The King's Archery Range

On October 1, 2014 one month after the official opening of the first archery range gallery in South Korea, Stephen Wunrow, photographer for the American publication Korean Quarterly, and I were given a grand tour and introduction to the newly established gallery. Dr. In-Souk Cho, PhD in Architectural History and member to the Hwanghakjeong Archery Range, and the archery range director, Dong-Sul Shin, introduced to us the many features of the range, from Confucian archery range targets to famous paintings telling the tales of yesteryear’s archery battles to a display of various world ethnic bows. The establishment of the gallery was sponsored by the district office, the Seoul city government, and the Korean government, and came to a sum of KRW700,000,000 (US654,000).

During our introduction to the gallery, various people from other archery ranges, a couple even from outside of Seoul, popped their heads in to visit the first archery gallery in Korea. Although there are eight archery ranges in Seoul and more than 360 registered ranges nationwide, Hwanghakjeong is considered the finest as it was the range to which the emperor-king was affiliated, and which is signified in the guild colors of gold (the emperor’s color) and red. Each of the other ranges have guild colors too and in shooting events, people are evaluated not only by their meditative style and skill but also on their guild of affiliation.

Hwanghakjeong, which translates as archery plus jeong meaning club or pavilion, was not always located at the present site. After a visit in 1899 by Prince Heinrich of Prussia who was fascinated with the Korean archery style and suggested making it a national sport, Emperor Kojong decreed the establishment of an archery range for the cultivation of the mind and the body of the people. In outcome, Hwanghakjeong was built in the same year in one of the western palaces, Gyeonghuigung. However, with the demolition of the palace and construction of the Monopoly Bureau of the Japanese Government-General on the site during Japanese occupation (1910-1945), Hwanghakjeong was moved on May 12, 1922 to its present location near Sajik Shrine. The site had been one of the five bow arbors in Seochan until the implementation of the Gabo Reforms in 1884, which caused many of the bow arbors to disappear around the country.

In the early days of the range’s establishment, Confucian values merited a rigid hierarchical system, and this was especially obvious at the archery range as the targets were totem objects denoting status and birth. Only Emperor Kojong and his son, Emperor Sunjong, could aim their arrows at the tiger head target. In 1897 King Kojong had proclaimed himself emperor of Korea and therefore an equal to the emperor in formerly Big Brother China and the emperor in Japan. Until that time, his archery totem animal had been the bear, the symbol of a king and the highest status formerly in Korea. High-ranking officers aimed at a deer head and commoners aimed at a pig or boar head. In the present day, westernization prevails and the target at the various ranges is the typical bull’s eye minus all totemic imagery.

Traditionally archery was not a skill for peasants. Before the Gabo Reforms began in 1894, archery was a secret martial art passed down through oral traditions. But by the late 19th century the use of the Korean bow was virtually an obsolete martial art and the Gabo Reforms of 1894 removed archery from the gwageo (Military Service Exam). From there archery went into rapid decline until patronized by Emperor Kojong a few short years later. During Japanese colonization of Korea, archery was little changed but it did become popularized through study and publication. In 1922 the Joseon Archery Association was established and in 1929 literary scholars in collusion with archers published a compilation on archery. One copy of the book, Joseoneui Gungsul (Korean Archery) is a part of the new gallery collection.

The gallery also houses several paintings related to archery, three of particular note. The first is Buksae Seon-eundo, a painting dating 1664 and of the buksae, or far north, of a camp where generals were trained and tested in the much respected art of archery. Another is the famous Dongraebu Sunjeoldo, depicting the invasion of Korea by the Japanese in the first year of the Imjin War (1592-1593). The painting is by an artist in 1760 depicting the assault on the walled city of Dongrae near the port of Pusan. Koreans with forces of 4,000 soldiers armed only with bows and arrows are surrounded and losing to the aggressive forces of 14,700 Japanese invaders armed with bows and arrows in addition to guns. The last painting is by Kim Hong-Do, a folklore artist from the 18th century. His simple painting is rather three sketches of a peasant archer—the archer with an arrow case opened and arrows in hand, the archer sitting on the ground bending his bow to string it, and the archer being guided by a gentleman-scholar in the correct form of holding the bow.

Other items on display in the gallery are a singijeon—a cannon-like construction that shoots 100 barbed arrows at a time—representative arrows from the Silla, Baekjae and Goguryeo Dynasties, as well as a wall displaying the materials for making a traditional gakgung, a “horn bow”. Seven materials are needed—bamboo, the imported water buffalo horn (hence the name), oak, tendon for elasticity, mountain mulberry wood, birch bark, and—the secret ingredient—the glue made from the mina fish.

