| Seochulji
Pond and Arakdang Pavilion (1664 AD)
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sites in Gyeongju |
Gyeongju, Korea |
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Seochulji pond and Arakdang Pavilion are favorite sightseeing spots in Namsan village. The pond dates from the Silla era (668-935 AD) and figures prominently in an old legend recorded in the Samguk Yusa "Additional Materials of the Three Kingdoms" written in 1285 by the monk Iryon. The legend goes like this:
One day the King of Silla was having a royal banquet in Namsan village. During the festivities, his wife became ill and returned to the palace. The king's chief physician, a Buddhist priest, asked to return to the palace to help treat the queen. The king readily agreed.
Later in the day, the king was startled by a flock of crows flying from Seochulji pond. Deeply troubled by the dark omen, the king left his entourage and headed for the pond. There he discovered an old man standing by the side of the lake. As the king approached, the man handed him a letter inscribed with the following words:
"Unopened one will die, opened two will die."
Very afraid, the King scrambled back to his picnic and summoned the court astrologer. After examining the letter, the astrologer recommended that the king open the letter. When the king protested, the astrologer warned that he suspected the one to die was probably the king. The king agreed with this logic and decided to open the letter. Inside he found another message that instructed him to return to the queen's bedchamber and "fire an arrow into the clothes closet".
The king rushed home and found his queen lying naked in her bed. Clothes were strewn all about the floor. Hearing rustling behind the clothes closet, the king fired his arrow and a man cried out, falling forward. The king realized it was the Buddhist monk who was attending to the queen. They had been having an affair, and the queen's illness was merely a ruse designed to bring them together.
The next day the lovers were bound and strangled, fulfilling the prophecy that "opened two will die." If the king had not opened the letter, the lovers would have killed him one day and seized power for themselves.
Perhaps remembering this ancient legend, the local yangban nobles built Arakdang pavilion in 1664. It is a graceful structure that cantilevers out over the water. In the summer months the lake is abloom with lotus flowers that cover virtually the entire surface of the water. A path runs around the lake that is very popular with the locals.
Visitors are not allowed inside the pavilion for the sake of preservation.
Bibliography:
Images copyright 1998-2000 Abe Ahn and Tim Ciccone
Adams, Edward B. Korea's Kyongju: Cultural Spirit of Silla in Korea
Seoul International Tourist Publishing Company. Seoul. 1983
Iryon or Kim Kyonmyong. Samguk Yusa (Additional Materials of the
Three Kingdoms). 14th century Korea.