WEBZINE ACC

Summer is the most dynamic of all seasons, with asphalt burning under the sun, long periods of rain, typhoons, and hot tropical nights. Perhaps because of that, summer is also the season where you can find the things to enjoy, appreciate, and savor, when one examines the season in greater detail. The romantic atmosphere of a moonlit summer night, for instance, leaves a mark in one’s memory.

During the day, the sunlight beats down on us, sweat refuses to dry, and frustration goes through the roof. But when the heat of the day retreats to make room for the sunset and the translucent blue moon, the romance of summer nights settles in. That is also the time when the night walk at Asia Culture Center (hereafter referred to as ACC) starts. Though we dream of a vacation near an open sea or in cool valleys, we find ourselves trapped within the reality of a grey city and the urban heat. But one also has opportunities to find small escapes and rests, even in the city center. You know, just like the night walk with Asian cultural performances, <ACC Night> in ACC!

ACC Night

<ACC Night> is a special tour program where you can feel the romance of walking under the summer moon, away from the summer heat. The <ACC Night> program follows Asian songs to learn more about the flowers and trees near the ACC, followed by a fusion Gugak (traditional Korean music) performance with flower themes as a small festival for summer nights.

At 7:30 in the evening, when the hot midday sun retreats and cooler winds begin to blow, I went to the ACC to take part in the <ACC Night> program. The tour starts from the ACC Citizen’s Park. This itineration of the <ACC Night> has the theme, "Melody of Flowers", which involves participants fulfilling missions while enjoying the nighttime view in ACC. Perhaps because of that, the sense of anticipation was evident in the faces of the participants well before the start of the program. The premise of the "Melody of Flowers" is as thus: A girl finds herself transformed into a plant one day. To help her recover her human form, participants must find the five melodies that the flower fairies have hidden throughout the ACC, so that they can exchange the melodies for a ticket. Of course, once you fulfill the mission, you win a gift from the girl.

ACC Night

I greeted the others who are in my group for the <ACC Night> tour, and embarked on the mission. Once the tour began, invitations were sent out to all participants. The invitation contained a letter written by the girl, along with hints for each mission. Now, we have the message and hints, so here we go!!

# Mission:Possible to get the girl back

The first mission card, the Message of the Grasses, contained four hints with pictures of plants: This plant, located in the ACC Citizen’s Park, is designated as the Cultural Heritage Material No. 20 of Gwangju Metropolitan City. It is a vine plant resembling a rope woven from hemp, and has a pinwheel-shaped flower symbolizing a "white smile". We began to look around the Citizen’s Park and ended up in front of a plaque: the former site of Gwangjueupseong Walled Town. These stone walls, now covered by climbing plants, is a cultural heritage material that reflects the style of fortification constructions prevalent during the Joseon period. Despite being nearly 700 years old, these walls still stand, albeit covered with moss and flowers that make them seem like houses for the fairies.

This was also the place where we found the plant hiding the first melody of the fairies: the Asian jasmine, an evergreen plant with flowers that resemble pinwheels. When we scanned the QR code on the play ticket, we found the Filipino folk dance, Tinikling, a dance that spins like pinwheels between bamboos.

The second mission card contained a story from the Jeju Island. "This plant is commonly found in Jeju, and is used as a windbreaker against the island's wild winds." Stories related to this plant can be found in the memorial songs for the victims of the Jeju Uprising, and based on the hint, we were able to find the plant hidden within the lyrics. That plant was the sasanqua camellia. Even in the depth of winter, the sasanqua camellia blooms in a display of nature's power. They are mostly found near coastal villages and mountains. If the flower opens halfway, the flower is a camellia. If the flower opens fully, it is a sasanqua camellia. Sasanqua camellias are also much smaller than camellias, reaching only halfway the size of the latter when fully grown. In winter, sasanqua camellias can be found in full bloom throughout the ACC.

