new ideas.
The above is the work of Hyungwon Kang, photojournalist, and visual story teller with decades of experience working for organizations such as the L.A Times, AP, and Reuters.
Chusa Kim Jeonghui, an artist and a scholar lived in exile because of his political views. The above is a picture of the letter he wrote to his wife, followed by a translation. He did not know that his wife had already passed away.
The hats, worn between late 1300s and early 1900s, and other items are made of horsehair. The hats called Gat, represented a satus symbol, mostly worn by aristocrats, noblemen, and scholars.
Heo Hyeong's folding screen "depicting plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo, symbolizes the four seasons.
Inspired by Sin Yunbok's art, "Portrait of a Beauty," the silk lanterns imitate these traditional dresses, Hanbok, which were made up of layers of clothing with vibrant colors. The lanterns were used in the 1300s as indoor/outdoor lighting and in ceremonies.
During the Japanese invasion of Korea in the late 1500s, people living in Jinju began lighting up the river with lights to stop the Japanese from crossing the river. These lanterns would also have writings on them for the residents to communicate with each other across the river, checking in on their families.
There were two big screens, displaying photographs about Korea, and their food culture. I was trying to film it, and talk to my friend who wanted to know where we should have dinner.
From there we went to BCD Tofu House. It has several locations. We went to the one on Wilshire in Koreatown. It was an authentic experience as most of the customers were Korean.
Korean restaurants usually serve complimentary warm Boricha—toasted barley tea with a nutty flavor, and small side dishes. To me, this tea tasted bland, and I gave the fishes to my friend. The small plate sitting next to the Cass beer was also a fish dish. My friend said that they were both really good and did not taste fishy.
I had the tofu bibimbap in a hot clay pot, and my friend, had the same with beef. Mine was yum. My friend said that the beef was a bit too chewy, but other than that, she enjoyed it. The Cass beer was excellent, and they gave us chilled glasses! Service was great. Do recommend, and I'll probably will go back and try something else the next time.
During the Japanese invasion of Korea in the late 1500s, people living in Jinju began lighting up the river with lights to stop the Japanese from crossing the river. These lanterns would also have writings on them for the residents to communicate with each other across the river, checking in on their families.
There were two big screens, displaying photographs about Korea, and their food culture. I was trying to film it, and talk to my friend who wanted to know where we should have dinner.
From there we went to BCD Tofu House. It has several locations. We went to the one on Wilshire in Koreatown. It was an authentic experience as most of the customers were Korean.
Korean restaurants usually serve complimentary warm Boricha—toasted barley tea with a nutty flavor, and small side dishes. To me, this tea tasted bland, and I gave the fishes to my friend. The small plate sitting next to the Cass beer was also a fish dish. My friend said that they were both really good and did not taste fishy.
I had the tofu bibimbap in a hot clay pot, and my friend, had the same with beef. Mine was yum. My friend said that the beef was a bit too chewy, but other than that, she enjoyed it. The Cass beer was excellent, and they gave us chilled glasses! Service was great. Do recommend, and I'll probably will go back and try something else the next time.