Unlike Mongol bows and the Japanese “long” bows, both of which are far longer than the 120-130 centimeter Korean bow, the Korean bow has more of an arch and with the secret glue lending elasticity it can outshoot the longbows while requiring less strength in the draw. The downside of the gakgung is that high humidity and rain reduce its elasticity and therefore attack advantage. The first king of the Joseon Dynasty, Taejo (1335-1408), encountered such a problem in his aborted invasion against the Ming Dynasty. One of his five reasons not to invade the Ming Dynasty was the reduced effectiveness of his arrows due to the high humidity.

The traditional gakgung has changed little in material and design over the centuries, and the traditional bamboo arrow, hand-fletched with pheasant feathers, can be traced even further back in its form and design to the 3rd and 4th centuries. With one handmade arrow costing around KRW30,000 (US$28.50) and a handmade bow taking at least two months to construct with price-tag significantly higher, the cost of money and time in purchasing for Korea’s second most popularly followed sport can be prohibitive. Needless to say, the carbon bow and arrow offer a much cheaper way to practice the popular martial art focused on a symphony of meditation, composure and movement.

For more information, read Opening of First Archery Gallery in Seoul.

Cheryl Magnant, MA, MA, Assistant Professor at Korea University, writes from South Korea where she has lived off and on since 1991.

[Published in Korean Quarterly, Vol 18, No 2, Winter 2015, p 41, 43]

One Tibetan Temple in Korea

My anthropology friend wanted to meet a Tibetan monk she had bumped into last year at a Buddhist ceremony at the Chogyesa, so according to his name card, his temple was located on the north side of Seoul. More precisely, his "temple", more like a room dedicated to prayers, is located near the Jihaeng subway stop, line #1, and takes up a corner of the 11th floor of a tall office building.

While Tibetan Buddhism, like all forms of Buddhism, uses the primary colors, the style of painting, the detail and decoration, and the arrangement and religious accessories are noticeably different from the more simplistic art forms in Korean Buddhism, which has strongly been influenced by the aesthetics of confucianism that prevailed in the Joseon Dynasty.

My anthropology friend was curious about all of the Buddhas and boddasattvas on the large altar. The center Buddha is definitely a Tibetan Buddha but to the right I believe is the Korean Buddha and a smaller Buddha image below its knee, something evidently that was odd because my friend tsk-tsk-ed when seeing it as the roles those two Buddhas play in the karma cycle are competitive.

According to the single Tibetan monk (actually he practices Tibetan Buddhism but he is Nepalese), there are many Buddhas, and so for someone like me who knows relatively nothing about Buddhism, the idea that Buddha's birthday in various Asian countries falls on different days, strikes me as humorous and also very inconsistent. The monk shared with me the Karuna vol. 2 publication (published in Kathmandu) to answer some of my questions.

Karuna vol 2, p 4 - "Buddha Was Born in Nepal: Lumbini the Birthplace of Buddha"

Lumbini is the traditional birthplace of Gautama Buddha, who was born more than 2500 years ago. It is situated about 360 ams from Kathmandu, in the foothills of the Himalayas in southern Nepal. In Sanskrit it means "the lovely". 

The restored gardens and surroundings have the remains of ancient stupas and monasteries. There are also many modern monasteries and shrines from various nations scattered around the site. 

The most important temple is that of Queen Maya Devi, mother of Buddha. There is a stone image of Maya Devi holding onto a branch of a sala tree. According to legend, Maya Devi had a premonition that she would give birth to a special being and journeyed from the capital city to be with her parents. While resting at Lumbini, a beautiful grove at the time, she felt labor pains and grabbed a branch. She then gave birth painlessly to the Lord Buddha through the right side of her body. This was said to be witnessed by Brahma and many holy beings who accompanied him when he descended to witness and rejoice in this amazing event. 

To the south of the temple is a pool where Queen Maya Devi was said to have bathed before the Buddha's birth and where afterwards she gave him his first purification bath. It is said that after his birth the Lord Buddha took seven steps, gazed in the four directions and proclaimed that he was lord of all beings and the universe and that would eradicate birth, aging, sickness and death. 

