Cheonpung Cultural Park

[This is a continuation of November 21, Gosu Cave and Thereabouts, especially important to note as this traditional village was flocked to by Korean tourists but relatively ignored and probably unknown to the foreigners living in and visiting Korea - as said earlier, someone needs to conduct research on tourism and marketing in Korea.]

Cheonpung Cultural Heritage Park

천풍문화재단지, Cheonpung Cultural Heritage Park was built because of the Chungju Multi-purpose Dam which would submerge houses and cultural sites, so from 1983-1985 the government along with the Korea Industrial Development Corporation worked to do research on and/or relocate several artifacts. The following were intensely studied: 33 archeological sites, 10 historical sites, 5 Buddhist sites, and then 36 tangible cultural properties were moved. Included in this park are five old government buildings including Hanbyeoku Pavilion, Cheonpung Hyanggyo (Confucian shrine-cum-school), Buddhist statues, stone monuments and four traditional residential houses.

The highlights for me in the park were the performers wearing colorful hanbok in their proper traditional setting, and the sign painter who was painting the park landscape map as a true artist guided by his own inspiration and inner eye should.

And then of course the scenery from a pavillion on the highest overlooking hill provided a phenomenal view of Cheongpung Lake in one direction and the culture-village in another.