Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Neri: A peek into a Korean telenovela village (Daejanggeum Theme Park) By Nelia G. Neri eve
IT is amusing how people can become so addicted to TV drama series. Because I’ve never been a TV buff, I found it difficult to comprehend how these telenovelas could be so engaging, particularly those of foreign origin dubbed in Tagalog—and there’s a whole lot of them.
A visit to the set of the mega hit Korean TV drama Jewel in the Palace aroused my interest and got me into the telenovela mood. The tour was part of the itinerary arranged by Aida Uy of Cebu Fortune Travel during the famtrip to Korea sponsored by Korean Air headed by regional manager Han Sang Wook.
On our way to the village set at the MBC Yangioo Cultural Valley (now known as the Daejanggeum Theme Park), our tour guide Kris Shin showed us video excerpts of Jewel in the Palace just so we (those of us who didn’t follow the TV series) get an idea of the story and the set-up which made the telenovela the “national drama” in Korea in 2004 with the highest record of viewing rate.
The historical drama is based on a true story of a peasant woman named Janggeum who lived in the Chosun Dynasty 500 years ago. The heroine started out working in the palace kitchen, and after many twists and turns in her life, became a doctor. In fact she advanced to become the first female royal physician to serve the king. Interestingly the story integrates Oriental medicine and royal cuisine. It also highlights the court culture of the period.
The Daejanggeum Theme Park is a complex composed of buildings, courtyards, halls and expansive grounds. Among the most recognizable sites are the doorway to the palace, the grand hall, the Queen Mother’s Court, the kitchen area, the library/medicine building, the prison-summerhouse, etc. Also preserved in the premises are the collection of stage properties and costumes which were used during the actual filming. Visitors can try on royal costumes, ride carriages, shoot with bow and arrow, sample traditional wines, and do other things to re-live their memories of “Jewel in the Palace.”
Though the TV series have long ended, the story lives on at the Daejanggeum Theme Park, now a prime tourist attraction in Korea.