In 250 BC the Buddhist convert King Ashoka built 4 stupas and a stone pillar on the site. The inscription on the stone pillar states that this is where the Lord Buddha was born.
Up to about the 9th century many temples and monasteries were built. However, by the 14th century this sacred place was forgotten, due to a decline in Buddhism in Nepal and because of Nepal's remoteness. The site was rediscovered in 1895 and more than 100 years later was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Presently it is being developed under the Master Plan of the Lumbini Development Trust. 

I found the following story on the prayer beads as very interesting. There is certainly culture twisted deeply in religious ritual artifacts.

Karuna, vol 2, p 38 - "The Story of the Bodhicitta Mala"

"The Bodhicitta mala has become famous and much sought after by many Dharma practitioners. It is said that Termahal in Nepal is the only place where the bodhicitta seeds, which are used to make the mala, will grow. It is also believed that it was Guru Rinpoche who put the plant here so that future generations could purify themselves through mantra recitation. It is said that the beads contain mantras on the outside but only the high lamas and the dakinis can see them. But the local people know about this and treat the beads with great respect, always putting them in a high place. 

One very old tantric text, the "Thengwa Gyalb" or "Mala Blessing" also mentions the Bodhicitta beads in relation to Termahal. The mala itself is very versatile and can be used in a number of pujas and for general mantra recitation. 

Unfortunately now the beads have become part of Dharma materialism and a must-have item for some practitioners. This has forced the price up from a few rupees in the past to over 60,000 rupees for some malas, thus making them inaccessible for many."

And to clarify some of the religious lingo here, another article written about pujas is in the publication. So a puja is a prayer to Buddha. How interesting as there is a Puja restaurant near Dongmyo station in Seoul run by Nepalese. So now I realize the deep meaning that the restaurant owners instilled in their restaurant. By the way, the dishes there are of brass which is likewise the style of dishes that monks use. Very interesting to discover meaning when I wasn't even looking for it!

Karuna vol. 2, p 43 - "The Power of Prayers"

What is a puja? A puja is the reciting and offering of prayers to all the Buddhas and holy beings to request their blessing or assistance. It is a very powerful and effective method to clear and avert inner and outer obstacles. Pujas are performed for general success, for the sick and dying and for those who have passed away. 

Monthly pujas performed at the NJC Monastery: 

Guru Puja (10th day of the Tibetan month)
To express gratitude to our Dharma teachers and to request a high rebirth for those who have died 

Mani and Butter-lamp Prayers (15th day of the Tibetan month)
Especially for those who have died 

Mahakala Puja (19th day of the Tibetan month)
To remove obstacles and to obtain success 

Dakini Puja (25th day of the Tibetan month)
For protection 

Other pujas by request - cost US$100 for each puja. The money is distributed in offerings to the sangha who perform the puja and to the cost of the food offerings (tsog), and other expenses. Dedication prayers and Mani prayers are recited on your request. An offering would be gratefully accepted but is not compulsory.

Ulsan Tour of Ancient History: Munmu Tombs, Petroglyphs, Whaling

I took a 4-day tour in and around Ulsan to see some of the ancient sites:

Daewangam, King Munmu's off-shore tomb (near Kyoungju actually)
Daewangam, where King Munmu's wife is supposedly buried offshore also
Bangudae and Cheonjeonri petroglyphs and Cheonjeonri dinosaurs footprints
Ulsan Amethyst Cave (not ancient but unusual enough to merit a visit)
Jangsaengpo Whale Museum and whale experience area

Getting around was tricky but with Internet help and people at information desks I've got bus numbers for next time, and to help others wanting a wonderful trip that smacks of the ancient.

I arrived via the Mugunghwa train at Taehwangang station (Ulsan) from Pusan. From the station, it's roughly a 6-block walk to Lotte Department Store (which btw has a very tall ferris-wheel beside it that makes a wonderful future landmark for knowing when to get off buses as the department store has bus links to all the major sites mentioned above).

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From the Intercity Bus Terminal to King Munmu's offshore tomb, take a bus bound for Kampo Beach (감포 해수욕장) but get off 10 minutes before arriving there, at Bonggil Beach (봉길 해수욕장). There are no motels here, just a very few tiny minbak. I stayed in one opposite the bus drop point for W30,000; it was small but clean, had its own shower and tiny kitchenette so it was more like a motel room. The owner made a point of telling me she was a Christian as did the person who told me to go to that minbak when I asked. I thought that was a bit odd, but she wanted me to know that she was not like the people who prayed on the beach. It was dark and getting late, but I had to know what people were praying on the beach. Shamans! A lot of people come and pray to the sea. Very interesting so I will definitely be coming back to spend another night, the most interesting time here. A few shamans were on the beach during the day with their prayers and traditional instruments. A camp ground is quick walking distance south for pitching tents too and a lot of shamans were staying there. The bus schedule back to Ulsan leaves typically on the hour, although an altered schedule is posted at the bus stop.