The third hint we got was the picture of the plant that hid the melody. Oh, but look! The paper is torn, so we can't make out what the plant is. But thankfully, we could gather the papers with our teammates and find the plant where the melody was hidden in. That plant was the big blue lilyturf, a purple flower shining like a star in the middle of the ACC Citizen’s Park. Big blue lilyturf is said to be the plant that appears in Qin Shi Huangdi's search for the elixir of immortality. Its roots are indeed used as medicinal materials in Korean traditional medicine. Thanks to its affinity for shade, the big blue lilyturf can often be found in the shade of tall buildings in the city center. The melody hidden within the big blue lilyturf was the song "For the World", part of the soundtrack of the film, <Hero>.

The fourth melody is hidden within a plant with a deep fragrance. Using the scent sample and the hints provided, we looked around the garden in search of the plant. When we moved closer to the mountain hydrangea, we found ourselves rooted to the place by its scent. Of course, that was where we found the fourth melody. Mountain hydrangea is a wildflower that grows in shady and moist corners. When one examines the flower in detail, one finds two types of flowers, one big, one small. What is interesting is that the smaller flowers that bloom inside are too small to attract the bees and butterflies, so the larger, more extravagant outer flowers attract the insects, and the smaller, inner flowers emit a fragrance to get the insects to pollinate. The melody hidden in the mountain hydrangea is the song Wang Chun Feng (望春風), a well-known Taiwanese song that captures the deep desire for love to be realized. I let myself drift in the scent of the hydrangea and the song, its lyrics reminding me of the tragic legend of unrealized love.

We now have only one mission left. The fifth mission was the hardest, requiring us to find a fairy that is interfering with our search, convince the fairy to help us, and get the hint from the fairy. There was a fairy that was interfering with our efforts, among us. The surprise was evident in everyone's faces. Thankfully, the fairy proved to be easy to identify. Now, we had to play a game to appease the fairy, so that we can win the hint that the fairy held. After a fierce game of rock-paper-scissors, we obtained three hints. The first was that the ripe black fruits of this plant are used to create Buddhist prayer beads. The second was that this tree was planted to commemorate the construction of Pyeongyang's Yeongbingwan of Baekwhawon. The third was the English name of this tree, golden rain tree, named after the shower of yellow petals in summer. One tree came to my mind: The Koelreuteria paniculata tree, located near the entrance to the Citizen’s Park. Indeed, that tree was the place where the fifth melody was hidden in. Koelreuteria paniculata, also known as the golden rain tree, is a rare tree designated as a Natural Treasure that needs to be protected. I was quite surprised to see a tree as rare as this in the city center.

Golden rain trees are said to symbolize freedom and prosperity. The melody contained in the tree was inspired by the children's song, "Half Moon", which was often sung by the children of Korea before Korea was divided. I could feel the sense of majesty and sadness in the message for Korean reunification contained within the song.

# Do you want to continue enjoying the melody of flowers?

Our group finally managed to find all five melodies for the ticket. The girl is now returned to her human self, and presented us with the ticket for the performance, "Present of Flowers". We went over to the outdoor terrace, near Wang Du's work <Victory>, and presented our ticket to enter the venue. Each table had some snacks, and was illuminated by small and cutesy lighting, which made this summer night even more special. The fusion Gugak (traditional Korean music) performance featured the band "New Day", a group made up of young musicians in Gwangju area. "New Day" is a crossover band that strives to re-interpret and showcase the harmony of Korean traditional music with other genres. The band performed seven songs, namely "Standing Under the Shade of a Roadside Tree", "Neoyeong Nayeong (You and I Both Dear)", ""Sarangga" (Song of love)", "Arirang Medley", "Ssukdaemeori (Unkempt Hair)", "I Love Every Twelve Months", and "The Blue Night of Jeju Island", spreading throughout the ACC space in harmony with the summer night. Just as green leaves rustle against the breeze, just as moonlight illuminates the summer night, we found ourselves melting into the night pleasantly.

Finding, applying for, and experiencing the various tour programs offered by the ACC is like exploring the manifold stories of Asia. Just as Asian colors, time, fragrance, and sounds change across the seasons, I look forward to the memories of summer that we will be creating through the tour.

ACC Night