VOL.69/2024.04

 

[Into the Book ④]

Re-creating Pyeongsa-ri from the Book Land

Pyeongsa-ri, Agyang-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do:
Land, the Book Inside an Autumnal Landscape

 

2023.11.06

 

 

 

On Korean Thanksgiving in 1897, before the magpies had even come to the persimmon tree within the hedge to say good morning,
children dressed in colorless clothes and with long dangling hair raced through the village streets
with songpyeon (a traditional Korean food made of rice powder) in their mouths.

 

 

A place where the golden rice ripens over vast fields, and the stems of Mount Jirisan and the Seomjin River gently surround – it is Pyeongsa-ri in Agyang-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. It is the geographical setting of Park Kyong-Ni’s epic novel Land. As the novel, written over a period of 25 years from 1969 to 1994, became a bestseller, Pyeongsa-ri Village became a representative tourist attraction in Hadong. In recent years, it has become a global tourist destination; in December 2022, Pyeongsa-ri was selected as one of the “Best Tourism Villages” by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The UNWTO has been selecting the Best Tourism Villages since 2021 to support sustainable local tourism and address issues such as rural depopulation. In addition to the Pyeongsa-ri fields that are just like those in the novel, Pyeongsa-ri Village has a number of must-see spots for Land readers, including the Park Kyong-Ni Literary Museum, Choi Champandaek (Choi Champan’s house), and Pyeongsa-ri Park. Following is a journey to Pyeongsa-ri Village in Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, where the landscape is dyed in deep autumn colors.

 

 

Pyeongsa-ri seen from afar, autumn seen up close

 

The first place to visit in Pyeongsa-ri is “Starway Hadong,” which has an observation deck where visitors can capture the panoramic view and a sky walk along the Seomjin River. In the past, people had to climb a nearby mountain or go up to Gososeong Fortress (a stone fortress in Agyang-myeon, Hadong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do) to get a good view of Pyeongsa-ri. However, the “Starway Hadong” made it possible to see the Pyeongsa-ri region from 150 meters above the surface of the Seomjin River. Standing on the observation deck with a glass floor that takes your breath away, you can have a direct view of the Seomjin River, Jirisan Mountain, and Dongjung Lake, with the wind blowing in from all directions. It is also a great way to get a preview of the places you will be visiting on your upcoming trip to Hadong.
After seeing Pyeongsa-ri from afar in “Starway Hadong,” it is time to get a closer look at it in the book Land, where events occur in the region. Like the book’s first sentence, Pyeongsa-ri, in the fall, welcomes visitors with bountiful harvests of persimmon trees, golden rice fields, and dried corn. No matter the gap between 1897 and 2023, the richness of autumn unfolds picturesquely.

 

 

 

The sarangchae (men’s room) at Choi Champandaek is as silent as a deserted land.
The sun is shining brightly in the courtyard, but where have all the people gone?

 

 

Pyeongsa-ri, a folk village that captures everything about the book Land

 

Since the late 1990s, Hadong-gun has developed the Pyeongsa-ri area into a tourist attraction, organizing various sites, including Choi Champandaek (the setting of the book Land), downtown, a marketplace, the Park Kyong-Ni Literary Museum, and hanok stays. If you walk up the path from the parking lot towards the market, selling various specialties, you will get a good view of Pyeongsa-ri Village.
The first place to visit in Pyeongsa-ri Village is the Park Kyong-Ni Literary Museum. A full-length statue of writer Park Kyong-Ni standing in the museum’s courtyard will immediately catch your eye. She began writing the book Land at the not-so-young age of 43, and finished the work of her life at the somewhat old age of 68. Inside the museum, 41 items that Park Kyong-Ni used to use are on display, as well as a complete set of the book’s series, portraits, and relationship maps published by each publisher. By looking at Park’s handwriting on the original manuscripts, as well as the thick magnifying glass, recorder, and cigarette that she used to smoke, visitors can feel close to the writer.

 

 

Walk down the street from the Literary Museum, and you will find Choi Champandaek, where the scenery from the novel comes to life. Choi Champandaek is the main setting where Choi Seo-Hee and Kim Gil-Sang, the protagonists of Land, spend their childhoods. It comprises 14 hanoks that closely emulate the spaces in the novel. Visitors can see the Anchae (main house), where Seo-Hee’s grandmother, Mrs. Yoon, lived, as well as the Byeoldangchae (detached house), where Seo-Hee stayed and the Sarangchae where Choi Chi-Soo lived. The historical drama “Land,” aired in 2004, was also filmed here. When the set for the drama was built in the lower part of the village, more than 50 sets of thatched houses were built, including Yi-Pyeong’s house, Ohseobang’s house, and the waterwheel, where the main and supporting characters lived. Also, as the place has been used for filming other dramas and movies such as “Mr. Sunshine” and “Six Flying Dragons” for its authentic hanok and thatched house village, it is an enjoyable place to visit even if you are not familiar with the novel.

 

 

Dongjung Lake, where you can cherish your memories, and Hadong Songnim Park, where the green pines and white sand make for a stunning scene

 

When you are looking at the panoramic view from the “Skyway Hadong,” there is a lake that stands out among the vast rice fields: Dongjung Lake. The Dongjung Lake area is a popular photo spot for young tourists, as it is dotted with pink muhly grass, Siberian chrysanthemum, and Cosmos sulphureus, all of which bloom and sway in the wind, adding a touch of color to the autumn landscape. In addition, there are also various other photo zones, such as the mascot suspension bridge, stairway to heaven, wherry, and rocking chair, making it a must-see spot for tourists visiting Hadong.

 

 

After exploring the Pyeongsa-ri area, move on to a place where you can experience the Seomjin River up close. Hadong Songnim Park is where the Seomjin River, the sandy shores of the river, and pine forests combine, creating a natural fragrance. As the starting point of the Seomjin River trekking trail and a walking path for local residents, Songnim Park has recently become popular for barefoot walking, where you can walk on sandy shores and forest paths together. Built in the 21st year of King Yeongjo during the Joseon Dynasty (1745) to protect the sandy winds from the river, Songnim is densely planted with more than 1,000 pine trees, making it a spectacular sight. The pine trees here are designated as Natural Monument No. 445.
When you leave the forest and go to the sandy shores of the Seomjin River, you will find your footprints imprinted in the soft white sand. You can also see tourists taking off their shoes and dipping their feet into the river to relax. On the other side of the river, people are catching iron clam and marsh clam, representative species of the Seomjin River. Because of the abundant white sand along the Seomjin River, Hadong was once called Handasagun (韓多沙郡; meaning “a village with a lot of sand”).

 

 

Featuring a 50-year span from 1897 to 1945, the book Land captures the modernization of Korea that took place not only in Pyeongsa-ri, Hadong, but also in the Manchu region and Tokyo, Japan. Why don’t you visit Pyeongsa-ri, Hadong - where the 5-part 16-volume saga begins and returns - and compare it to the book Land inside your heart?

 

 

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Written by Kim Kyu-Sung