Helping the Mayor of Chicago

Namsangol in Chicago?

Lee Jae Won

Seoul is making attempts to preserve the traditional culture in buildings and events. So, Seoul is trying to rebuild the cultural places which are related with Korea traditional culture. For example, a Korean-style village was constructed in Namsangol, in downtown Seoul. It is good for attracting foreigner's curiousness, but also Koreans are satisfied with that village. It's because that village is good for studying Korea traditional inhabitancy, enjoying many cultural events, and resting in parks. It shows Korea's general dwelling culture with four houses that used to belong to Korea's aristocracy. People can go inside these houses and see how they are different from homes in the West. For example, we can see the men's quarters in the front, and the women's quarters in the back. We can also see the heating system, the floor heated by buring wood. Namsangol also has a beautiful traditional park, with Korean indigenous plants, and places benches and pavillions where people can rest. And Seoul has buried the time-capsule with our represented things and video-CD with micro film which was the Seoul's appearance. After 400 years, time-capsule will be opened in 2394. And in the exhibition center, there are many cultural things such as pictures, clothes, shoes, jewelries, vessels, bureaus, and dolls. And it holds lots of events in there such as mask-dance, cultural dance, performance, and Pansori (a story that is told by a singer who is accompanied by a drummer). And they will also show lion mask dance. All of the things above are good things for showing and enjoying our traditional culture. I heard Chicago had lots of gangsters at the beginning of 20th century. If you rebuild the gangster's village with parks and hold the events, and exhibit gangster's properties such as clothes and guns, people would be satisfied with that village. I think it'll be a good place to study and enjoy Chicago. Namsangol and gangster's village will be a good present to foreigners, citizens, and descendants.