Museums. Never liked them much. Too cold, frozen, stale - not alive. Fortunately, in recent times, things have got better and those in the museum business have upped their game. More interaction, more about taking the visitor on a journey and more about an experience “in” history rather than just watching it behind glass displays.
It was a wonderfully sunny, spring-like day so I decided to take the walk around Gatwabi rocks and then visit the Mokpo Maritime Museum on the other side. So glad I did! It’s free, well thought out and a great “dive” (pun intended) into the ancient world of boats and ships and how Mokpo played such a central role in it.
I’m not much of a “boater” or water sprite. Growing up, my father was enamored by boats, subscribing to many boat-building magazines and always having an old boat in the backyard that he “one day” was going to restore. He never did. Much like the character in Farley Mowat’s great book - The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float. If you haven’t heard of Mowat, you should read all of his books. He’s one of Canada’s finest storytellers and writers.
I think the longest time in my life on a boat was the overnight ferry between Nice and Corsica. However, our history and even right now, is one of ships transporting goods over water. It’s an amazing part of history and one everyone is enriched by. My head is spinning after an afternoon at this fine museum.
There are several large exhibit areas and the music really sets the tone. Commentary, audio, are available in 4 languages (Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese). You get taken on a journey of old wrecks and the goods they carried - playing a central role in Korea’s history and trade with Japan and China between 700 and 1700 AD.
The centerpiece is the Shinan wreck, discovered and excavated in 1976. A huge “treasure” ship, it shows the world of the early 1300s - a huge number of artifacts and items retrieved.
I highly recommend this museum or us all, taking the time to water our soul and wander through history, at a museum. It will help your today, trust me.
Here are some photos. See the full album here - if interested!
RelationSHIP
“Don’t rock the boat.”
he said to me, a child,
us on the lake
trying to make a go of it
as the motorboats roared by
washing our rowboat about.
“If you can sit in the boat together
and weather any storm,
even the horrible calmness that
is too much -
if you can keep that boat aright
and delight in trading
a sandwich or two,
not tipping the too-tippy canoe
as she hands you …
If you can do that
sign on,
for nothing can go wrong
even when it goes wrong.”
A wave hit us
’nd water filled the boat’s bottom
and victorious we began to bail
each of us a tobacco tin for a pail.
My uncle smiled,
the sun a ball of fire
over his shoulder
and he said,
”We save ourselves by
saving ourselves and
as we save
recognizing the wealth
of this dance,
our health
in keeping the boat afloat.
And that my son,
is all she wrote.”
The Maritime Life