Accounts of the Mountains by Seonbi from the Joseon Dynasty

Accounts of the Mountains by Seonbi from the Joseon Dynasty. March. 24, 2007 09:18. confetti@donga.com.

You can find many accounts and references to the mountains in this country by the people that one would classify as commoners. In a pansori, a type of traditional Korean music which tells a themed story in the form of musical theater, titled “Byeongangsoi,” the main characters talk about where they would settle, complaining, “In the east lies Mt. Geumgang where we cannot find firewood; in the north is Mt. Myohang, but we cannot live there because of its cold snow; to the west lies Guwol where thieves swarm; and in the south, people say the earth is fertile. We will move there.”

What about such an evaluation on noted mountains by seonbi, scholarly people of the Joseon dynasty? This book tells us about what our “seonbis” said on their sightseeing trips of the famous mountains in this country.

Eou Yadam author Yoo Mong-in writes that he frequently climbed Baekundae, the summit of Mt. Bukhan, in his well-known travel book. He goes on to say that when he became a high-ranking government official, he would spend much time traveling many noted mountains and made a lot of observations, exploring those mountains with fascinating views, including Mt. Baekdu and many more, even in China. He then chose Mt. Jiri as the best mountain in the nation. He once thought, “Mt. Pungak is referred to as the one with the most spectacular scenery,” but later he changed his opinion after he climbed the summit of Mt. Jiri. He expressed great admiration, seeing the mountain range, “The magnificent and prominent features of the mountain can never be matched by any other mountains.” He even recorded in his travel book that he would choose this mountain as a place to live if he chose to withdraw from the government post.

However, the actual mountain Yoo Mong-in settled on after retrieving from his official rank was Mt. Geumgang. Nam Hyo-on, a Saengyuksin member (one of the six loyal subjects who sacrificed themselves in order to uphold their lofty principles), was also well known for visiting and having traveled many noted mountains and large rivers after he withdrew from the government. He, too, selected the Mt. Geumgang. This represents the similar prevailed opinions among the scholars who thought that they could pursue the advanced culture of the Chinese and civilizations in the west, seek all kinds of delicacies in the south, the beauties in the north, but could only truly search for the pure spirit in the east. What is especially impressing in the remarks of Nam Hyo-on regarding Mt. Geumgang is that he revealed he had the innocence and pure heart of a child, as expressed in saying he lost track of time sledding on a pond called “Balyeon,” which later became a popular tourist spot.

A nationalist scientist named Seo Myeong-eung compared Mt. Baekdu to a famed Chinese mountain, and a spirited fellow Lim Je, who could not accomplish his love for Hwang Jin-hee, a well-known professional entertainer, became the first person to climb Mt. Halla. Kim Man-jung, who found a mountain very similar to one of his favorite mountains, Bukhan, on his way to exile, named it a very fancy Chinese name after a widely known Chinese poem.

However, the most appealing phrase that has caught the eyes of mountaineers comes from Nammyeong Cho Shik, who is said to have climbed Mt. Jiri 17 times in his life. He states, “You can climb the mountain or you may fall from it; everything depends on your every step.”

You can visit the website (yusan. culturecontent.com), and find such travel accounts of by Joseon seonbi.