From the Lotte Department Store bus stop to Daewangam (where offshore Queen Munmu is buried in spirit) / Ilsan Beach, take local bus #108, 133 or 401. Takes more than an hour. There are tons and tons of motels and hotels as the location is in a new tourist zone and located just after Hyundae Heavy Industries. If it's off-season, you can get quite the rate and have a view of the beach and its lighthouses at the same time.

From Ilsan Beach to Ilsan KTX station where you can get a bus to Bangudae petroglyphs, take red limousine bus #5001 or #5002 to the KTX station. Takes well over an hour and probably only passes every 30-40 minutes. Timing this bus is essential as there are only three buses daily from the KTX station to the petroglyphs, bus #348 (a new bus): 10am, 1pm, 4pm. The bus takes 25-30 minutes. Best to get off at the first museum, Ulsan Daegok Museum, and from there walk the trails that link the Cheonjeonri petroglyphs, dinosaur footprints and the 2.4km walk through forest to the Ulsan Petroglyph Museum and another 1-2km to the Bangudae Petroglyphs. The return bus leaves Ulsan Daegok Museum at 11am, 2pm and 5pm. It stops on its return at the Bangudae Petroglyph Museum, which is the other end of the trail that started at the Ulsan Daegok Museum.

From the Bangudae Petroglyph Museum, I wanted to go to the Ulsan Amethyst Cave. There is no direct bus so take the #348 bus only as far as the Eeonyang bus terminal (언양 벗터미날) and from there take a taxi, probably 10-15 minutes, or return to the KTX train station and take bus #323 to the amethyst cave. This bus runs inconsistently. Taking a call taxi from the cave to the KTX station cost me W8,000 for fare and W1,000 for the call, so expect paying around W10,000 one way.

From the bus stop in front of the Ulsan Express Bus Terminal to Jangsaengpo Whale Museum, take bus #246. Expect riding an hour or more. The museum is near the end of the line. There are basically no restaurants along this beach front that do not serve whale meat. I do wonder how so much whale meat can legally be served... Expect to pay a hefty sum for this, because as I understand it, this is now the only place that regularly serves whale meat in Korea and the price for the novelty is definitely built into the product served.

Jangsaengpo Whale Museum

Jangsaengpo Whale Museum opened its doors on May 31, 2005 and is the only whale museum in Korea. The museum and corresponding Ecology Experience Hall are located in Jangsaengpo, the historical heart of whale hunting. The museum seeks to collect, preserve, and display artifacts and information about whales, which are slowly disappearing despite the moratorium on whaling in Korea since December 31, 1985.

While the museum and ecology hall are very informative and educational for kids, the Ecology Experience Hall has one major drawback. It claims "ecology" via nomenclature but it is not ecological to the handful of dolphins inside. The Ecology Experience Hall opened on November 24, 2009 because of growing popularity with the Whale Museum, and it boasts the first and so far only (thank goodness!) dolphin aquarium in Korea. I say thank goodness because the dolphins have a very tiny bathtub to swim around in 24/7. Yes, they give a few shows to break up monotony, but they are clearly unhappy. They swim in circles, mostly counter-clockwise, smacking their heads repeatedly on the water surface. This behavior disturbed me so much that I googled it and found that, yes, it is tell-tale behavior for boredom, unease, and stress. Spectators might think that the dolphins are playing but the creatures really have no where to play. They have to swim, but there's not much space for their big bodies to swim in. Spectators come in for the 15-30 minute shows, maybe play some on their smart phones while waiting, then watch, and immediately stream out. The visitor area is larger than the aquarium, and the dolphins never leave. The aquarium in the Ecology Experience Hall might be fun and entertaining for people as they flow quickly past, but it's no picnic for the several dolphins that are confined in there for life. Not much of an ecology center if you ask me.

Whales and Dolphins in Korean Waters

This list of whales was painted on a wall at the Jangsaengpo Whale Museum. I rather doubt a few of them were ever in Korean waters, but I didn't make this list. It seems that the listing is based on sightings of the creatures in Korean waters at some point in history.

