The Clocks in Jeongdongjin
The incense clock from historical drama Painter of the Wind and an hour glass that takes a year for the sand to pass through it are the highlights here!
But Jeongdongjin’s claim to fame is that its beach, on the east coast, is THE place to watch the first sunrise of the year.
There’s an adorable station right next to the beach. And tourist trains travel along the coast designed to give holidaymakers the best views. Can you see the rather swanky-looking Sun Cruise Resort in the shape of a ship overlooking the beach? It looks pretty unusual perched up there on the hill!
MORAE SHIGAE Sand Clock
I’ve realised that I often walk around oblivious to the environment around me! Like when I saw this large round ‘monument’.
I would have marched briskly past it without looking closely – if Mr Kim hadn’t pointed out what it was!
It’s a morae shigae = an hour glass. And one of the largest in the world! The clue is actually in the name of the park: Morae Shigae Park.
Oh…
(Morae meaning ‘sand’ and shigae ‘clock’. So literally ‘sand clock’).
I had to look again to notice that the clock is indeed full of sand. Apparently, it takes a whole year for the sand to fall through the hour glass and then it’s turned over every year on Jan 1. That makes sense since this is the place to watch the first sunrise.
FUN FACT
Morae Shigae (aka Sandglass (1995) (모래시계) is also the title of one of the most famous and highest rating Korean dramas ever. About the struggles of life in the 70s and 80s.
CLOCK MUSEUM
Anyway, following the clock theme, next to the beach on the old train line is The Jeongdongjin Time Museum (in a train)! I love how wheels have been incorporated into the hangul design.
As you walk though each carriage you are taken through the history of clocks from sundials and water clocks to gravity and crystal.
One carriage houses some 19th and 20th ornate clocks from Europe (France and Germany mainly), the USA, and China.
In the last carriage there are artistic clocks made by contemporary artists. Some are so complex it can take a year to make just one!
INCENSE CLOCK
The highlight in the museum for me was the incense clock that was used in the historical fusion drama Painter of the Wind. (2008).
In episode 4, painter Sin Yun Bok is taking part in the Civil Service Entrance Exam for a place in the Dohwaseo Royal Painting Department. And this incense clock was the timer.
The design of the incense clock came from China, (and before that possibly India). So you light the incense inside the clock body. And then the heat eventually breaks the threads that are lying across the top – one by one. And when a thread breaks the bell rings signally the passing of a certain amount of time. (think that’s how it works, anyway)
GETTING TO THE EAST COAST
The east side of the country is incredibly mountainous. And so travelling around that area used to be a harrowing experience of curly-wurly mountain bends. And if you get car sick like me, it can be a nightmare.
But thanks to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics 2018, that has all changed! The infrastructure in the area has been developed. Lots of mountain tunnels built. And a KTX high speed railway now goes all the way to Gangneung in Gangwon-do on the east coast stopping off at Pyeongchang on the way.
Apparently 34 tunnels were built for the KTX. I think we drove through almost 70 tunnels!
On a four-hour journey, the tunnels can become a bit monotonous and so some of them have rainbow lighting or include the sound of whistles – presumably designed to keep drivers awake!
You can get to the east coast in a couple of hours from Seoul by KTX express train. (It took between 5 and 6 hours before). And it takes around 3 hours by car.
Related posts:
How to tell the time in the Joseon period
My favourite clock at home is a rather large wooden hour glass which is in fact, an egg timer. But after reading your article, I rather fancy an incense egg timer !
yes, very exotic!