Exciting Saturday! Time for a Family Trip!
(Published March 8, 2012)

–Places worth visiting in March, recommended by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization
-The Korea Camera Museum, Anseong Namsadang Training Center, and more

◇ People walk a tightrope at the Anseong Namsadang (an itinerant troupe presenting various performances) Training Center. ⓒ G-News Plus

We used to go to school every other Saturday. No longer. Now we don’t go to school any Saturday.

Starting in March of 2012, middle and high school students do not go to school on Saturdays. Parents, however, are not that happy. They just don’t know where to take their kids on Saturdays.

A family trip to Gyeonggi Province solves the problem once and for all. It offers experiences, education, and travel… you can catch three birds with one stone! 

A variety of experience programs, extraordinary things to see, the pleasure of travel, all of these are packed into a trip to Gyeonggi Province. 

However, if you study a bit more about the destinations, your children will have even more fun.

The Korea Camera Museum in Gwacheon: Memories of old days described by cameras◇ The Korea Camera Museum ⓒ G-News Plus

This is where you can view old photographs and share memories with your children. The museum is in Gwacheon City. It is home to more than 3,000 cameras, 6,000 lenses and 15,000 collection items ranging from glass plate negative film and initial slide projectors to photo printers and various accessories.

You can see all kinds of cameras here, including the first cameras like camera obscura, camera lucida and a camera made in1839. There are all types of cameras that are mentioned in the history of the development of the photography, from the time of the silver-coated plate process to modern day digital cameras.

The present exhibitions represent just 10% of the collections of the museum. Items that are not regularly exhibited are displayed for the public in special exhibitions that are arranged four to six times a year. The museum is like a treasure trove even to those whose hobbies are not taking pictures, as it presents us with an extraordinary experience in cameras and pictures, which can be called the stories of our lives.

# Point of Interest #1 “When was the camera invented?”
Find out with your child when the camera was invented, how the first camera was made and what the first camera looked like. It is fun to know.

# Point of Interest # 2: “What was the first photograph taken in Korea?” 
When was the first photograph taken in Korea? What did people say about it? In fact, in the 1890s when photographs were first introduced in Korea, people were incredibly surprised by the technology and some believed that having their pictures taken would reduce their life span. However, pictures are so commonplace these days, even to a five-year old. Your child must want to learn more about the first picture of Korea.

# Options
<Making pictures with a pinhole camera>
․ Morning Class: 10:00 to 13:00  / Afternoon Class: 14:00 to 17:00
․ Fee: KRW 10,000 to 15,000
<Making black-and-white photos>
․Morning Class: 10:00 to 13:00 / Afternoon Class: 14:00 to 17:00
․Fee: KRW 15,000 per person (open to a family group of 3 to 4 members)

# <Museum Information>
․Address: 330, Makgye-dong, Gwacheon City, Gyeonggi Province
․Web site: http://www.kcpm.or.kr
․Inquiries: (02) 502-4123
․Operating Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (March to October), 10:00 to 17:00 (November to February) 
․Admission: KRW 5,000 for adults, KRW 4,000 for teenagers, KRW 3,000 for children

Anseong Namsadang Training Center, where you can meet the first idol star of the Joseon Dynasty (1392 to 1910)◇ At the Anseong Namsadang Training Center, you can see Baudeogi Pungmuldan performing exactly as they did in the film ‘The King and the Clown’ (one of the most popular Korean movies in history). ⓒ G-News Plus

If you want to enjoy an exciting traditional Korean dance with your family, the Anseong Namsadang Training Center is a perfect match.

The Namsadang Training Center is a place where the spirit of Baudeogi, the first female kkokdusoe (the head of namsadang) of Korea and a native of Anseong, still lives in the performance of the troupe there.

Regular performances are held every Saturday and Sunday, captivating spectators. Jultagi (tightrope walking), madanggeuk (traditional Korean open space drama) and puppet shows are presented at different hours. The most popular event at the moment is the Saturday evening performance that includes tightrope walking.

The wrap-up party is attended by all the performers and audience members. They come forward to the open space and enjoy a thrilling round of traditional Korean dance together while forging enduring memories. The regular performance for 2012 starts on March 17.

# Point of Interest: Baudeogi, the first Korean idol of the Joseon Dynasty (1392 to 1910)
Born to a poor tenant farmer in Anseong in 1848, Baudeogi was confined to a Buddhist temple at the age of five. She soon exhibited her gifts for music, dance and tightrope walking. She became what could be called the first idol in Korea. She even attracted the keen interest of King Gojong’s father, who actually ruled the country as regent for quite some time. If you have seen the movie ‘The King and the Clown,’ the rest is history. Explore the charms of her life with your child. 

# Performance Information
․Address: 198 Namsadang-ro, Bogae-myeon, Anseong City, Gyeonggi Province
․Web site: www.남사당놀이.kr
․Inquiries: 031-678-2518
․Operating Hours: (From March 17) Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations are required.
․Admission: KRW 1,000

Pocheon Art Valley: from Destruction to Healing◇ Pocheon Art Valley’s Creation/Experience Class

The Pocheon Art Valley, formerly an ugly quarry, has become a space of culture and art.

The valley opened on October 24, 2009.

The Pocheon Art Valley used to be a quarry (under a different name, of course). From a space of devastation, it has now become a space of healing. This place has been featured in middle school science textbooks since 2010, and the valley serves as an outdoor classroom for students.

At present, the valley offers creation-experience classes for family visitors. In line with the beginning of the school year in March, the valley also invites science teachers to conduct nature classes about granite for visitors, classes that closely relate to the current middle/high school curriculum in Korea.

The valley also exhibits ‘Junk Art,’ a form of art using trash. The Sculpture Park features sculptures created by famous local artists. The artificial lake created in the Art Valley offers an awe-inspiring view.

# Point of Interest: A quarry can change so much!
This place used to be a quarry for decades. In the 1960’s, the granite from this valley was shipped overseas, and the valley was continuously exploited as a source of construction materials before being abandoned for some time. Now it has been reborn as a cultural space. Children would be thrilled to hear the story behind the dramatic change here.

<Clay art, window painting, dyeing, key ring and pocket notebook making >
․Material costs (for creation experience): KRW 4,000
․Reservation: Tel. 031-538-3484

# Tour Information
․Address: Art Valley-ro 234 (282, Giji-ri), Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon City, Gyeonggi Province
․Web site: www.artvalley.or.kr
․Inquiries: 031-538-3484
․Operating Hours: 09:00 to 18:00 (March 1 to October 31), 09:00 to 17:00 (November 1 to the end of February) 
․Admission: KRW 2,000 for adults, KRW 1,000 for teenagers, KRW 500 for primary school students
․Monorail (return trip): KRW 4,000 for adults, KRW 3,000 for teenagers, KRW 2,000 for primary school students

ⓒ G-News Plus / Nam Gyeong-woo namgw2011@gmail.com

http://gnews.gg.go.kr/news/news_detail.asp?number=201203081034177055C049&s_code=C049