K-pop fans turn to traditional Korean culture
K-pop fans turn to traditional Korean culture
Young French travelers learn about historic Korean culture through Templestay program
The following is the first in a 10-part series on templestays and temple food, which are 1,700-year-old cultural assets of Korea. ― Ed.
GANGHWA ISLAND, Incheon ― It was definitely K-pop that led Athina Olaussen, a university student in La Rochelle, a western port city of France, to Korea.
“I love BIG BANG and 2NEI. I think their music is great as well as the way they are dressed. And they are not common … their music is definitely unique from the others,” she said.
“In France, we don’t have any bands … most French people find it (young idol groups) weird. But we young people want to have fun by watching shows or listening to K-pop music. They (Korean artists) know how to dance and their stage has been always perfect. This is really amazing,” she said.
But the 19-year-old never knew of the spiritual side of Korean culture beyond the flashy world of K-pop before she stepped into Jeondeung-sa, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Korea.
Overwhelmed by the solemn atmosphere at the temple that dates back more than 500 years, Olaussen and her travel mates stopped talking about BIG BANG, T-ara and Psy’s latest hit song “Gangnam Style.” As a monk demonstrated how to perform prostrations and etiquette at the temple, the European K-pop fans become serious, even tense, making sure they were following the rules correctly.
Sitting with their legs crossed was the most difficult part of the meditation session, they said.
But the experience helped them look into their inner-self, giving them a window into a religious culture distinct from the largely Christian West.
The following is the first in a 10-part series on templestays and temple food, which are 1,700-year-old cultural assets of Korea. ― Ed.
GANGHWA ISLAND, Incheon ― It was definitely K-pop that led Athina Olaussen, a university student in La Rochelle, a western port city of France, to Korea.
“I love BIG BANG and 2NEI. I think their music is great as well as the way they are dressed. And they are not common … their music is definitely unique from the others,” she said.
“In France, we don’t have any bands … most French people find it (young idol groups) weird. But we young people want to have fun by watching shows or listening to K-pop music. They (Korean artists) know how to dance and their stage has been always perfect. This is really amazing,” she said.
But the 19-year-old never knew of the spiritual side of Korean culture beyond the flashy world of K-pop before she stepped into Jeondeung-sa, one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Korea.
Overwhelmed by the solemn atmosphere at the temple that dates back more than 500 years, Olaussen and her travel mates stopped talking about BIG BANG, T-ara and Psy’s latest hit song “Gangnam Style.” As a monk demonstrated how to perform prostrations and etiquette at the temple, the European K-pop fans become serious, even tense, making sure they were following the rules correctly.
Sitting with their legs crossed was the most difficult part of the meditation session, they said.
But the experience helped them look into their inner-self, giving them a window into a religious culture distinct from the largely Christian West.
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