Where is the home of renowned artist Shin Saimdang?
Shin Saimdang (1504-1551) is one of the most famous women in Korean history. And she was the model of Confucian values in the Joseon period. So it’s not surprising that her family home is suitably understated and tasteful. It’s a modest hanok set in a garden of black bamboo in Gangwon Province.
She was an artist and poet and admired as a ‘good wife and wise mother’. (the drama Saimdang – Memoirs of Colours is about her and was the comeback drama for Lee Young Ae after Jewel in the Palace).
But her claim to fame these days is that she is the only woman to make it onto Korean money. She raised a son, Yi Yi (1536-1584), who became one of the most noted Confucian scholars of the Joseon period (1392-1910). And so she appears on the 50,000 won banknote as an icon of motherhood. (Yi Yi’s on the 5,000 won note!)
The family estate is in Gangneung on the east coast of Gangwon province. And it had already been in the family for generations when Shin Saimdang was born there in 1504. It’s now open to the public set in a complex with a shrine dedicated to her son and exhibition halls showing their artwork and memorabilia.
It’s a lovely area with mountains for hiking and the east sea for swimming and beaches. Actually, I’ve decided that Gangneung is my favourite place to visit. (after Jeonju which has to be my first choice as most of my thoughts in life focus around food!)
OJUKHEON HOUSE – BLACK BAMBOO HOUSE
As is so often the case though, the original wooden structure hasn’t survived. And so this is a replica of the hanok house that stood here. The house has an adorable name. It’s called Ojukheon which means Black Bamboo House.
(o = 烏 black crow + juk =竹 bamboo + heon 軒 = house).
And the house is indeed surrounded by black bamboo. I fancy having a wall of black bamboo in my garden. I’d open the windows and listen to it all creaking in the wind. But I’m told black bamboo doesn’t do well in the colder northern climate of Seoul. And I also don’t have a garden, so there’s that fantasy out the window…
OTHER THINGS TO SEE
Next to the house is Munseong Shrine, named after Yi Yi’s posthumous title given to him by the King. There’s a painting of of Yi Yi inside the shrine which was established in 1976 when President Park Chung Hee was in office. And here’s a fun fact: The President at the time even painted the calligraphy for the name of the Shrine that hangs over the entrance! (see below)
(on a side note: To find out more about the controversial president, read my review on a book about Park Chung Hee’s life)
Gradually, other exhibition halls have been added to the complex. Naturally, we couldn’t have a tourist attraction without some instagrammable spots! So apart from the house and gardens, there are statues of Shin Saimdang and her son. Very popular. In fact, I can imagine queues forming here in peak season!
Did I take a picture? Of course I did. Lots. See my Instagram!
GARDEN
So exhibition halls have been added and wooden buildings reconstructed. Perhaps the only original part of the estate that has been there since Shin Saimdang lived here is a rather stoic 600 year old Bearong crape myrtle tree! He’s done very well to last this long. And must be stunning when the (I guess red?) flowers are in bloom in autumn. But the bare branches in winter have their own charm too.
Other trees were getting attention as well. A child looked up at a towering tree with small orange-coloured fruit clinging to its bare branches. He asked his dad if they were tangerines. They were persimmon. But in fairness, they were very small.
ARTWORK – YUGOK MEMORIAL HALL
Shin Saimdang was admired as an artist and calligrapher, so let’s have a look at some of her work.
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She was particularly recognised for her attention to detail in her delicate paintings of cucumber plants, watermelon, aubergine, cockscomb flowers, poppies, and lilies. The plants are painted with bees, butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, or dung beetles. And the combinations had symbolic meaning and could express good luck or hopes for passing the civil service exam for example.
I wrote more on the symbolism in Korean Art in this post on Minhwa folk art
Then over in Yugok Memorial Hall there are some exhibits of her work including an eight panel screen with her paintings in the genre called chochungdo – paintings of insects and flowers.
But as with other artwork from the Joseon dynasty, over time the colours have faded and the paintings look a bit small and subtle compared to modern work. So I think it’s tempting to just walk past without noticing them.
So to try to make Joseon art more appealing it has become a trend to spruce up the original paintings. By enlarging them, brightening the colours, and animating them to music, the work gets a new lease of life through media art. Shin Saimdang’s paintings have also had the media treatment.
I also saw media art at an exhibition with the work of famous Joseon landscape painter Jeong Seon (1676–1759) and my favourite painter Shin Yun Bok (1758–1813).
Dress up in Hanbok?
If you really want to get into the spirit of it all, there’s a hanbok rental at the entrance to the complex. The day we were there, the hanbok experience had only managed to capture the interest of a small group of four visitors.
I spotted them in the shop later engrossed in the handkerchieves printed with replicas of Shin Saimdang’s artwork. I admire their enthusiasm. Dressing up in hanbok shows true commitment to the sightseeing experience. And not surprisingly, they seemed to be having the most fun out of everybody there!
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