WEBZINE ACC

In a first-grade classroom, even during lessons, shoes fly around and children fall down with hardly a breeze to push them. One way to avoid the chaos and restore balance to their sitting postures is picture books. Folk stories, in particular, bring them to their seats quicker and make them stay longer. It’s easy to observe when reading picture books with children. No market research is needed. Just pick a picture book, and the box office will be overwhelmed with eager viewers.

The third volume of Asia Story brings the same excitement and interest to the table. Since 2018, the Asia Culture Center (hereafter “ACC”) has collaborated with artists from various Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, India, and Mongolia) and Korean artists to publish the Asia Story picture book series. This year’s volume brings the stories of When Biting into Aaruul from Mongolia, Truth among the Lies from Azerbaijan, and The Return of Swan Lady from the autonomous Republic of Buryatia within Russia.

This year’s collection also features numerous interesting new entries. Unlike in the previous years, this year’s collection is written by Korean writers and illustrated by artists from their respective countries. Each country’s nature and culture are brought to life more faithfully, as the stories are reinterpreted with contemporary values and emotions. While the previous collections shared folk stories by depicting the countries’ culture and nature to share old values and emotions, this year the stories are set in cities to bring the past, present, history, and stories together and actively communicate with contemporaries.

When Biting into Aaruul (Mongolia) Written by Lee Sang-hee
/Illustrated by Turmunkh Batbayar

Aaruul is a traditional Mongolian snack made by drying fermented milk curds in the sun. Ji-woo, a Korean boy, meets Mongolian girls, Shar and Khutulun, in Chinggis Khaan International Airport. They bite into an aaruul together and find themselves slipping through time to 13th Century Mongolia, the height of the country’s power.
Ji-woo, a prince of Goryeo, is sent to Mongolia alone. When the prince falls ill in Mongolia, his caretaker, Shar, helps him recover by giving him aaruul from her hometown. Her supply of aaruul runs low, and Shar, along with Princess Khutulun, leaves for her hometown to get more. The duo acquires aaruul, but their supply is stolen by robbers on their way back. Luckily, Shar and Khutulun had learned the art of making aaruul and pass on the recipe to the women of the palace, allowing the poor and starving children to enjoy it.
Princess Khutulun, whose quick thinking and courageous actions help drive the plot forward, was a real-life folk hero who was said to have bested her opponents in wrestling and battle regardless of their gender. She is certainly this book’s breakout character. Aaruul is another plot element that piques one’s curiosity. It’s unfortunate that I was unable to taste it because it was difficult to find.

Truth among the Lies (Azerbaijan) Written by Jeong Hae-wang
/Illustrated by HAJIYEVA RAHIMAXANIM

Azerbaijan, a country located at the midpoint of the Silk Road, is called the “Land of Fire,” because of the massive natural gas and flame columns bursting from the ground. Back when Goryeo was an active trader in the Silk Road, the land we now know as Azerbaijan was occupied by the kingdom of Shirvan.
The king of Shirvan, the Shirvanshah, cared deeply for his daughter, the princess, because the queen had died early. Once the daughter reached the marrying age, the king proclaimed that the man who can make him say “It is a lie” thrice will be declared his son-in-law. Seulgi Maru, a translator who followed Goryeo’s merchants to the kingdom of Shirvan, bravely steps up to the challenge. Can Seulgi Maru bring the king to say “It is a lie” thrice? Seulgi Maru’s solution to the king’s final proclamation is a perfect example of the unique wit found in folk stories. It doesn’t mean that the couple marries right away. The Shirvanshah and Seulgi Maru allow the princess to make a decision, an interesting subversion of the old marriage trope where the father and another man choose the husband in place of the woman.

The Return of Swan Lady (Republic of Buryatia) Written by Im Jeong-jin
/Illustrated by Aleksandra Sonomovna Dugarova

The Republic of Buryatia, located next to the largest lake in the world, Lake Baikal, has a similar story to the Korean story about the seonnyeo (immortal maiden) and woodcutter. The Swan Lady, who came down from the sky, finds the feather robe that a hunter had hidden from her. After reclaiming her powers, she names her children and returns to heaven. Her sons go on to form the 11 tribes of the region.
The children of Olkhon Island, located within the Lake Baikal, sometimes perform the story of the Swan Lady during the Altargana festival. The children think: Why did the Swan Lady leave? What happened after that? Wouldn’t the Swan Lady have returned to the land to meet her children? They perform stories that they supplemented to the old tale, evoking a sense of hope to the ending where the Swan Lady leaves for heaven. The children’s performance has the Swan Lady return to the land and work with her neighbors while waiting for her sons to return. To our young readers, why don’t we try asking the same questions and reinterpret seonnyeo? I’m siding with the Swan Lady, but I need to remain impartial, right?

These three stories are exotic and familiar, and old and new at the same time. They bring joy and a greater interest in the countries they are set in. In the past, Koreans walked the lands toward the continent and met such people in person. Although nowadays, Korea exists more like an island, the ACC’s Asia Story offers us a way to follow the old Silk Road and meet our friends once again. When the children are finished with their third or fourth picture book, they often ask, “What’s the next book about?” But with the third volume of Asia Story, they asked, “What’s the next country?” Unfold the map of the world, start from my neighborhood, and cross the Yalu River to follow the two-pronged Silk Road through Central Asia. I follow the road to the plains and you to the desert trails. I close the book, and my inner child smiles in anticipation. What’s the next country going to be? What’s the next story about?
The ACC is now preparing to publish next year’s volumes. The stories will focus on the unique heritage of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan (Samarkand, Pamir Mountains, and traditional carpets), and will be written by contemporary writers from each country and, in 2022, illustrated by Korean artists.

• Written by Huran Park whorai@gmail.com
  
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