In any case, the whales/dolphins/porpoises in red are the ones that typically are seen migrating off the Ulsan coast.

보리고래 - (Sel whale) 18m, 30ton
대왕고래 - (Blue whale) 30m, 179ton
쿤부리고래 - (Baird's beaked whale) 12m, 1.2ton
향고래 - (Sperm whale) 18m, 57ton
귀신고래 - (Gray whale) 16m, 35ton - (spring & late fall)
참고래 - (Fin whale) 26.8m, 75ton
밍크고래 - (Minke whale) 8.6m, 12ton (spring & late fall)
긴부리고래 - (Spinner dolphin) 2.4m, 90kg
북방긴수염고래 - (Northern right whale) 18m, 100ton
부리아드고래 - (Bryde's whale) 12m, 22ton
쇠돌고래 - (Harbor porpoise) 2m, 90kg
은행이빨부리고래 - (Gingko-toothed beaked whale) 4.9m, 2ton
상광이 -  (Finless porpoise) 1.9m, 45kg (spring)
흑등고래 - (Humpback whale) 16m, 35ton
고양이고래 - (Melon-headed whale) 2.6m, 275kg
범고래 - (Killer whale) 9.8m, 10ton
들고양이고래 - (Pygmy killer whale) 2.6m, 225kg
참돌고래 - (Common dolphin) 2.3m, 135kg (winter)
까치동고래 - (Dall's porpoise) 2.4m, 220kg
낫돌고래 - (Pacific white-sided dolphin) 2.3m, 150kg
점박이돌고래 - (Pantropical spotted dolphin) 2.6m, 120kg
혹부리고래 - (Blainville's beaked whale) 4.7m, 1ton
민부리고래 - (Cuvler's beaked whale) 7.5m, 3ton
꼬미향고래 - (Pygmy sperm whale) 3.4m, 400kg
들쇠고래 - (Short-finned pilot whale) 6.1m, 3.6ton
큰이빨부리고래 - (Stejneger's beaked whale) 5m, 1.5ton
흑범고래 - (False killer whale) 6.1m, 2.2ton
큰돌고래 - (Bottle-nose dolphin) 3.9m, 600kg
추돌고래 - (Northern right whale dolphin) 3.1m, 115kg
줄발이돌고래 - (Striped dolphin) 2.6m, 156kg
흰고래 - (Beluga / white whale) 4.5m, 1.5ton
쿤머리돌고래 - (Risso's dolphin) 4m, 500kg
쇠향고래 - (Dwarf sperm whale) 2.7m, 272kg
뱀머리돌고래 - (Rough-toothed dolphin) 2.8m, 150kg

Whale food and products

This information was found in the museum. Supposedly whale meat is only served legally in Jangsaengpo, and people flock from all parts of Korea to have the whale meat eating experience. Though it is common knowledge that whale meat is only served in Jangsaengpo, a couple of years ago there was a flower festival in Seoul and in the festival were some very strange foods like baby chicks fried whole. Whale meat was also served, and I remember being completely surprised because I knew of the Korean moratorium on whaling.

Though there is a moratoriam, whales are washed up, hit by boats, "die" in undocumented ways and there is always plenty of whale meat in Jangsaengpo. Makes me wonder... Anyway, the posting introducing the types of whale meat:

Food Made of Whale Meat 

Whale meat is famous for its 12 different tastes and colors with parts. Dishes made from whale meat vary, including assorted raw whale meat, whale stew, steamed whale meat, whale steak, canned whale meat, and whale curry.

The whale dish of Ulsan won the Bronze Prize in the 2nd Seafood Dish Competition in the 2006 Seoul World Tourism Food Exhibition. Winning the prize became the momentum to further the development of a special cuisine made from whale meat.

Foods derived from whale include edible oil, margarine, capsules, calcium, bacon, sausage, canned food, bread and cake, which are mainly derived from the whale's fat, cartilage, bone, belly and red meat.

Whale meat is selected as the leading delicacy in Ulsan, and it has become such a favorite that visitors to Ulsan are said to have been treated well only when they have tasted whale meat.

Whale meat drew national attention as the Jangsaengpo-dong, Nam-gu became famous as the largest whaling outpost in Korea, attracting whaling aficionados to Ulsan. When whaling was prohibited in 1986 and whaling disappeared, Ulsan became the only place where you can taste real whale meat in Korea.

Whale meat is good in the prevention of adult diseases because of the fat and high protein content. The meat is healthful and rich in iron and other ingredients, and it is often prescribed for dermatitis and allergy.

