My journey to Mungyeong

November in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province is a season when small villages come alive with cultural events and talent competitions. As autumn grains mature and fruits ripen, one cannot help wondering whether people’s hearts, too, find their own sense of prosperity.

I had the pleasure of visiting Mungyeong this November to attend a special cultural event jointly organized by the city's Mayor Shin Hyun-kook and one of its renowned natives, the poet Yoon Bo-young. Their shared passion for their hometown gave birth to a truly memorable festival. Mungyeong even provided 11 buses free of charge from Seoul, allowing hundreds of visitors to enjoy a comfortable hours-long journey through rural landscapes.

Upon arrival, what greeted us was a nostalgic scene: a large tent and a wide square filled with long communal tables, reminiscent of bustling marketplace gatherings of old. This temporary marketplace, created for the event, impressed me so much that I wished it could be preserved as a permanent feature — an authentic reminder of the traditional rural markets that are rapidly disappearing from our daily lives.

Local specialties were proudly on display, including crisp apples and bright persimmons, vibrant "five-flavor" omija berry alcohol, traditional snacks and briquette-shaped bread symbolizing the region’s coal-mining past. I only had time to enjoy a humble bowl of noodles, and regretted missing Mungyeong’s famous beef rice soup, said to be unmatched in flavor. As a lover of local products, my hands were soon full with purchases — especially a bottle of omija makgeolli, the soft pink hue of the rice alcohol as charming as its healthy flavor.

The highlight of the visit for me, however, was Bongam Temple. Known as a sanctuary and open to the public only on Buddha’s Birthday in early April, the temple follows strict principles. Only monks devoted to meditation practice may enter, preserving the purity of their training and spiritual cultivation. In an age when many ordinary temples bustle with crowds seeking blessings and worldly fulfillment, Bongam Temple’s steadfast dedication to monastic discipline feels all the more extraordinary.

Founded in 879 A.D. during the Silla Dynasty, Bongam Temple is home to a famed seated Maitreya Bodhisattva, a future Buddha, carved into the massive stones of Okseokdae. Designated a national treasure in 2021, the statue, crafted in 1663, depicts a Buddha holding a lotus branch in his right hand. After hiking the forest path, visitors encounter this serene figure seated in quiet contemplation, eyes lowered, radiating compassion and tranquility. Standing in front of it, I felt a deep sense of continuity with people from 400 years ago and those of us today who still long for enlightenment and peace.

My journey to the city reminded me that travel need not always be abroad. Korea’s regions each hold their own distinctive history, beauty and cultural originality.

It is admirable that local governments support citizens in accessing rural areas that are otherwise difficult to reach. I hope to see many more partnerships between artists and local administrations, creating opportunities for people to rediscover the cultural depth of our own land.

Shin Hye-suk (sinesu@naver.com), who also goes by Shindy, completed a doctorate in sociology and has devoted two decades of her life to academic pursuits at a university in Japan. She is also a florist and currently serves as an advisor to the Seoul JoongAng Rotary Club International, Korea.