Monkey: Vintage Photograph Mondays

This is page 1 of a photo album showing a young group of boys on a climbing trip in South Korea. In addition to the photos, there are great drawings in white ink throughout the album. Click the image to see in more detail. Dr. Sheeyong Lee was kind, patient and thorough in translating the writing in the entire album for me. In addition to the straight translation there is also some supportive information.

Moving clockwise starting from the drawing in the lower left corner.

1. KWAN-ARK-SAN, A mountain located in Seoul, South Korea. SAN means mountain. In memory of climbing KWAN-ARK mountain. May 3, 1943 (at the age of) 18.

2. From the Northern side (of the Han river), the crystal water trickles down and goes around the beautiful rocks. Up to the sky, snow white clouds form the flowers of Lotus.* Under the heaven, forests are shadowed with the color of fresh green. From the forests, I can listen to the songs of small birds. A bright day in April*, at WOO-EE-DONG.*

*the flowers of Lotus (YON-HWA) – An idiom from Buddhism, symbol of purity, noble and clean mind.
*April (sha-wol) – The author uses the lunar calendar April even though it is May. It seems he emphasizes the romantic and joyful mood by using April which symbolizes the season of spring.
*WOO-EE-DONG – A town in Seoul (?) Characters translate to cow-ear-village.

3. 1947.6.15 On the top of MAN-JANG-BONG. In memory of conquering DO-BONG-SAN MAN-JANG-BONG

4. A continuous rain! To climb ?? mountain which boasts her rich in green leaves and beauty. The weather was not good today. A woodman gave us a tip to find a pathway which was covered with thick green bush. In the picture: Mr. Jung and friend Lee watching dark clouds in gloomy sky. After seeing KUM-RAE-GOOL (KUM-RAE cavern).

5. Autumn! – the season of CHEON-GO-MA-BEE* Autumn! – the breeze of pine trees. Facing the wind, I embrace the golden KWAN-ARK mountain. I climb on horse rock behind ?? which stands very curiously. As seeing all around, I feel dizzy and confused as if there is a cliff near me and a heaven above me. Far away, I can see cloud-covered NAM-HAN mountain. Friend SEO took a snap shot.

*CHEON-GO-MA-BEE – Sky is high, horses are gaining weight. Originally, these words derived from an old Chinese legend. Whenever autumn came, the Northern people (the Hun?) had to prepare to overcome the harsh winter. So they fed their horses during spring and summer and invaded the Chinese border (the Great Wall) in autumn which shows clear sky. Therefore the Chinese always had to enforce their defense when autumn came. To the Northener, autumn was the time to invade to get food and riches. To the Chinese, it was time to alert. In Korea, this idiom is used to describe the beauty of the season. Autumn is the season of nobly high sky, season of abundance, season of philosophy, season of poets, and season of men.

7. The early summer: the green leaves seem like silk texture, irises show their flowers beautifully. On May 3, a happy and joyful day, a lark is singing, willow are hanging by the creek near KWA-CHEON. Going around KWAN-ARK mountain and seeing ??. It is a happy day wandering all around the mountain.

8. In memory of climbing KWAN-ARK mountain.