Jangsaengpo is famous as the place in Korea where cuisine based on whale meat was first developed. In the heydays of whaling, there were about 30 restaurants in Ulsan serving whale meat. these days, such restaurants can only be found in Jangsaengpo.

And of course there are (or were) many products made from whale meat and product:

click to enlarge

Location and other nearby related attractions

The museum and ecology hall are located right on the waterfront. Across the small street facing the waterfront is a string of a dozen or more restaurants all marketing whale meat in some form. I wanted a vegetarian meal but there was none to be had, so I had to take the bus back into Ulsan to get my veggies. The closest dish to vegetarian that I could have gotten was bibimbop with the raw whale meat removed. It didn't look appealing without its central attraction.

Pricey ... but that's one of the costs of novelty.

Jangsaengpo is recognized as the migration site of Gray Whales and supposedly the only spot from the peninsula from which whales can be seen. Therefore, this spot has been designated Natural Monument No. 126.

For those wanting to see whales (of course pay attention to seasons - noted in the red characters in the list above), then there are two boat routes visitors can take to go whale spotting.

The present cost for an adult to go whale-spotting is W15,000 (route on right) or W20,000 (left pictured route).
For more info, http://whalecity.kr  //  (032) 226-1990~1

For bus numbers getting here and to some nearby sites, go to Ulsan Tour of Ancient History: Munmu Tombs, Petroglyphs, Whaling.

Ulsan Amethyst Cave

Cavern of amethysts, 자수정동굴, is a cavern of birthstones for February. Internationally there are about 100 mines being approved as having the best quality of gemstones. This is one among the 100. However, the majority of the amethyst caverns are currently closed and only this one has been devised for tourism. In the cavern each passage has been made to excite tourism and so the various passages reference different popular culture sites around the world: exhibits on primitive life in Papua, relics from Egypt, a miniature of Dokdo Island, and a passage leading to a miniature Seokguram, as well as a reproduction of the local National Treasure No. 285, the Bangudae petroglyphs, to name a few. Because of the chill I really welcomed the single passage that contained a mock amethyst sauna room. People could flop on the bamboo mat in front of the warming wall and warm up from the damp coolness of the cavern complex. Events like acrobatic shows are also held. Personally I thought all the referencing to famous sites and the acrobatic show really cheapened the beauty of the extensive man-made cave, but tourism is tourism and somehow this cheap stuff is "appreciated" and the natural environment gets little to no regard.

Throughout the 2.5 kilometers of the man-made cave, the passages are wide enough for a truck to pass through. The space is an intricate web of passages, much like those of an ants. Inside, the year round temperature ranges from 12 - 16 degrees Celsius.

The two aspects that I most appreciated in the cave were, when I took the brief boat ride, I got a sense of how extensive the passages were, and during the 5 minute ride, I got to see the single remaining amethyst geode in the ceiling above one of the central waterways. Somehow I was under the impression before visiting the cave that more amethysts would be embedded in the walls but evidently they were harvested as quickly as they were found.

Taking the very short boat ride with the sides of the cavern draped in glitzy lights.
This picture turned out better than the reality.

The single obvious geode in the ceiliing, left to show visitors a naturally occurring geode.

This amethyst geode was discovered August 20, 1987 by the foreman and the mayor of the team. It took 20 miners about seven hours to remove about 10 tonnes of stone and collect the uncut stone. The then appraised value was calculated at about 500,000,000 won. For demonstrating a geode to visitors it was been restored to its near original state. The size of the geode is 1.8 meters in diameter and 4.5 meters in height. There is also a display hall of many different sizes and shapes of amethysts. They would have been very interesting to see, however, moisture had gotten into most of the plastic casings  so viewing the amethysts geodes inside was next to impossible. A bit sad about that.

The Egyptian site was positively the worst. This one is better laid out and decorated than most.
The imitation Seokguram.

The imitation Seokguram.

A paper dragon stuck on the wall. I think building a myth around the dragon would give the cave
and the cheapness of the dragon a little more appeal.

This part is historically interesting as it shows how geodes were mined and extracted from the rock.

More historical record depicted through lifelike imagery models the mining process. Evidently this part of the exhibit is showing a resting moment, a lunch break. Not much color in the cave, which gives an authentic reproduction of the mining process.

For instructions how to get to the Amethyst Cave from Ulsan, go to the site Ulsan Tour of Ancient History: Munmu Tombs, Petroglyphs, Whaling.