By Choe Chong-dae
My interest in Sri Lanka dates back to the early 1990s. At the time I was engaged in the raw cotton business with Kabul Lanka Pvt. Ltd in Colombo. I supplied cotton with the company, a joint venture with the Korean Kabul Spinning Company. It was a leading manufacturer and exporter in Sri Lanka's textile sector.
Sri Lanka is a fascinating island, often called the "The Pearl of the Indian Ocean." It boasts amazing natural scenery, has abundant natural resources and encompasses great diversity and rich cultural traditions. In particular, the distinctive cultural heritage of the Dutch era (1658-1796) stands out. It evolved from the interaction and exchange between the Sri Lankan and Dutch cultures respectively. This had an impact on a wide range of fields such as culture, religion, economics and politics, resulting in influences on both the tangible and intangible heritage of Sri Lanka. Although Great Britain's influence is the most prominent, having been the last colonizer.
There are many similarities between Korea and Sri Lanka. Both countries have a distinctly Asian cultural identity in terms of culture, history and customs. Both countries exercise great respect for parents, elders and seniors and show warm hospitality towards visitors, presenting gifts as tokens of friendship.
Between the 13th to 15th centuries, there were Buddhist cultural exchanges between the two countries which have been maintained and continue to flourish. In the modern era, Korean Buddhists including the main Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, highly respected Sri Lanka as a cradle of Theravada tradition. Buddhism is generally classified into two major traditions: Theravada and Mahayana. They share Buddhism's essential teachings.
Each year, a considerable number of Korean Buddhist monks and scholars journey to Sri Lanka to devote themselves to Buddhist studies. Reciprocally, many Sri Lankan Buddhist monks live in Korea and adhere to Korean Buddhism and its culture. I was deeply impressed during a recent visit to a temple in Gyeongju by monks who wear exotic orange garments and expose part of their shoulders. They spoke Korean fluently and displayed erudite knowledge of Korean Buddhist culture.
Remarkably, both the cities of Kandy in Sri Lanka and Gyeongju in Korea are inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Kandy is a sacred Buddhist site and was the capital of the Sinhala monarchs, thanks to which the rich Dinahala culture flourished for thousands of years. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Glorious Tooth Temple) in Kandy is one of the most sacred places of Buddhism and it attracts many visitors for pilgrimage.
Gyeongju is the ancient capital of the Silla dynasty and it features a remarkable Korean Buddhist cultural heritage from the 7th through 10th centuries. A sister city partnership between Kandy and Gyeongju was established in 2018, which aims at fostering cultural relations between the two cities.
It is encouraging that many Korean Buddhist organizations participate in social welfare activities that benefit the people of Sri Lanka. Notably, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Jeong Heon-dae, chairman of the Korea-Sri Lanka Buddhist Association in Gyeongju, substantial financial assistance and medical units were provided to the National Hospital of Kandy by Gyeongju City for treating patients of COVID-19 in August 2021.
These exchanges of people between Korea and Sri Lanka strengthen the longstanding mutual ties between the two countries.
And, of course, Sri Lanka is the country of Ceylon tea. I have loved the unique flavor of it ever since a Sri Lankan colleague offered it to me. As I inhale the wonderful aroma I find myself transported to the enchantment of this tea country, its mystique and romance. At that time a vision of a bright future comes to mind.
Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and Director of the Korean-Swedish Association.
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Sri Lanka is a fascinating island, often called the "The Pearl of the Indian Ocean." It boasts amazing natural scenery, has abundant natural resources and encompasses great diversity and rich cultural traditions. In particular, the distinctive cultural heritage of the Dutch era (1658-1796) stands out. It evolved from the interaction and exchange between the Sri Lankan and Dutch cultures respectively. This had an impact on a wide range of fields such as culture, religion, economics and politics, resulting in influences on both the tangible and intangible heritage of Sri Lanka. Although Great Britain's influence is the most prominent, having been the last colonizer.
There are many similarities between Korea and Sri Lanka. Both countries have a distinctly Asian cultural identity in terms of culture, history and customs. Both countries exercise great respect for parents, elders and seniors and show warm hospitality towards visitors, presenting gifts as tokens of friendship.
Between the 13th to 15th centuries, there were Buddhist cultural exchanges between the two countries which have been maintained and continue to flourish. In the modern era, Korean Buddhists including the main Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, highly respected Sri Lanka as a cradle of Theravada tradition. Buddhism is generally classified into two major traditions: Theravada and Mahayana. They share Buddhism's essential teachings.
Each year, a considerable number of Korean Buddhist monks and scholars journey to Sri Lanka to devote themselves to Buddhist studies. Reciprocally, many Sri Lankan Buddhist monks live in Korea and adhere to Korean Buddhism and its culture. I was deeply impressed during a recent visit to a temple in Gyeongju by monks who wear exotic orange garments and expose part of their shoulders. They spoke Korean fluently and displayed erudite knowledge of Korean Buddhist culture.
Remarkably, both the cities of Kandy in Sri Lanka and Gyeongju in Korea are inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List. Kandy is a sacred Buddhist site and was the capital of the Sinhala monarchs, thanks to which the rich Dinahala culture flourished for thousands of years. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Glorious Tooth Temple) in Kandy is one of the most sacred places of Buddhism and it attracts many visitors for pilgrimage.
Gyeongju is the ancient capital of the Silla dynasty and it features a remarkable Korean Buddhist cultural heritage from the 7th through 10th centuries. A sister city partnership between Kandy and Gyeongju was established in 2018, which aims at fostering cultural relations between the two cities.
It is encouraging that many Korean Buddhist organizations participate in social welfare activities that benefit the people of Sri Lanka. Notably, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Jeong Heon-dae, chairman of the Korea-Sri Lanka Buddhist Association in Gyeongju, substantial financial assistance and medical units were provided to the National Hospital of Kandy by Gyeongju City for treating patients of COVID-19 in August 2021.
These exchanges of people between Korea and Sri Lanka strengthen the longstanding mutual ties between the two countries.
And, of course, Sri Lanka is the country of Ceylon tea. I have loved the unique flavor of it ever since a Sri Lankan colleague offered it to me. As I inhale the wonderful aroma I find myself transported to the enchantment of this tea country, its mystique and romance. At that time a vision of a bright future comes to mind.
Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and Director of the Korean-Swedish Association.
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